JB Bennett (Contracts) Ltd Fined for Water Pollution
Issued on 12 January 1999 - Ref 1/99

JB Bennett (Contracts) Ltd were fined £3,500 at Stirling Court, for discharging polluted water to a burn in Kippen, Stirlingshire last year.

After several complaints from local residents of pollution in a tributary of the River Forth near the Castlehill Site in February/March, SEPA investigated the problem. The source of pollution was traced to the JB Bennett site, where surface water, badly contaminated with silt, was coming from the site drainage system straight into the nearby watercourse.

In view of the ongoing nature of the problem, a notice was served on the company allowing the discharge only if certain conditions were met. However, samples of the discharge taken from the site after the notice had come into effect showed that the company was breaching the terms of the notice. SEPA then submitted a report to the Procurator Fiscal and the case came to court on 7 January 1999.

The company pled guilty and were fined. SEPA policy is to work with companies to allow them to continue their business without polluting the environment. A notice was served on the company, allowing them to continue their work but they disregarded it and continued as before. SEPA were left with no alternative but to put report into the Procurator Fiscal.

ENDS

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