GM Mining has been fined £16,000 at Airdrie Sheriff Court following five incidents when suspended solids from its Drumshangie Opencast Coal Site at Greengairs were allowed to pollute a nearby tributary of the Cameron Burn.

The firm pled guilty to five charges under the Control of Pollution Act. The incidents, between 21 October 1998 and 7 January 1999 showed discharge levels of suspended solids from overflowing containment ponds up to 29 times the permitted level under the Scottish Environment Protection Agency?s Consent.

"The outcome of this case shows that SEPA is prepared to act when companies fail to comply with consent conditions which are imposed to protect the environment," said Calum MacDonald, SEPA Divisional Manager. "Site operators such as GM Mining must take their environmental protection responsibilities seriously. If they do not, they can expect SEPA to take vigorous enforcement action which could result in prosecution and heavy fines, such as those imposed at Airdrie Sheriff Court today."

NOTES

1. GM Mining took over the Drumshangie OCCS from Scottish Coal on 11 November 1997.
2. The main reason for the failures is that GM Mining used between two and five 6" pumps and overpumped a large volume of grossly polluting unsettled effluent from the working face of the site to their D1 treatment ponds. This resulted in the ponds being partially submerged for several months and as such providing very little treatment prior to discharge to controlled waters.
   
3. GM Mining was admonished at Airdrie Sheriff Court on 1 April 1999 after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Control of Pollution Act at the same site.