Newsroom | Releases/Statements | Archive | 2000 | 'Farmer Fined £6,000 For Water Pollution'

Mr Albert Brown of Mitchellhill Farm, New Deer was found guilty of causing pollution to the Ebrie Burn and fined £6000 at Peterhead Court on 7 December 2000. The incident took place on 9 May 2000, at Mitchellhill Farm owned by Mr Brown. The prosecution was the result of a report submitted to the Procurator Fiscal by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The incident occurred after Mr Brown allowed diesel oil to enter the Ebrie Burn, a tributary of the River Ythan, after leaving a fuelling operation unattended. The farmer was aware of the escape of diesel but took no action to alert any interested parties or the appropriate authorities. SEPA was alerted to the incident after a call was made to their 24 hour emergency pollution hotline by the Ythan District Fishery Board, reporting oil on the Ebrie Burn.

James Watson, Environmental Protection Officer for the SEPA Fraserburgh team commented on the fine:-

"SEPA considers this fine adequately reflects the serious nature of the incident. The polluter must pay the consequences of any damage to the environment when pollution like this occurs. Oil is particularly damaging to the environment and it can take watercourses a considerable time to recover from the adverse environmental effects. Although Mr Brown co-operated with SEPA during the course of our investigations the message to be taken from this is that carelessness and thoughtlessness will not be tolerated and care must be taken when handling oil in the vicinity of watercourses or drains."