East Dunbartonshire Man Fined

The source of pollution was traced to Gilchrist Poultry, 7 Barraston Holdings, Torrance where effluent was being pumped from a slurry tank. The slurry effluent flowed through a pile of aggregate chips on the ground and entered the Tower Burn which leads to the River Kelvin. Samples taken from the slurry tank discharge pipe matched the pollutant found in the burn and this prompted SEPA officers to take the case further.

Alan Gilchrist was the person responsible for the site on the day the discharge occurred. David Wallace, SEPA's reporting officer, said "After receiving the initial complaint, visiting the site and gathering evidence, it was revealed that an on- site slurry tank was being pumped out and effluent containing a mixture of water, blood, faecal matters and feathers was flowing into the burn. SEPA were concerned about this unacceptable discharge as even small volumes of slurry effluent can devastate watercourses and kill aquatic life and cannot be ignored."