A Cornwall-based farm company has paid £11,000 after a pollution incident involving toxic silage waste contaminated half a mile of the River Allen near St Tudy. C.P. Button Ltd, located in Bodmin, made the payment to the Westcountry Rivers Trust as part of an Enforcement Undertaking, a legal agreement offered as an alternative to prosecution.
The pollution, caused by silage leachate from Polshea Farm in June 2022, had a serious impact on the river, which is home to sensitive aquatic ecosystems. Silage leachate, a toxic by-product of silage storage, can be highly damaging to fish and other wildlife when it enters water sources. The spill was one of two incidents linked to C.P. Button Ltd, with a previous slurry pollution case recorded at Bokelly Farm near Trelill in March of the same year.
Under the Enforcement Undertaking, C.P. Button Ltd paid £8,000 to the Westcountry Rivers Trust, which plans to use the funds to enhance habitats for migratory fish in the area. An additional £3,000 was paid to cover the costs of the Environment Agency’s investigation into the incidents.
Jack Hale from the Environment Agency commented on the positive outcomes of the enforcement action: “Our investigation and subsequent farm infrastructure audit has driven significant investment on the farm, including drainage surveys and a covered silage clamp, with further development planned. All of these measures aim to prevent future pollution incidents.”
Hale noted that enforcement undertakings, when appropriate, can yield better environmental outcomes than traditional prosecution. These agreements allow companies to take responsibility for their actions, directly benefiting the environment and local communities through restorative efforts.
