Riley Foods Limited fined for pollution

Riley Foods Limited, a Burnley-based slaughterhouse, has been fined £17,000 and ordered to pay £34,365 in costs following a prosecution by the Environment Agency for illegally polluting a nearby watercourse with blood. The case began after a report on 23 February 2021 indicated that blood had entered a stream adjacent to the company’s premises at Dunnockshaw Farm.

Environment Agency officers attended the site the next day alongside representatives from United Utilities, confirming that the pollution did not stem from United Utilities’ sewer infrastructure but originated from a private drainage system at Riley Foods Limited. Evidence collected revealed that effluent, including blood, was entering the watercourse through a pipe linked to the company’s facility. Water quality testing indicated that the water was of the highest quality upstream of the discharge but had deteriorated to ‘bad’, the lowest classification, downstream, thus posing a significant threat to aquatic life.

In court, it was noted that Riley Foods Limited had a history of poor practices and non-compliance. The Environment Agency had previously sent two formal warning letters, and in 2019, United Utilities issued a site improvement plan due to serious concerns regarding drainage infrastructure and pollution risks. Despite these warnings and opportunities for improvement, incidents persisted.

Ultimately, the court determined that the company had acted deliberately in their disregard for the environment. In addition to the £17,000 fine, Riley Foods Limited was instructed to pay costs of £34,365 and a victim surcharge of £2000. An Environment Agency spokesperson remarked that the agency takes pollution incidents extremely seriously and highlighted that despite repeated advice and warnings, Riley Foods Limited failed to prevent unlawful discharges into the environment. The spokesperson concluded, “This sentence sends a clear message that businesses who disregard environmental law and put our waterways and wildlife at risk will be held accountable.”