Manure fires cost stud farm owner £24,895

Environment Agency warn burning is unaacetable method of disposal

THE FORMER director of a top Lambourn stud farm has been ordered to pay a total of £24,895 by magistrates over environment-polluting manure fires.

Newbury magistrates heard on Monday how in October 2009 a manure and horse bedding fire started at the stud farm.

Around 500 tonnes of manure continued to burn for days, the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended and more than seven pumps were used to extinguish the fire.

Around six weeks later the Environment Agency received reports of smoke coming from the same location. Environment officers again attended the site and found a smaller fire in the same place and saw a tractor scraping the straw and manure into burning piles.

The smoke from the fires could be seen half a mile away and magistrates were told how compost and manure can generate significant quantities of highly contaminated runoff, mostly nitrates, ammonia and phosphates.

Fiona Marner, aged 60, former director of Kingwood Stud Limited, Lambourn, admitted keeping controlled waste on land in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Mrs Marner told the court that the waste used to be taken away but it became too expensive to continue doing this.

She maintained that there were only two occasions when waste heaps had self heated and caught on fire.

She was fined £20,000 with £4,880 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Mrs Marner has since sold the business.

Environment Agency spokewoman Alison Love said afterwards: “Waste crime puts the environment and human health at risk and undermines legitimate businesses. The fires from the piles of manure were a nuisance to those living nearby and had the potential to cause environmental damage.

Mrs Marner was well aware of the consequences of her actions and I am pleased that she pleaded guilty at the earliest possible moment. Our message to people who operate such businesses is clear – you need to manage your waste correctly and get the relevant permissions before you can operate your business or we will investigate you.

“Burning used horse bedding and manure is not acceptable.”