A CROSS HANDS food firm has been ordered to pay more than £8,000 for breaking the conditions placed upon it for the discharging of trade effluent. Farm Fresh Fillings, based at Heol Ty Newydd on the Cross Hands food park, specialises in sandwich fillings, pies, cakes and cured meat supplies. It faced two charges brought by Welsh Water/ Dwr Cymru at Carmarthen Magistrates’ Court. Managing director of the firm, Gareth Curtis, pleaded guilty on behalf of the firm to the charges of contravening a condition of consent for discharging trade effluent on June 13, 2013, and September 12, 2013. The court heard it was the effluent from sandwich filling production that was significant in the case as it was predominantly mayonnaise — essentially a fat. Charlotte Thorpe, prosecuting for Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru, said, in some measurements taken, effluent had hundreds of times in percentage the permitted level of waste in it. She added: “There is a history of non-compliance and no reports that we have asked for. I ask the court to take six other offences into account.” She added the grease and fat could have had an impact on Welsh Water’s sewerage works locally in the village.” Defence solicitor David Williams said the firm deeply regretted being before the court and there was no “willful non-compliance” and added that the production of several foods made with a variety of waste products made compliance with conditions difficult. He said “Mayonnaise is a fat and a significant factor in this case. It is a difficult substance to dispose of correctly. “There actually has been no pollution caused to rivers locally, only the potential.” The court heard that Farm Fresh Fillings, which employs 41 people, would install its own treatment tank for effluent and other measures to ensure levels set by Welsh Water Dwr Cymru were met. He said there had already been improvements at the firm this year. Magistrates fined the Farm Fresh Foods £3,000 for each offence — totalling £6,000. Together with ordering the firm to pay £1,746 court costs to Welsh Water Dwr Cymru and a victim surcharge of £300. Farm Fresh Foods will pay a total of £8,046.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 11:23:09 +0000
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