Annan farm partnership fined £600 for failing to maintain slurry storage  

Messrs William Forrest was served the Fixed Monetary Penalty (FMP) by SEPA as the business failed to comply with a General Binding Rule designed to protect the water environment from spills. 

Slurry storage systems need to be managed carefully to ensure the distance from the top of the store to the slurry level, known as freeboard, is maintained. This minimises the potential for slurry overtopping and escaping, the Scottish regulator said. 

There are different freeboard levels for different types of lagoons. For earth banked lined lagoons, the freeboard requirement is 750mm.  

However, when SEPA officers visited the farm in January and February 2024, they found that two slurry lagoons were full, and levels were not being managed in a way to maintain the required freeboard. 

Pollution to surface and ground waters 

SEPA said it is satisfied that Messrs William Forrest was found to have carried out a controlled activity referred to in Part 1 of schedule 3 of CAR 2011 of failing to comply with a general binding rule and an FMP is appropriate in this case. 

Stephen Field, SEPA’s national rural unit manager, added: “Slurry is a valuable source of nutrients on the farm, but if it’s not managed correctly and escapes from a storage system, it can cause pollution to both surface and ground waters.  

“In this incident, the 750mm freeboard level was not maintained, which greatly increased the risk of slurry overtopping and escaping.  

“It is a reminder of why it’s important that farmers are mindful of freeboard levels and what can happen if they are not maintained.” 

SEPA added that its staff have undertaken extensive work, including pollution prevention inspections, in the Dumfries Coastal priority catchment and have been working with the farming sector, offering advice and guidance on how to become and remain compliant with the regulations.    

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