Firm accused over burn pollution

A Lanark firm and its operations manager have been accused of causing an environmental incident in Perthshire.

Andrew Bailie and Digestate Management Services Ltd are alleged to have allowed fertiliser to enter the Ordie Burn and an unnamed tributary of the nearby Wynnie Burn while spreading in September 2015.

Both 37-year-old Bailie, also of Lanark, and Digestate Management Services deny the allegations.

The charge states that between September 21-23 at Little Tulliebelton Farm, near Bankfoot, they caused serious environmental harm by discharging fertiliser while spreading.

This was alleged to have had a serious environmental impact, which killed fish and caused Scottish Water to close a drinking water supply intake serving a local population of 52,000.

It is further alleged that on the same dates they discharged an “anaerobic digestate” into the burns on three occasions without authority.