Edwin Poots reduced penalties for 'intentional' breaches while DAERA minister but Andrew Muir is now being urged to reverse it
A Belfast councillor wants agriculture and environment minister, Andrew Muir, to reinstate more stringent penalties for repeated agricultural pollution breaches by farmers.
It has been brought by Green Party NI councillor Brian Smyth and was seconded by his party colleague and deputy mayor, Áine Groogan. "I would be delighted if it gets to council for debate. I want to see where all the other political parties are on this. "We can no longer turn our backs and ignore this situation - we have seen Lough Neagh over the past 12 months... and experts think the blue algae will get worse this year.
It adds: "This has impacted on the overall quality of Lough Neagh, which supplies over half the drinking water to Belfast, due to excess run-off from industrial agricultural processes.
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