A trial date has been set for a man who has been charged with committing four breaches of the Environmental Permit.
At South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court on February 3, HM Project Developments, the firm behind the contentious Halton Lea Gate mining site, admitted four breaches of the Environmental Permit.
Between October 14 and 17 2018, the company caused a water discharge of trade effluent into the Harley Burn, and created a discharge activity at a site other than at a permitted discharge point.
The firm also failed to ensure a copy of the Environmental Permit was available for site employees between October 15 and 29 2018.
In addition, the firm failed to manage and operate activities at the mine site according to a system which identified and minimised the risks of pollution between October 15 and 30 2018.
John Stephen Hornsby (57), of Cheshire, was charged individually of committing all four offences, but denied them all.
Hornsby was excused from attending a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court on February 24, where a trial date was set by Judge Gittins for March 21 2022.
A hearing of an application to dismiss was also set for June 18, which Judge Gittins told Lee Hughes, representing Hornsby, the defendant should attend.
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