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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Glastonbury Festival admits human waste pollution offence | Glastonbury Festival admits human waste pollution offence |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The organisers of the Glastonbury Festival have admitted allowing human sewage to leak from a tank and pollute a stream. | The organisers of the Glastonbury Festival have admitted allowing human sewage to leak from a tank and pollute a stream. |
| The leak happened at the Worthy Farm site in Somerset in June 2014 and damaged water quality and killed fish. | The leak happened at the Worthy Farm site in Somerset in June 2014 and damaged water quality and killed fish. |
| Founder Michael Eavis, who was at Yeovil Magistrates' Court, said the sewage was in a £100,000 slurry tank. | |
| The Glastonbury Festival is one of the UK's biggest music events, with some 175,000 people attending each year. | The Glastonbury Festival is one of the UK's biggest music events, with some 175,000 people attending each year. |
| During the hearing, the judge was told that 39 fish were killed by the sewage after a "large quantity" of sewage filtered into Whitelake River. | |
| Sensors in the stream alerted the Environment Agency to increased ammonia levels. | |
| The court was told fish - including protected brown trout - died as a result. | |
| Glastonbury Festival 2014 admitted the single charge against it. | |
| Prosecuting, Kieran Martyn said: "The impact was extensive... It extended for at least 4km downstream." | |
| The case has now been adjourned while both parties put together more detailed background reports. | The case has now been adjourned while both parties put together more detailed background reports. |
| Outside court Michael Eavis said: "We had a problem obviously - there were 200,000 people and we were storing slurry. | |
| "It was a tank for holding farm slurry but on this occasion we were using it for the festival sewage and it was starting to leak." | |
| "It was a brand new build, it cost me £100,000, so that's my defence." | |
| Another issue yet to be decided is the seriousness of the breach. | Another issue yet to be decided is the seriousness of the breach. |
| If it is a category one offence, the festival would be in line for a fine of between £55,000 to £300,000 or, if it is deemed a category two the fine would be £20,000. | If it is a category one offence, the festival would be in line for a fine of between £55,000 to £300,000 or, if it is deemed a category two the fine would be £20,000. |
| The defence team told the court any fine should be in line with the company's finances. They said the festival's net profit was £84,000 a year before tax. But the prosecution said turnover was about £37m. | |
| Kasabian, Dolly Parton and Metallica headlined the festival in 2014. | Kasabian, Dolly Parton and Metallica headlined the festival in 2014. |