Club to pay record fine
By Editor
A golf club in Sydney, Australia has been ordered to pay $600,000 for its role in an environmental disaster that killed more than 10,000 fish, as well as numerous ducks and other wildlife. This could so easily happen here. The responsibility now placed on Greenkeepers and Groundsmen who work with chemicals and fuels is highlighted by this case.
For all too long, machinery, chemical tanks and knapsacks have been washed off, without any thought to what may get back into the water cycle. Take the time to read the summarised version of accounts or view the whole article by clicking on this link: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/National/story_52058.asp?MSID=5851ccd8e42d4c76b613a94727706330
The Judge imposed a $250,000 fine on Warringah Golf Club, at North Manly on the city's northern beaches, over a pesticide spill that poisoned the fauna in the Manly Lagoon in February 2001. On top of the fine, the judge also ordered the club to pay the Environment Protection Authority's legal bill and clean-up costs, lifting the total penalty to around $600,000.
The Head Greenkeeper was fined and sentenced to 250 hours community service earlier this year on charges stemming from the incident.