A breach of environmental legislation has seen one Devon biogas company forced to pay £20,500 in fines and costs.
Plant operator Andigestion and its subsidiary, Summerleaze, pleaded guilty to failing to maintain the Holsworthy Biogas factory in good operational condition.
Environment Agency officer Megan Evans said that the permit granted to Summerleaze should have prevented the leakage of liquids from the site.
"The operator, Andigestion, failed to properly monitor the leak detection systems, despite being warned that liquid was accumulating in places where it shouldn't," she stated.
Officials from the agency - which plans to launch its new corporate strategy for 2010-2015 later this autumn - visited the plant earlier this year following a complaint from a member of the public that black liquid was discharging into a settlement pond.
It emerged that the pollution was emanating from a food and farm slurry waste tank via land drains and ditches.
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