Tag: Environment Agency

PRESS RELEASE : Son and mother receive suspended jail sentences for waste offences at Huddersfield fire site [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 8 September 2023.

A son and mother responsible for illegal waste activity at a site in Huddersfield, which then set on fire in 2016 causing significant risk to the environment, have been sentenced.

Samuel Hunter, aged 31 of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and Jacinta Hunter, aged 59 of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, were given a 24-month custodial sentence, and 12-month sentence respectively, suspended for two years.

Samuel Hunter must undertake 300 hours of unpaid work, the maximum number of hours a court can order. Jacinta Hunter must undertake 80 hours of unpaid work.

The two defendants, who were director and manager of Hunter Group (Yorkshire) Limited also known as Sam H Services Limited, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of waste offences at a site in Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield, and were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday 6 September. The defendants accepted they had kept waste which posed a fire risk in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health.

The company had premises at Scotland Yard, Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield, and held an environmental permit from the Environment Agency, which has conditions in place to ensure any waste activity does not impact on the environment.

Following site inspections by the Environment Agency in 2015 and 2016, the site was found to be repeatedly in breach of its permit, as huge piles of waste were found pushing against a perimeter fence which was broken in places. Shredded waste was found stored between a roofed area of the site and a wall, when it should have been in a building or held in bays.

The Environment Agency ordered the waste be moved and the fences repaired, but return inspections found that no improvements had been made.

Following continued breaches of the permit, and concerns over the waste falling through the fence and potentially polluting a river, two enforcement notices were issued. When advice had been given to make improvements, Samuel Hunter was verbally abusive to officers on more than one occasion.

Environment Agency officers were concerned that rubbish including wood, rubble and scrap metal including a gas bottle was hanging over the wall against the damaged fencing towards the river. In one place where the boundary fence was completely missing, some waste had fallen into the river, so was at risk of causing pollution.

A further visit found waste being stored had increased significantly, was rotting and being stored in large steaming piles.

Fire risk

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service attended and advised Samuel Hunter that the site was a fire risk and that he needed to introduce fire breaks between the waste piles.

An Environment Agency officer estimated the volume of waste on site to be between 825 and 1383 tonnes. Disposal of this quantity of waste at landfill would cost between £98,880 – £165,912. The amount charged by the company for accepting the waste onto site was estimated to be £120 per tonne. In June 2016 another individual began running the company and site.

The court then heard how on 18 August 2016 a fire broke out at the site and a large amount of runoff had accumulated behind the premises of a nearby glass factory from the firefighting activities.

This was a major concern as it was about to overflow into the river or flood the building where the glass company had important compressor machinery. To avoid this, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service deployed a small pump to move this runoff onto the access road so it would flow into the sewer network, which meant the road was closed for the entire day on 19 August 2016.

On 25 August 2016 Kirklees Council took the decision to bring machinery onto site to dig into the waste pile and move the waste around on the site to help the fire service extinguish the fire.

The fire was still smouldering on the 30 August 2016. It took Kirklees Council till March 2017 to remove all the waste from the site to reduce the risk of ongoing fires. The total amount paid by Kirklees Council for clearance of the site amounted to £1,142,131.

‘Flagrant disregard for the law’

In sentencing, the Judge was satisfied both defendants had committed the offences deliberately with a flagrant disregard for the law which he described as a financial decision. Jacinta Hunter had followed Samuel Hunter’s lead as he was the controlling mind of Hunter Group (Yorkshire) Limited. He said Samuel Hunter should be ashamed of his behaviour when he described his interactions with Environment Agency officers to whom he had been foul and abusive.

In mitigation, the defence said the Hunters were trying to act within the law and were not rogue operators. Jacinta Hunter said she hadn’t been given enough time to meet the deadlines to rectify issues at the site. Samuel Hunter maintained he had done everything he could.

Ben Hocking, Yorkshire Environment Manager at the Environment Agency said:

The seriousness of this sentence sends out a message that waste crime will not be tolerated.

This case followed action from the Environment Agency with support from our colleagues at West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and Kirklees Council. Despite repeatedly being warned, waste was still brought onto site causing a risk to the environment and contributing to a fire which affected the surrounding community and businesses, and left authorities with significant clear up costs.

Waste criminals undercut legitimate business, damage our environment, and are a blight on local communities. We encourage people to report any illegal waste activity to our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.

A timetable was set for Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings to deprive the defendants of any financial benefit arising from their offending, so there were no financial orders for costs against the defendants at this hearing.

September 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Temple Footbridge to remain closed [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 6 September 2023.

Temple Footbridge crosses the River Thames west of Temple Lock near Marlow. Bridge specialists have advised that immediate repairs are not possible.

On 15 May 2023, the Environment Agency closed Temple Footbridge until further notice due to safety concerns. Since then, the Environment Agency have been assessing what work is required to make the bridge safe. The first part of that assessment is now complete.

History of the bridge

Temple Footbridge was opened in 1989 with an estimated design life of 30 years. Funding for its construction was provided by a range of organisations (private companies, local councils and charities) and through public donations.

When the Environment Agency was formed, ownership of the bridge transferred to us. Responsibility for funding the cost of repairs, refurbishments and the eventual replacement of the bridge passed to the government.

We have carried out inspections, maintenance and repairs, which have kept the bridge in safe use beyond its estimated design life.

In 2019, a structural survey found that some structural elements of the bridge, including the parts the walkway is fixed to, were decayed. This decay was natural and unpreventable. We made significant repairs as recommended by the survey. The survey found that no further repairs would be possible.

Bridge inspections

We recently hired bridge specialists to check the findings of the 2019 survey and find out if any repairs are possible so that we can reopen the bridge soon. We also asked them how we can make sure that the bridge can be used for another 5 to 10 years.

The specialists found that there is no way to safely open the bridge in the short term.

They advised that we may be able to refurbish the decayed parts of the bridge and may not need to replace the entire bridge.

Next steps

We are now progressing with the recommendation to replace parts of the bridge. This will be an extensive project and we will need to dismantle sections of the bridge.

The work will be done during an annual work programme, along with other significant engineering works on our structures used for boating on the Thames.

First, we will hire an engineering contractor to create a refurbishment proposal and estimate costs. We will then request funding from the government to carry out the work.

Although this is likely to be the quickest and most affordable option for safely reopening the bridge, we are not yet able to confirm that or estimate when the bridge will be open.

Funding

Funding for major work on our boating-related structures is provided yearly by the government. We invest this across our 45 lock and weir sites along the Thames and numerous locations in between, including around 100 bridges.

The government allocates us what it can afford, given its other spending priorities. In recent years we have received more funding, which has helped refurbish many such structures.

Many more structures will need refurbishment, and whether this is affordable will need to be considered by the government at the time. With limited funding, we must prioritise work to our most critical structures each year, such as our locks and weirs, which enable the public to enjoy their legal right of navigation on the Thames.

In some cases, such as Temple Footbridge, we may need to temporarily close a structure while we work to both secure the funding and create the capacity in our work programme to bring it back into safe use.

Diversion

The diversion agreed with the National Trail is still in place. You can find full details of the Thames Path diversion on the National Trail website.

The diverted route follows:
- Temple Lane
- Marlow Road
- Bisham Road
The diversion rejoins the Thames Path:
- at The Causeway in Marlow
- near Temple Footbridge
The existing diversion is the shortest route using public footpaths and highways. It reflects the route users of the Thames Path would have taken before the bridge was built.

Some users have expressed concern because parts of the route do not have footways. The route has been approved by the responsible local authority, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The lack of a footway does not prevent pedestrian use. However, when walking on roads without footways, pedestrians should take sensible precautions as recommended in the Highway Code.

Now that we know the bridge will need to remain closed for an extended time, we will look into providing a shorter diversion through private land. This will need the landowners’ agreement, and the cost of work needed to make the route safe must be affordable.

We will provide an update in due course.
September 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Housing estate pollution sanction sees environment charity get funding boost from Keepmoat Homes [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 30 August 2023.

Keepmoat Homes Ltd, a company that specialises in building residential housing and which owns the site at Heron’s Reach near Bradford, will donate £100,000, while Applebridge Construction Limited, which were contracted by Keepmoat Homes for the first phase of the development, will donate £35,000.

An investigation by the Environment Agency found that Pitty Beck was polluted a number of times between October 2016 and November 2018 while construction was underway.

The companies submitted Enforcement Undertakings to the Environment Agency, which have now been accepted.

An Enforcement Undertaking is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a donation to an environmental charity to carry out improvements in the local area.

On 13 October 2016 Keepmoat Homes reported pollution from its site, and an Environment Agency officer confirmed that silty water was running from the site and into the beck. The same happened on numerous occasions over subsequent months. The company did not have an environmental permit to allow for treated water to be discharged into the beck.

The company obtained this permit in October 2017. This allowed the discharge of water from one outlet at a maximum rate of no more than 40mg/l of suspended solids. Only days later, a discharge containing 555 mg/l entered the beck from a different outlet, followed by the first of several permit breaches from the permitted outlet containing more than the allowed concentration of suspended solids.

As part of the requirements of the Enforcement Undertaking, Keepmoat Homes revised its surface water management plan for the site, constructed urban drainage ponds, purchased a siltbuster and gulley bags to remove sediment from the water leaving site and improved its inspection and monitoring regime.

Applebridge Construction employed a full time health and safety manager, reviewed and updated its environmental management system and delivered bespoke training to staff.

Environment Agency Area Environment Manager Ben Hocking said:

Housing construction companies – like all companies carrying out any major development work – have a responsibility to ensure their work does not impact on the environment and we will take action when pollution occurs.

While we will always take forward prosecutions in appropriate cases, Enforcement Undertakings are an effective enforcement tool to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements.

They allow polluters to restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents by improving their training and procedures.

Water Minister Rebecca Pow said:

Companies that damage our natural environment must be held to account and enforcement action like this ensures polluters pay and help clean up our rivers and waterways.

Our Plan for Water is delivering more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement right across the water sector.

Aire Rivers Trust will use the donations on the monitoring and prevention of pollution on Bradford Beck, a ‘pocket park’ proposal at Bradford Beck and restoring habitats in the catchment, including some wetlands at Pitty Beck.

Bradford-based environmental charity the Aire Rivers Trust will use the donations on the monitoring and prevention of pollution on Bradford Beck, and to restore riverside habitats across the catchment. The charity works to improve the River Aire for both wildlife and local communities.

Simon Watts, Operations Manager at the Aire Rivers Trust, said:

We’re pleased to see money from polluters being spent on restoring Bradford’s streams and river. We believe the work it will fund will create a lasting impact on the health of the beck that runs through the heart of Bradford.

August 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Flood information centre opens in Hebden Bridge [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 29 August 2023.

A new flood information centre has opened in Hebden Bridge, to help keep the community updated with progress to reduce the risk of flooding in the town.

The Environment Agency has opened its new Flood Information Centre at 4 Hardcastle House, Valley Road in Hebden Bridge this week.

The centre will be open on Mondays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm, where people can stop by to speak with members of the project team and view information about the flood alleviation schemes for Hebden Bridge Town Centre, Stubbing Holme Road and Erringden Hillside. There will also be some information on display about what else is happening to reduce flood risk across the valley.

Christian Merriman, Senior Flood Risk Management Advisor with the Environment Agency, said:

This flood information centre means we can be based in the heart of the community to provide regular updates ahead of construction and for the duration of the project, providing information and answering any queries or concerns the community might have.

We will also have more events lined up to keep the community updated on progress of the individual projects, but in the meantime encourage people to stop by and meet us, and also keep checking Eye on Calderdale for updates.

Cllr Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Active Travel and Housing, said:

We welcome the new flood information centre as one of the ways for residents to keep up-to-date with the flood alleviation schemes.

The planned works are an important part of the ongoing partnership efforts to protect our communities from the increased flood risk that we live with because of climate change.

The schemes represent a significant investment in Hebden Bridge, showing our commitment to a thriving future for the town.

Andy Bray from Calder River Trust said:

We are really pleased that the flood information centre is now open to the community. To have somewhere that the public can visit and meet members of the project team in person will be really beneficial, as the work progresses.

The Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme will improve protection for approximately 400 properties in the town and will consist of increasing flood protection from Hebden Water and River Calder, improving the drainage of surface water with a series of gully systems and a pumping station and construction of a canal flood overflow. The planning application is currently forecast to be submitted in early 2024.

The Stubbing Holme Road Flood Alleviation Scheme will improve protection for approximately 56 properties and will consist of increasing flood protection from River Calder and Rochdale Canal. The planning application is currently expected to be submitted later in 2023.

The Erringden Hillside Flood Alleviation Scheme will improve protection for approximately 60 properties and will consist of property flood resilience measures, highway drainage improvement works and some natural flood management.

August 29, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New flood warning services launched in Leicestershire and Derby [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 24 August 2023.

The flood warning service in Leicestershire and Derby has been extended to ensure more people than ever are warned about an imminent risk of flooding.
New flood warnings added at nine locations across Leicestershire and Derby

Hundreds more property owners will now get alerts if they are at risk of flooding

Part of national investment to extend the flood warning service

The Environment Agency has launched eight new flood warning services at locations across Leicestershire and one new warning in Derby that will help to warn hundreds more homeowners of the risk of flooding.

Flood warnings inform the public about an imminent risk of flooding to their home or business and help people make informed decisions about how to respond.

New flood warnings are being introduced at the following communities:

Leicester City

Bushby Brook at Thurncourt, Evington and North Evington.

Bushby Brook at Thurnby.

Melton Brook.

Evington Brook at North Evington and Spinney Hills.

Willow Brook at North Evington and Belgrave.

Braunstone Brook.

Thurnby Brook at Thurnby.

Leicestershire

Lubbesthorpe and Thorpe Astley Brooks at Braunstone Town.

Derby City

Markeaton and Bramble Brooks

By signing up for flood warnings, property owners will be alerted by phone, email or text when flooding is expected.

There are three types of messages – Flood Alert, Flood Warning and Severe Flood Warning. Each type can be triggered by particular weather or river conditions which cause flooding. Flood warnings and alerts are not available in all areas.

Residents are encouraged to prepare if they receive a Flood Alert which could mean packing a bag that includes medicines, insurance documents and anything else they wouldn’t want to lose if flooding were to take place. A Flood Warning calls on people to act now which means turning off gas, water and electricity and moving family and pets to safety. A Severe Flood Warning means you are in immediate danger and to follow advice from emergency services.

Paul Lockhart, Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the East Midlands, said:

“We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to prepare for flooding which is why we’re pleased that there are more communities across Leicestershire and Derby which will now be able to receive our free flood warning service.”

Additional funding from the Government has enabled the Environment Agency to invest in the latest technology and infrastructure needed to provide a flood warning service in more than 200 communities across England. In total, an additional 62,000 properties at risk of flooding will receive flood warnings between now and the end of 2023.

To check whether your home is located in this new flood warning area visit https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/. If your home does lie within the flood warning area it is vital that you sign up to flood warnings to better protect yourselves and loved ones.

To sign up to the flood warning service, the Environment Agency is encouraging people to register directly with them by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or visit https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings where you can register yourself or vulnerable family members/friends.

Background information

5.2 million properties in England are at risk of flooding

The average cost of flood damage to a home is £30,000

The average cost of flooding to a business is £82,000

If you are flooded, temporary accommodation costs on average £10,000

If you are flooded you are likely to be out of your home for an average of 5 months

Know what to do when you receive a flood warning and download our three point flood plan – https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/what-to-do-in-a-flood
August 28, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Humber flood defences £29m upgrade begins at Stallingborough [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 23 August 2023.

A £29m project to manage the risk of flooding to people and major industry in north-east Lincolnshire is now underway.

The Environment Agency scheme will see improvements made to 4.5 kilometres of coastal defences along part of the Humber estuary’s south bank. The defences will benefit 2,300 properties, nationally important infrastructure, vital industry, and areas outlined by North East Lincolnshire Council for future development.

This is the third phase of the Stallingborough Sea Defence Improvement Scheme, which has repaired and strengthened sea walls between Immingham and Grimsby in stages over the last 15 years.

This latest stage of work will see the installation of large rocks called rock armour along 3 kilometres of the seaward side of the flood defence. The rocks will cover from the Middle Drain to the northwest to the New Cut Drain to the southeast. The remaining 1.5 kilometres of defences will be repaired. In addition, the 4 river outfalls will also be repaired and improved to make them more sustainable and resilient to flooding.

The majority of the work will be undertaken over 3 years, with pauses through the winter to reduce ecological impacts to the seaward side of the defence.

Dom Freestone, Operations Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

Low-lying communities along the Humber are at high risk of tidal flooding and rising sea levels.

Works to improve the flood defences are vital to manage that threat and will help drive business confidence and investment in the area. But despite our best efforts, flooding can still happen.

That’s why we urge people to prepare and plan for the worst, including by signing up to receive flood warnings by visiting gov.uk.

Rock armour is one of the most sustainable and low-carbon options available and minimises the potential impact on the area’s internationally important habitats. It will help fortify the walls and prevent the sea undermining them, ensuring they continue to reduce flood risk for at least a further 25 years, taking account of climate change predictions.

The work is expected to generate economic benefits valued at £1.1 billion over the next 25 years.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, Cabinet member for the Environment at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:

Our coastline is an incredibly important one to protect, not only for the wonderful natural habitat, but also for the economic and industrial growth on the South Humber shore”.

The Humber Estuary’s natural tidal flow is something we have to embrace and work with, but by providing this investment in flood protection measures, the risk to people and businesses in this area is significantly less.

Stallingborough’s coastal walls were originally built following devastating floods in 1953. They are now at increasing risk of damage from rising sea levels and more frequent storms.

The Stallingborough Sea Defence Improvement Scheme is part of wider investment plan to manage tidal flood risk across the Humber estuary, outlined within the Environment Agency’s 2008 Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy.

The Environment Agency urges people to plan ahead for flooding by finding out if their property is in an at-risk area; signing up for free flood warnings; and knowing in advance what to do. Further information is available on all these steps and more at Check for flooding – GOV.UK and by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

August 28, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Environment Agency investigates bathing water quality at Bridlington South [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 17 August 2023.

The Environment Agency has started a project to investigate the reasons behind poor water quality at Bridlington South beach, in East Yorkshire.

The project – funded jointly by the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and East Riding of Yorkshire Council – aims to identify and better understand the sources of pollution that are impacting water quality.

To date, the Environment Agency’s investigations have been able to identify some of the potential contributing sources of bacteria using microbial source tracking techniques.

This has shown that the bathing water can be impacted by humans, seabirds and dogs at different times. However, work to date has not been able to drill down into the level of detail required to fully understand causes of pollution. This project aims to help gather more of this data.

To help with this, the Environment Agency are undertaking a number of investigative sampling days in Bridlington over the summer taking samples every half an hour – from 8am to 6pm – on specific days throughout the bathing water season.

Samples are being taken at Bridlington South monitoring point, Bridlington Harbour and Bridlington North monitoring point and will be analysed initially for Ecoli and IE – the bacteria which are used to provide bathing water classification results.

After collection, samples are refrigerated and sent to the Environment Agency’s microbiology laboratory in Exeter. During the autumn, their microbiology team will carry out more detailed analysis to try to establish the origin of any bacteria found in the samples.

Claire Campbell, the Environment Agency’s technical bathing waters expert, said:

Whilst we will always strive for improvements, overall bathing water quality has improved significantly over the last decade – with a continuing upward trend – due to robust regulation and working with partners. In most places bathing water is now better than it has been for many years.

We are, however, keen to find out the detail of what is causing our poorer results, so that action can be taken by the relevant people to improve our bathing waters.

This project in Bridlington will help us identify the bacterial inputs and better understand the sources of pollution, so that collectively we can work together to improve water quality.

Environment Agency monitoring plays an important role in how we protect our valuable waterways and safeguard the health of bathers. During the bathing water season, the Environment Agency carry out a robust sampling programme as specified in the Bathing Water regulations. These are set in law and are the same as those carried out across the rest of Europe. Samples are taken weekly and this information is used to produce an annual classification based on four years’ of data.

Most of our bathing waters have consistently high quality when we measure and classify these against the standards of the Bathing Water Regulations. Across Yorkshire we have seen a rise in the number of Excellent bathing waters – up by four in the last year, with 89% of bathing waters rated as Good or Excellent – in line with last year’s results.

The Environment Agency continue to work collaboratively as part of the Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership, to understand the root of water quality problems and ensure people can enjoy cleaner, healthier waters.

Information on all 424 designated bathing water sites and any forecasted drops in water quality will be published on the Swimfo: Find a Bathing Water website. This provides immediate access to information on every bathing water in England.

August 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Construction company Costain civil sanction sees charity get cash boost [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 17 August 2023.

Construction company Costain Limited will donate £55,000 to Tyne Rivers Trust after polluting the River Don during a major upgrade to the A19 in South Tyneside.

An investigation by the Environment Agency found that the company had breached its environmental permit when contaminated water was washed down highway drains and into the River Don.

It submitted an Enforcement Undertaking to the Environment Agency, which has now been accepted.

An Enforcement Undertaking is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a donation to a wildlife charity to carry out environmental improvements in the local area.

Costain Limited had an environmental permit which allowed it to discharge water treated by a sediment treatment facility into the River Don during work to the A19 at Testos roundabout.

Plume of sediment seen in the river

On 6 December 2019, whilst works were being carried out, an Environment Agency officer in the area reported a plume of sediment in the river.

Following a dry spell of weather, Costain Limited had decided to jet wash and sweep the road surface to remove a build up of mud. However, the road sweeper was not powerful enough to suck up all of the dirty water and instead the contaminated water ran directly into highway drains, bypassing the company’s sediment treatment measures, and into the River Don.

The silt in the water was vastly in excess of what the permit allowed, and it caused discolouration for at least 500 metres.

After the incident the company introduced a new monitoring and maintenance regime as well as training for site staff, and no further incidents occurred. There was no long-term ecological impact on the river.

Environment Agency investigating officer Josh Laidler said:

Companies carrying out any major development work have a responsibility to ensure they abide by their permits to protect the local environment, and we will take action when pollution occurs.

While we will always take forward prosecutions in the most serious cases, Enforcement Undertakings are an effective enforcement tool to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements.

They allow polluters to correct and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents by improving their procedures, helping ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.

Tyne Rivers Trust will use the donation on projects that will improve water quality in the River Don catchment.

The Tyne Rivers Trust is a registered environmental charity dedicated to improving the River Tyne and its catchment through education, tackling pollution and practical conservation.

August 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Consultation launched on unlimited fines for the worst polluters [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 15 August 2023.

The Environment Agency launches eight-week consultation on changes to variable monetary penalties.
- The Environment Agency launches eight-week consultation on changes to variable monetary penalties.
- Changes will scrap the £250,000 cap on civil penalties and significantly broaden their scope to target a wider range of environmental offences.
- New enforcement powers will allow the Environment Agency to apply penalties that are quicker and easier to enforce.
The Environment Agency has today (15 August) launched a consultation on changes to variable monetary penalties – financial penalties that can be imposed for certain environmental offences.

The consultation will run for eight weeks and will close on 8 October. The consultation seeks views on when penalties are used, how they are calculated and the appeals process.

This follows the government announcing that it will lift the current limit of £250,000 that the Environment Agency can impose directly on operators, as well as expanding variable monetary penalties to cover more offences under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

This offers regulators a quicker method of enforcement than lengthy and costly criminal prosecutions – although the most serious cases will continue to be taken through criminal proceedings.

The changes will ensure regulators have the right tools to drive compliance across a range of sectors, strengthening enforcement and holding all who hold environmental permits to greater account – from energy and water companies to waste operators and incinerators.

All future environmental fines and penalties from water companies will be put into a new Water Restoration Fund, which will be re-invested back into the environment by supporting local groups and community-led schemes.

Environment Agency Executive Director John Leyland said:

These new enforcement powers will be an extra tool in our armoury to hold polluters to account.

They will act as a further deterrent – boosting compliance across a range of sectors and helping us provide stronger protection to the environment, communities and nature.

Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience Rebecca Pow said:

Polluters must always pay – by lifting the cap on these sanctions, we are simultaneously toughening our enforcement tools and expanding where regulators can use them.

This consultation builds on government action to increase investment, toughen enforcement and tighten regulation and will make sure there is a proportionate punishment for operators that breach their permits and harm our rivers, seas and precious habitats.

There are clear provisions in the Sentencing Council guidelines that will ensure the level of penalties levied are proportionate to the degree of environmental harm and culpability. These include safeguards to ensure the operator’s ability to pay, the size of the operators, and the degree of responsibility and harm, amongst others – all of which are taken into account when imposing a penalty. The penalties will only be applied where it is shown beyond reasonable doubt that an offence has occurred.

Notes to editors:
- The Environment Agency has launched this consultation because, following the government confirming the changes, the Environment Agency will amend its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy to provide detail on how the new powers will be used and how the penalties will be calculated. The Environment Agency is legally required to consult on proposed changes to their policy and give greater clarity to those who may be affected by them.
August 15, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Pick up your butts! Cigarettes top plastic litter in rivers [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 10 August 2023.

Volunteers cleared rubbish on England’s waterways for Plasticblitz. Cigarette butts most common plastic item found in 2 weeks of litter-picking.
Bringing together volunteers from all walks of life, the annual Plasticblitz has people clearing rubbish from rivers and riverbanks, recording what they find and recycling it where they can.

Organised by environmental charity Thames21, the Plasticblitz sees community groups, environmental charities, rotary clubs and Environment Agency staff taking part in a mass litter-pick and citizen science event on England’s waterways.

Over two weeks this summer:

585 volunteers cleared around 58km of river.

699 bags of rubbish were collected.

71 per cent of recorded waste was plastic.

Cigarette ends were the most numerous plastic items, followed by drinks lids and food wrappers.

Cigarette butts are believed to be the no.1 most-littered single-use plastic item in the world. The vast majority of cigarette filters contain plastic fibres.

Maria Herlihy, a waterways manager at the Environment Agency, said:

Plasticblitz is a great initiative and we were happy to take part again this year.

Although the figures for plastic pollution are shocking, it’s always great to see how much difference determined volunteers can make to our rivers.

And everyone has a part to play – by reducing their plastic waste, and disposing of it responsibly. Please – pick up your butts!

This is the first year that the Plasticblitz expanded beyond the Thames basin.

Chris Coode, chief executive of Thames21, said:

Since 2021, Thames21 has worked with Environment Agency teams, communities and river action groups to remove plastic waste from the River Thames and its tributaries.

Now all UK rivers can be included in this annual citizen science event, and we hope to see even more people participating next year.

Water quality and the health of rivers must improve. As we keep on reiterating, plastic litter has no place in our rivers or the natural environment. So it is great that the Plasticblitz has brought community groups together for the third time in the space of two years to raise awareness of the issue and help us gather vital evidence to push for change. Pollution is a widespread problem and we must all act together to combat it.

For the first time, Plasticblitz partners joined forces with a new charity, ReAP UK, which specialises in recycling aquatic plastic.

Tony Booker, of ReAP UK, said:

We offer a route to recycling for plastics collected by volunteer groups litter-picking in their local areas. Once processed, even dirty plastics – yes, cigarette butts – can be turned into useful items like benches, birdboxes, even otter holts – and returned to the areas the plastic was found.

We’re excited to be working with the Plasticblitz and look forward to working with the partners again in the future.

Find out more about the 2023 Plasticblitz at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fd09faa432324f058a9e4b38f5439593 – and keep an eye on the Thames21 website for information about signing up for next year’s! www.thames21.org.uk

Thames21 joined forces with the Environment Agency and Rotary International to call on volunteering, community and environmental groups to take part in a mass clean-up of plastic waste from rivers across the UK between Saturday 27 May and Sunday 11 June 2023.

Participating groups were asked to collect data, where possible, on what types of litter they encountered, allowing the Plasticblitz partners to gain an idea of what the most problematic items are. This data feeds into the Europe-wide ‘Preventing Plastic Pollution’ Project: preventingplasticpollution.com

Plastic pollution is a serious and growing problem within our rivers. Plastic waste threatens wildlife through ingestion and entanglement, and slowly breaks down into tiny plastic fragments called microplastics that can work their way into the food chain.

Once plastic enters our rivers, no-one is responsible for removing it. Many of our rivers are therefore effectively acting as plastic taps, allowing a constant stream of plastic from inland areas to flow into the sea. Some 80 per cent of plastic pollution found in the sea has passed through rivers and streams on its way there.

During last year’s Plasticblitz, which covered the Thames river basin, 461 volunteers collected 437 binbags-full of rubbish along 45km of river.

Thames21 is an environmental charity that works with communities to improve the River Thames and its tributaries. Find out more at www.thames21.org.uk

ReAP UK encourages the collection of plastic waste from rivers, canals, lakes, and oceans, ensuring it is properly recycled and kept out of landfill. Find out more at www.reap-uk.org
August 11, 2023