Unearthed ‘Leaked documents reveal Environment Agency ‘overwhelmed’ by staffing cuts and surge in pollution incidents. Environment Agency emails describe new system that could scale back pollution response in some areas
07.03.2020 Zach Boren Unearthed
Unions have told the EA introducing the new pollution strategy would be ‘unacceptably risky.’ Photo: Jack Perks, Greenpeace The Environment Agency is planning to implement a controversial overhaul to its pollution response operations as it admits a surge in pollution incidents driven by climate change is “overwhelming” its depleted staff, according to documents seen by Unearthed.
This comes as new data obtained by Unearthed under freedom of information rules shows the teams tasked with responding to pollution incidents have seen their numbers decline by 15% since 2015, even as the Agency’s budget and staffing has risen in that time. The new system, set to be introduced in April, will see all reporting of pollution incidents handled by a communications team rather than frontline officers. The EA told Unearthed these changes will not apply to water pollution. Only pollution incidents determined to be among the most serious will be assigned to environment managers — making official an apparent informal policy Unearthed revealed in 2018. In a January message to staff seen by Unearthed, the Environment Agency acknowledged it expects to face an increase in pollution incidents due to climate change, population growth, and a reduction in the number of environment officers employed by the agency.’