The Environment Agency Chief Regulator, Dr Jo Nettleton, has called for the environmental regulation framework to be reformed in order to help better protect people and the environment and enable businesses to grow.

The Chief Regulator’s newly-created role is to hold the Environment Agency to account in delivering its regulatory activities and to champion best practice as part of the EA’s drive to be an open and transparent organisation.

Photo credit: Ben Wicks

The call for reform comes as a-new report, published by the Chief Regulator, shows that across dozens of sectors – from waste to chemicals and through to water quality – 93% of the more than 14,000 businesses are complying with their environmental permits.

However, according to the EA a small group of rogue operators continue to be reckless, harming their local communities, and were punished with fines totalling £8.7 million over the last year.

Read the report