23 Jul 2018

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey hosted a meeting of 30 High Commissioners from Commonwealth countries today in London. The meeting was the first time that representatives from the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance (CCOA) have met, as four more countries sign up to the UK and Vanuatu-led efforts to tackle ocean plastic. The Alliance, which was announced by […]

18 Jul 2018

EA ‘The Environment Agency announced that water companies need to do more to protect the environment and published the annual Water Company Environmental Performance report highlighting that severe pollution incidents caused by water companies rose for the third year running last year. Although there has been a gradual improving trend in environmental performance over recent years, the […]

29 May 2018

It is reported this week that the Norfolk Rivers Trust is using a pollution solution including buffer strips and silt traps to help curb run-off from a 1,000-pig farm in West Acre, Norfolk. The sediment run-off came from an outdoor pig unit. During heavy rainfall events, suspended sediment came off the field and onto a […]

25 Apr 2018

EA Chair Emma Howard Boyd calls for courts to make fines for water pollution proportionate to companies’ turnover. The Chair of the Environment Agency has called for courts to make fines for water pollution incidents proportionate to the companies’ turnover, saying that the water companies are responsible for “at least one serious pollution incident every week.”  […]

17 Apr 2018

Thanks to Richard Ashley  EA Chair calls for courts to make fines for water pollution proportionate to companies’ turnover The Chair of the Environment Agency Emma Howard Boyd has called for courts to make fines for water pollution incidents proportionate to the companies’ turnover, saying that the water companies are responsible for “at least one serious pollution […]

05 Apr 2018

Water companies are in a great position to be a real driver for good practice over plastic pollution driving changes including the national policy debate. Many of the issues are central to drinking water and their roles. Southern Water and Thames Water take up the challenge.  Southern Water launches Plastics Policy Southern Water is committed to […]

26 Mar 2018

The Environmental Audit Committee continues its inquiry into nitrate. This session the Committee hears from the Minister and the Environment Agency on the government’s commitments and performance on reducing nitrate pollution and on its plans for the enforcement regime post EU-exit including how cross-border pollution will be handled. Watch Parliament TV: Nitrate Inquiry: Nitrate Witnesses Wednesday […]

21 Mar 2018

A few years ago the sentencing rules changed and water companies in particular have been paying out much larger sums in fines – often in excess of a millions pound. In another twist of the legal system there have been a wave of payments made to charities through a mechanism know as civil sanctions. Anglian Water has […]