Water watchdog gets new teeth
15 Jan 2000
The New Year has seen a government agency derided as a toothless watchdog suddenly acquire some dentures. The Environment Agency (EA) can now force businesses to fix inadequate pollution prevention systems before they fail.
Until now, the EA could not take any action against a company whose water pollution systems were inadequate, unless spillages had actually occurred. But the new powers, provided by the 1995 Environment Act, allow the agency to serve enforcement notices on companies whose installations fail inspections.
However, the scope of the new powers is still limited. Only companies with licenses to release effluents to water can be targeted by the EA. Companies with no permits cannot be served with enforcement notices. That would require new government regulations - which, in the run-up to the general election, could take some time.
