There is neither any authoritative codification of the pollution control laws in the United Kingdom nor there is any single, comprehensive or consolidated law on pollution. However, almost all relevant legal principles in the field of environmental law are contained in the Acts of Parliament.
The key recent pieces of legislation in the field of environmental law include the Environmental Protection Act of 1990, the Water Resources Act of 1991 and the Environment Act of 1995. While the Environmental Protection Act of 1990 deals with integrated pollution control and waste management, the Water Resources Act is concerned with checking of water pollution. The Environmental Protection Act of 1995 includes provisions for restructuring and revamping the institutional arrangement for pollution control.
Environmental laws also like most Acts of the Parliament leave it to a Minister to make detailed regulations or supporting subsidiary legislation for the implementation of the parent Act.
Statutes and their supporting subsidiary legislations are the major sources of law in the field of pollution control.
A secondary but distinct source of environmental law is the case laws. Court fills up the vacuum when the statutes or their supporting legislations are inadequate to meet the unforeseen contingencies before the forum.
Membership of the European Union and the proliferation of international environmental treaties have forced Britain to adopt laws in tune with them.
