Underlying Features of British Pollution Control Law
Historically environmental Statutes of the Parliament as well as supporting subsidiary regulations have developed on separate lines on a medium-by-medium basis such as water, air, land etc.
However, the Environment Protection Act of 1990 integrated the different pollution control agencies for different mediums and waste disposal into a single body, the Environment Agency (EA) for integrated pollution control and waste management.
The absence of mandatory environmental standards used to be a characteristic of the pollution control laws in the United Kingdom. In view of the diversity of the environmental conditions, environmental policy makers were not in favor of absolute standards that would be uniformly applicable everywhere.
Localized environmental standards and localized enforcements used to be the order of the day.
However, since the eighties legally binding mandatory environmental standards started coming into force such as parameters for air emission from different industries, liquid effluent discharge, etc.
Eventually under the Environment Act of 1995 waste management was shifted from the domain of the local authorities to that of the newly set up Environment Agency. However, control of noise pollution from stationary sources was left with the local authorities.
Another perceptible change in the British pollution control laws has been the increasing scope of public participation in the decision-making process for permits and concern for public information. Public opinion and public views are considered before taking decision on application for environmental permits and licenses. Public registers containing the particulars of licenses on discharge or emission consents and results of environmental sampling were introduced.
There are stipulations for prosecutions, fines and penalties for non-compliance and breach of the provisions of the environmental laws.
