Archived press release

Green watchdog or industry poodle? Environment Agency fails to protect people from polluting plutocrats

1 April 2000

People living near one of Britain's most polluting factories are suffering because the Environment Agency - which is 4 years old today - is failing to put people's health first, Friends of the Earth said today. FOE also today slammed the Agency for failing to adequately address the emerging health threats posed by the release of hormone disrupting chemicals (so-called gender-bender chemicals). FOE pointed to recent comments by a Senior Civil Servant that the current pollution control system is relatively ineffective due to “weak guidance notes and regulatory capture” as further proof that the Agency was failing in its duties [1].

Friends of the Earth has published a report by independent consultants which highlights the Environment Agency's failure to adequately control the notorious Castle Cement plant located in a valley in Clitheroe. The report reveals that the plume from the plant is grounding on nearby homes, schools and a community hospital, making life a misery for local residents [contacts available]. It also reveals that since the Environment Agency allowed the plant to burn toxic wastes there has been increases in releases of particulates and heavy metals. The report states that“the problems at Castle [Cement] are a good case study of what can happen when regulation is ineffective and too industry focussed”. Castle Cement featured in Friends of the Earth's league table of most polluting factories due to large releases of the toxic compound dioxins (the league table of 100 most polluting factories is available).

Friends of the Earth has also today written today to the Environment Minister, Michael Meacher,to ask him to demand that the Agency rewrite its new strategy on hormone disrupting chemicals.The strategy, published recently, ignores some of the hormone disrupting chemicals of greatest concern (for example, dioxins), concentrates on voluntary rather than regulatory action to deal with others, fails to understand how to apply the precautionary principle and ignores human health impacts. FOE called the strategy “a pathetic response to a growing problem.”

Mike Childs, Senior Pollution Campaign, at Friends of the Earth said:
“ People are suffering because the Environment Agency is failing to deal with the problems of industrial pollution. Every year more than 10,000 tonnes of cancer-causing chemicals are released by Britain's biggest factories. People living near these plants certainly won't be celebrating the Environment Agency's birthday and many of them have lost confidence in the Agency. They want an Environment Agency that is tough on pollution not soft on industry.”

[1] David Mottishead, former Head of Intergrated Pollution Control Policy, DETR (Conference paper 1999)

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust