Archived press release

Welcome for pollution watchdog's zero tolerance call

28 September 2001

Environment Agency should prosecute more pollution criminals

Friends of the Earth welcomed today's call from the Environment Agency for "zero tolerance of pollution" and bigger fines for corporations that break pollution laws, but said that too many polluters were still escaping prosecution.

The Environment Agency today published Spotlight on business environmental performance, its third annual report on good and poor environmental performance by corporations in England and Wales. It says that there have been substantial cuts in pollution emissions but an increase in prosecutions for environmental crimes. FOE congratulates the Agency for publishing 'name and shame' league tables.

But an internal audit prepared earlier this year showed that the Agency's prosecution rate is low.Prosecutions were only carried out by the Agency in fewer than a quarter of even the most serious environmental incidents. A further example from the report shows that Southern Water Services had 316 pollution incidents (major and minor) in 2000, a rise of 131% over 1999, but only 10 criminal offences were prosecuted.

FOE also challenged the Environment Agency to tackle issues such as:

• companies' use of toxic chemicals and the efficiency of their processes;
• companies' industrial emissions in deprived areas, where the vast majority of industrial pollutants with carcinogenic properties are released.
  
  

Friends of the Earth backs the Environment Agency's call for far tougher fines to be imposed on polluting companies. Fines must show companies that their criminal activities will not be tolerated.If fines are sufficiently high - particularly for repeat offenders - shareholders will be forced to ensure that management complies with the law.

Charles Secrett, director of Friends of the Earth, said

“We congratulate the Agency for publishing 'name and shame' league tables and calling for zero tolerance for pollution criminals. It must now back these words with tougher action. Too many corporations are escaping prosecution for their dirty activities. It's time these people were bought to book.

“Poor environmental management is poor management. It's as simple as that. If fines properly reflected the seriousness of polluting the environment, company directors would be forced to take environmental laws more seriously.”

Notes:
The Spotlight also draws on data on chemical emissions from sites regulated by the Agency. The data for 2000 will be published on Monday (1 October) when the Agency updates its "Pollution Inventory" at its website. For the first time, this year's inventory will include reports from major sewage treatment works (England only, and for a limited number of substances), and from a number of nuclear facilities releasing radioactive substances.

Significant omissions this year include data from landfill sites, despite earlier expectations that they would be included this year.

It is also worth noting that data for Scotland and Northern Ireland is not available, since no Pollution Inventory is produced for these countries.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust