United Kingdom environmental law

Vocabulary Concerns - касаться Increasingly – все больше и больше Waste – отходы Industrial emissions – промышленные выбросы Indictment - обвинительный акт

United Kingdom environmental law concerns the protection of the environment in the United Kingdom. Environmental law is increasingly a European and an international issue, due to the cross border issues of air and water pollution, and man made climate change.

The principal environmental regimes are: Environmental Permitting Regime (EPR), combining the pollution prevention and control (PPC) regime and waste management licensing and industrial emissions Water Waste Contaminated land Conservation of nature, wildlife and habitats. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs)

In England the main body responsible for developing environmental policy and drafting environmental legislation is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) although the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) generally handles issues relating to climate change.

NGOs (such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth) are very active, particularly in influencing environmental law and policy. NGOs and local pressure groups often attempt to challenge the decisions of public authorities (by judicial review) and to divert the proposals of large companies that they consider to be harmful to the environment.

There is an integrated environmental permitting regime (EPR) which came into force on 6 April 2008.

Air pollution The environmental permitting regime (EPR) regulates emissions into air for the most polluting installations. For non-EPR activities, it is an offence to emit "dark smoke" from industrial or trade premises.

An offence is punishable with: On summary conviction: an unlimited fine and/or 12 months imprisonment. Offences committed prior to 12 March 2015 will only receive a fine not exceeding GB£50,000 and/or 12 months imprisonment. On indictment: an unlimited fine and/or an imprisonment term not exceeding five years.

Environmental protection Environment Agency Environment Act 1995 Pollution Environmental Protection Act 1990 Wildlife Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Weeds Act 1959 Badgers Act 1991 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Conservation Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 National parks of England and Wales and National parks of Scotland Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 Climate change Climate Change Act 2008 Planning and Energy Act 2008 Energy Act 2008 Energy Act 2010 Energy Act 2011 Environmental regulatory framework

European and international law European Commissioner for the Environment European Climate Change Programme Water Framework Directive Birds Directive Habitats Directive United Nations Environment Programme

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