Only three people ever prosecuted for covering up England’s illegal sewage spills | Environment Agency
Governmental figures have shown that the heads of the water company have completely survived to cover the illegal wastewater spills, as the ministers are preparing to bring a new law that threatens them for a period of up to two years in prison.
Only three people were tried to obstruct Environment Agency Officials in their investigations into wastewater spills said, none of them received a fine.
Officials said the data shows the reason that the water regulator must be very difficult to stop the illegal spills, which occur when companies impose raw wastewater during dry weather. The Environment Agency, which has been achieving water companies in England, has set hundreds of these cases since 2020.
Steve Reed, Minister of Environment, said: “Presidents must face consequences if they commit crimes – there must be accountability. From today, there will be no hidden places.
“Water companies should now focus on cleaning rivers, lakes and seas forever.”
Water companies threw a record amount of wastewater in rivers and coastal waters last year, because wet weather threatened to wash wastewater in people’s homes.
Data He released last month By the Environment Agency, it revealed that companies had separated unpaid waste for approximately 4 million hours during the year 2024, a slight increase in the previous year.
But companies have illegally cast sewage during dry weather. Data that has been released to the telegraph last year Under the rules of freedom of information, the rules show that the organizers have identified 465 illegal sewage spills since 2020, with 154 others under investigation as possible illegal spills.
The contaminated waterways in Britain became a major issue in the elections last year, as it promised the Labor Party to end what was called the “wastewater scandal”.
Government sources say that one of the reasons that were allowed to continue to continue is that the organizers have faced obstruction when investigating them.
In 2019, three employees of Southern Water Aden From the disability of the Environment Agency when she was trying to collect data as part of an investigation into the raw sewage that was leaked into rivers and on the beaches in southeastern England.
The maximum punishment available in this case was a fine, but no individual was fined. Many employees said the company’s lawyer told them not to give data to the regulator.
Two years later, south I was given A fine of 90 million pounds after its approval of thousands of illegal drainage of wastewater over five years.
The new rules that enter into force on Friday will be granted the legal agencies to bring the prosecutions in the crown court against employees to block organizational investigations, with the maximum penalty for prison.
Managers and executives can be prosecuted if they agree to this obstacle or allow it through neglect.
The rules were included in the water law (special measures), which appeared in the law in February. The law also gives the regulator new powers to prohibit rewards if environmental standards are not fulfilled and require companies to install screens in the actual time in each sewage in emergency situations.
“The law was a decisive step in ensuring that water companies bear a full responsibility for their impact on the environment,” said Philip Duffy, CEO of the Environment Agency.
“The most stringent powers that we have acquired through this legislation will allow us, as a regulator, to block the Justice gap, provide Swifter enforcement procedures and deter illegal activity in the end.
“Besides, we update and expand our approach to searches on water companies – it works. More people, salads, data and better inspection, lead to vital evidence so that we can reduce wastewater pollution, hold water companies accountable and protect the environment.”
