Campaigners have called legislation designed to reduce water pollution caused by agriculture in England “useless” as data reveals there have been no prosecutions or fines issued despite regular documented breaches of the rules. The breaches the Environment Agency has recorded are a fraction of the actual number, according to conservation organisations. “Even when the Environment Agency identifies breaches, they don’t have the resources to follow up. Under the legislation, fixed penalties of £100 or £300 can be issued as well as so-called “variable money penalties”, which can be as much as £250,000. Figures released by the Environment Agency in September showed, for the first time, that no river had achieved good chemical status and only 14% were found to be of a good ecological standard.

Source: The Guardian February 12, 2021 10:36 UTC