Water management
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The latest water management news, analysis, best practice, data and insight, covering coastal, drinking water, flooding, ground water, sewage and pollution
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In focus
Why England’s rivers will remain polluted with toxic chemicals until 2063
Targets to get all of England’s water bodies back to good health by 2015 have been pushed back to 2027 and even this stretch goal will be missed. But the persistence of some substances mean that rivers will not be deemed healthy until as far out as 2063, finds Rachel Salvidge
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Water management analysis
Does the UK need a dedicated Chemicals Agency?
Delays, distractions and missing details have, by many accounts, been the defining factors of chemical regulation during the UK post-Brexit transition. But could a dedicated UK chemicals agency help smooth the process? Shosha Adie reports
How many legal deadlines has DEFRA missed?
DEFRA has missed the deadline set by the Environment Act to publish long-term environmental targets. But it’s not the only legal deadline the government has missed recently, as noted by the green watchdog last week. Here’s what you need to know
‘Buzz-word bingo’: Does DEFRA know what it’s doing on the environment?
The environment secretary has declared DEFRA is now an ‘economic growth department’, deepening anxiety in environmental circles that green protections and policies are destined for the shredder. After talking to ministers, campaigners, and farming groups at the Conservative Party Conference, Tess Colley reports on the outlook
Why Ranil Jayawardena's £250m water pollution penalties may never be levied
Environment secretary Ranil Jayawardena has pledged to consult on a rise in the cap on civil penalties for water company pollution to £250m from £250k, but without a robust Environment Agency to underpin the move, is it just window dressing and could it make life harder for the beleaguered regulator? asks Rachel Salvidge
Who's killing Britain's rivers?
Environment Agency whistleblowers are angry at not being able to do their jobs and prevent pollution, fishermen are dismayed at the drop in fish numbers, and people are getting sick from swimming in polluted waters. What is happening to the river Severn and to water bodies across the country? asks Rachel Salvidge
MAPPED: Truss’s ‘attack on nature’ - where investment zones and protected sites collide
Plans to relax environmental rules in a swathe of new ‘investment zones’ have sparked a huge outcry, with the government accused of launching an unprecedented ‘attack on nature’. Click through to view an interactive map displaying the locations of the proposed investment zone areas overlaid with England’s legally protected sites
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Legal comment
Legal comment: Why a quashed appeal for wind farm planning permission will bring uncertainty for developers
The court’s decision to uphold a ruling which refused planning permission for an offshore wind farm due to its impact on the landscape is likely to cause uncertainty for developers, as achievement of energy targets is not given decisive weight under the current Scottish planning system, writes Laura Tainsh
Legal comment: The practicalities of cases where property rights meet environmental regulations
When a minerals supplier took Natural England to the High Court this year the case produced some particularly practical advice for lawyers. Nina Pindham of No.5 Barrister’s Chambers explains
Legal comment: Nutrient neutrality in the courts - the limits of precaution
A judge’s dismissal of a legal challenge against Natural England’s nutrient neutrality advice is an important restatement of the reluctance of the courts to intervene in technical cases, writes Ned Westaway
Legal comment: Why the courts will not intervene when it comes to a water company’s duty to invest in sewage infrastructure
In June, judges rejected a private claim against a water company for illegal sewage discharges, reasoning that statutory oversight created by Parliament ousted the role of the court when ruling on cases where the only solution was capital investment in England’s sewerage infrastructure. The case shows why the courts will not step into this controversial fray, writes Simon Tilling
Legal comment: How the government’s defeat on its Net Zero Strategy shows the teeth of the Climate Change Act
The High Court judgment on the government’s Net Zero Strategy has confirmed just how much detail is needed to discharge legal duties and allow adequate scrutiny under the Climate Change Act, and will be of relevance to all environmental professions, writes Simon Tilling
Why environmental non-compliance can have legal consequences outside of fines and community service
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a former waste company director given a conditional discharge and a five-year disqualification order after being convicted of an environmental permitting offence. The case shows how non-compliance can have consequences outside of fines and community service, writes Angus Evers
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From ENDS Europe
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Agenda: The key policy discussions and events to look out for next week
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News in brief: Citizens’ anti-pesticide petition passes million signature threshold
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Ecodesign: Municipal waste group calls for blanket ban on premature obsolescence
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EU reaches agreement on emergency renewables deployment
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Finalised ecodesign rules for phones disappoint ‘right to repair’ groups
From ENDS Waste & Bioenergy
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Planning application submitted for Swadlincote-based EfW facility
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New planning application for Essex-based EfW project expected later this month
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ABB boosts ageing Edmonton-based EfW plant
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Danish investor builds on biogas pipeline with Catalonia plants
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Suez consults on carbon capture plans for Billingham EfW