ENVIRONMENTAL CODE OF PRACTICE
Other relevant organisations
Water companies and water authorities
Owners of trade premises may not discharge effluent into the
foul water sewer unless a trade effluent consent has first been
agreed with the relevant sewerage undertaker. In England and Wales,
this will probably be one of the water companies. The undertaker
will review the details of the effluent, its quantity and likely
peak discharge when assessing the consent application. Consents for
the discharge of effluents into watercourses are obtained from the
Environment Agency. In Scotland, three public water authorities
have responsibility for the provision of water and sewerage
services. The quality of effluent discharged from their facilities
must comply with various laws and regulations and is regulated by
SEPA, although the authorities themselves are responsible to the
Scottish Executive and Parliament.
Health & Safety Executive
The HSE has an indirect involvement in environmental regulation
by enforcing health and safety law for most industrial premises.
The HSE operates mainly under the Health & Safety at Work Act,
1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Regulations, 1988. Please contact the BMF Technical Service for
further advice on health and safety regulations.
For more information click here www.hse.gov.uk/
Internal Drainage Boards
In certain defined areas, Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs)
exercise operational and regulatory powers on identified ordinary
watercourses. There are over 200 IDBs in England and Wales and
their duties and powers are specifically provided for by the Land
Drainage Acts 1991 and 1994. Duties include general supervision
over all aspects of land drainage within the district, duties to
conservation and raising income to support land drainage works.
IDBs also have a duty towards conservation similar to that of the
Agency. IDBs are responsible to the DEFRA from whom all
legislation/regulations affecting them is issued. The work of an
IDB is closely linked with that of the Environment Agency (EA)
which has a range of functions providing a supervisory role over
them.
Local authorities
Some of the pollution control issues that fall within the
jurisdiction of local authorities include: Local Air Pollution
Control (LAPC), Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC),
Clean Air, Contaminated land, Statutory Nuisance including noise.
Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and Pollution Control Officers
(PCOs) are responsible for administering, policing and enforcing
the environmental legislation that comes under the jurisdiction of
local authorities (LAs).
In addition, under the Land Drainage Act 1991, where there are
no IDBs, local authorities are the operating authority for ordinary
watercourses. They have permissive powers to carry out works on
ordinary watercourses for certain purposes. Their response to work
on ordinary watercourses may vary, and they often have their own
regulations and byelaws affecting what you can and cannot do on an
ordinary watercourse. During a flood, the local authority is the
emergency body for aid to householders, which may extend to
supplying sandbags. Works on any watercourse may require planning
permission from the local authority, and consent from the
Environment Agency.