Environment Agency calls for tougher fines for polluting firms

The Environment Agency's crackdown against environmental crimes is delivering dividends, but the watchdog would still like to see the courts hand out tougher fines for polluters.

That is the message from the organisation's latest environmental crime statistics, which revealed that the number of cases of serious pollution in England and Wales fell 13 per cent in 2008 to 723 cases.

The Agency said its approach of targeting those businesses that operate in high-risk areas or have a poor environmental track record had contributed to the reduction in serious pollution incidents. But it argued that increased fines and harsher penalties were required from the courts to continue the recent downward trend.

According to the figures, the Environment Agency brought 722 cases against companies and individuals for environmental offences last year, resulting in fines and costs totalling £5.3m.

The average fine imposed against companies in breach of environmental regulations also rose from £8,229 in 2007 to £10,080 last year. But the watchdog argued that fines are still too modest to act as a serious deterrent for some firms.

"Major pollution incidents continue to reduce, thanks to more effective environmental regulation by the Environment Agency and efforts made by businesses to manage their activities better," said Environment Agency chief executive Dr Paul Leinster. "[But] we want to see higher fines for pollution incidents to provide a greater deterrent. There are still an average of two serious pollution incidents a day and this is too many."

The new figures revealed that the waste management industry is still the worst environmental offender, accounting for a third of all serious pollution incidents last year. Farms and water companies also performed poorly, proving responsible for a quarter and a sixth of incidents respectively.