Environmental Crime

Environmental crime is a broad and complicated area, covering any illegal activity that harms the environment from the operation of a waste facility without a permit to illegal dumping of sewage or emissions of hazardous waste.

There are a wide range of environmental criminal offences which a person or business can commit in England and Wales, and these are set out in various statutes and regulations. The agencies responsible for enforcement of environmental law (principally the Environment Agency, but also including Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and the Health and Safety Executive) between them have numerous investigatory and enforcement powers, including powers of entry, powers to request information, documents or records, and powers to enforce or prohibit certain behaviour through notices.

There are various grounds for the use of these powers, and the penalties for non-compliance with conditions set by the agencies, as well as for breaching the environmental crime laws and regulations themselves, can be severe. As we explain in this blog, prosecutions for non-compliance can be an extremely costly exercise.

It is therefore vital to seek early, expert legal help. Our lawyers can provide specialist and multi-disciplinary advice on how to comply with environmental law and what to do if a regulator exercises its powers in relation to you or your business. We understand what’s at stake for individuals and corporates who are accused of environmental crime, and we recognise that every situation requires an intelligent and carefully devised strategy.