Environment Act 1995

5 General functions with respect to pollution control

(1) The Agency’s pollution control powers shall be exercisable for the purpose of preventing or minimising, or remedying or mitigating the effects of, pollution of the environment.

(2) The Agency shall, for the purpose—

(a) of facilitating the carrying out of its pollution control functions, or

(b) of enabling it to form an opinion of the general state of pollution of the environment,

compile information relating to such pollution (whether the information is acquired by the Agency carrying out observations or is obtained in any other way).

(3) If required by either of the Ministers to do so, the Agency shall—

(a) carry out assessments (whether generally or for such particular purpose as may be specified in the requirement) of the effect, or likely effect, on the environment of existing or potential levels of pollution of the environment and report its findings to that Minister; or

(b) prepare and send to that Minister a report identifying—

(i) the options which the Agency considers to be available for preventing or minimising, or remedying or mitigating the effects of, pollution of the environment, whether generally or in cases or circumstances specified in the requirement; and

(ii) the costs and benefits of such options as are identified by the Agency pursuant to sub-paragraph (i) above.

(4) The Agency shall follow developments in technology and techniques for preventing or minimising, or remedying or mitigating the effects of, pollution of the environment.

(5) In this section, “pollution control powers” and “pollution control functions”, in relation to the Agency, mean respectively its powers or its functions under or by virtue of the following enactments, that is to say—

(a) the [1906 c. 14.] Alkali, &c, Works Regulation Act 1906;

(b) Part I of the [1974 c. 37.] Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974;

(c) Part I of the [1974 c. 40.] Control of Pollution Act 1974;

(d) the [1989 c. 14.] Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989;

(e) Parts I, II and IIA of the 1990 Act (integrated pollution control etc, waste on land and contaminated land);

(f) Chapter III of Part IV of the [1991 c. 56.] Water Industry Act 1991 (special category effluent);

(g) Part III and sections 161 to 161D of the 1991 Act (control of pollution of water resources);

(h) the [1993 c. 12.] Radioactive Substances Act 1993;

(j) regulations made by virtue of section 2(2) of the [1972 c. 68.] European Communities Act 1972, to the extent that the regulations relate to pollution.