The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Enforcement notices E+W

36.—(1) If the regulator considers that an operator has contravened, is contravening, or is likely to contravene an environmental permit condition, the regulator may serve a notice on the operator.

(2) The notice must—

(a) state the regulator's view under paragraph (1),

(b) specify the matters constituting the contravention or making a contravention likely,

(c) specify the steps that must be taken to remedy the contravention or to ensure that the likely contravention does not occur, and

(d) specify the period within which those steps must be taken.

(3) Steps that may be specified in the notice include steps—

(a) to make the operation of a regulated facility comply with the environmental permit conditions, and

(b) to remedy the environmental effects caused by the contravention.

(4) In paragraph (3)(b) “environmental effects” means—

(a) in relation to a flood risk activity—

(i) flooding or risk of flooding;

(ii) detrimental impact on drainage or risk of detrimental impact on drainage;

(iii) harm to the environment or risk of harm to the environment;

(b) in relation to any other class of regulated facility, the effects of pollution.

(5) In the case of a regulated facility to which Schedule 7, 13 or 14 applies, if the regulator considers that an incident or accident significantly affecting the environment has occurred as the result of the operation of that regulated facility, the regulator may serve a notice on the operator of that facility.

(6) A notice served under paragraph (5) must—

(a) specify the measures necessary to limit the environmental consequences of the incident or accident, and

(b) specify the measures necessary to prevent further incidents or accidents.

(7) The regulator may withdraw a notice under this regulation at any time by further notice served on the operator.