UK Statutory Instrument 2015 United Kingdom

Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) (England) Regulations 2015

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At a glance

Enforced by

Environment Agency, OEP, DEFRA

What's here

12 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide · 2 journeys

Penalty landscape

5 of 12 obligations carry up to 2 years imprisonment. 7 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Operator 6
  • Any Person 2
  • Director or Officer 1

Plus 3 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.

Step-by-step journeys using this legislation

Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.

Relevant guidance

Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.

Supporting — topic alignment

1 guides

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Operators also bound by 125 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Directors and Officers also bound by 224 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1 — Introductory Provisions

Browse 12 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.nutrient significant sewage disposal works: enviro

Nutrient significant sewage disposal works: environmental damage

Part 2 — Preventing Environmental Damage

Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 3 — Remediation

s.017

Assessment of damage

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Enforcing authority must determine if environmental damage has occurred Statutory regulator
s.018

Determining liability to remediate

2 years imprisonment
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Regulator must notify you of liability for environmental damage Statutory regulator
s.020

Remediation notices

2 years imprisonment
  • Propose remedial measures for environmental damage Operator
Browse 5 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.reporting by enforcing authorities

Reporting by enforcing authorities

Part 4 — Administration, Enforcement and Review

s.031

Powers of authorised persons

2 years imprisonment
  • Fail to comply with authorised inspection instructions or give false information Any Person
s.034

Penalties

2 years imprisonment
  • Breach environmental damage regulations or cause corporate negligence Director or Officer
s.035

Review

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must review the Environmental Damage Regulations every 5 years Crown / Minister / Government department
Browse 5 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 5 — Revocations

Browse 1 other section in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Schedules

Browse 3 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
s.sch002a

Enforcing authority: activities not requiring a permit or registration under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

s.sch002za

Modifications where regulation 9A applies

Read the full Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Official guidance

Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

Environment Agency

Primary

Environmental protection in England. Regulates waste, emissions, water quality, flood risk, and environmental permits for industrial activities. Enforces environmental law and issues …

OEP

Office for Environmental Protection

Independent body established post-Brexit to scrutinise environmental law and investigate complaints about public authorities' failures to comply with environmental law in England …

DEFRA

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries, and rural communities. Sets environmental policy and works with agencies …

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Browse legislation

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Regulators

Learn more about the bodies that enforce this legislation.