"Fining English water companies for spilling raw sewage will soon become quicker and easier, the government has said. New proposals would see automatic fines of up to 20,000 issued for some minor offences and make it simpler to punish more serious ones. In recent years data from the water industry's own monitoring equipment has shown how frequently rules are broken around sewage spills. But the regulator, the Environment Agency, has by its own admission struggled to act."
"The new proposals are focused on more minor offences which happen frequently and have in the past gone largely unpunished. The plans would see automatic financial penalties of up to 20,000 introduced for rule breaches such as failure to report a significant pollution incident within four hours, failure to report spill data properly or if emergency overflow outlets discharge sewage more than three times in a year."
New government proposals would give the Environment Agency faster, easier powers to penalize English water companies for sewage spills. Automatic financial penalties up to 20,000 would apply to frequent, comparatively minor breaches such as failing to report a significant pollution incident within four hours, failing to report spill data properly, or emergency overflow outlets discharging sewage more than three times a year. The most serious pollution offences would still require criminal prosecution and proof beyond reasonable doubt, potentially leading to fines in the millions. The plans will enter a six-week public consultation and received a supportive response from Water UK.
Read at www.bbc.com
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