The Environment Agency (EA) has published a summary of responses to its consultation on increasing charges for regulating radioactive substances at non-nuclear sites. Following consideration of all consultation feedback, the EA will implement the proposals as set out in the consultation document. The EA states that the increases are necessary to fully recover the costs of its regulatory activities and to ensure effective environmental protection. Key concerns raised by respondents included affordability, the scale of the increases and whether charges appropriately reflect the level of regulatory effort and service provided. The EA acknowledges these concerns, but confirms that, in line with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money guidance, it must recover the full cost of its regulatory services. The revised charges will take effect from 1 April 2026.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published its response to the consultation on proposed updates to the Water Resources Planning Guideline for England, which sets out expectations for water companies preparing statutory water resources management plans. The EA received 41 consultation responses, with key issues raised including environmental destination, population growth, demand forecasting and climate change. The EA revised the guidance to clarify environmental governance arrangements, strengthen planning requirements relating to population growth and water-intensive industries, improve the assessment of strategic scheme costs and align climate assumptions with recommendations from the Committee on Climate Change. The updated guideline was published on 2 April 2026. Water companies will publish resource position statements in May 2027 and submit draft water resources management plans to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in February 2028. The EA will also publish updated supplementary guidance notes over the following six months.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published its final response to the consultation on waste crime and hourly rate charges, confirming implementation from 1 July 2025. The consultation, which ran from November 2024 to January 2025, received 1,998 responses, including 720 from organisations representing various sectors including waste, farming and other industries. Key changes include increasing the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) rate from £161 to £264 per hour, nuclear specialist rates from £286 to £353 per hour, and planning advice rates from £100 to £115 per hour. The EA will also introduce new waste exemption charges with a £56 registration fee plus compliance charges ranging from £30 to £1,236. Certain exemptions apply for charitable organisations and specific farming activities. The EA is still considering feedback on waste crime levy and fee for intervention proposals, with responses to be published at a later date.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published a summary report, detailing the findings of the Air Quality Inequalities Project, conducted by the EA, with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Natural Resources Wales, and the UK Health Security Agency, along with other government departments and organisations. The project analysed inequalities in air quality exposure and the consequent impact on people’s health, presenting first-hand accounts from those most affected. It also highlights the challenges and opportunities for policymakers in reducing these inequalities. Key recommendations include engaging with the most affected communities to implement targeted measures and interventions, along with incorporating inequality considerations into all policymaking, among other aspects. The project also led to the establishment of the Air Quality Inequalities Network to facilitate ongoing knowledge sharing and efforts to address air quality and equity issues.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published findings from a research project, commissioned by its Flood and Coastal Risk Management Directorate, as part of the joint Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme. The project explored effective methods for communicating climate change information related to flooding and coastal erosion risks. The evidence review highlighted the interplay of social and psychological processes in helping people understand climate change information. It also identified gaps, including limited research on coastal erosion and the impact of different timescales on perceptions and actions. Recommendations for effective public communication include making information accessible and actively engaging with people through participatory approaches. The report also suggests areas for further research, including monitoring and learning from ongoing climate change communications research.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published the first national watchlist identifying 117 waste sites in England causing concern for local communities. The watchlist forms part of the EA's 10 Point Plan to tackle waste crime and aims to enhance intelligence gathering while enabling residents to see where regulatory action is being taken. The EA will review and update the list monthly as part of ongoing monitoring activities. Sites presenting lower levels of risk will be subject to regulatory action and engagement to bring them into compliance, while sites presenting serious risks will receive intensive attention including intelligence-gathering and full criminal investigations. The EA indicated that it will provide further details on individual sites as they become available and plans to release any appropriate site-specific information publicly by summer 2026.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published five guidance documents on monitoring ambient air.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published a new form for reporting an environmental issue caused by your employer. To report an environmental incident that is happening now, call 0800 80 70 60.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published four guidance documents on the Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM), which will be operational from 1 April 2025 until at least 2029. The first document covers four key areas: scheme applicability, specific exemptions, the CHMM timeline through to 2029, and annual monitoring and reporting tasks and deadlines. The second document details the compliance, enforcement, and appeals process for the CHMM. The third document provides guidance on monitoring and reporting fossil fuel boiler sales, obtaining and using credits, paying for credit shortfalls, and provides information on low-carbon heat targets, among other aspects. The fourth document explains how to use the upcoming 'Manage the CHMM' service to register for an account to report boiler sales and obtain credits. Scheme participants and near-threshold suppliers must register by 30 April 2025, reporting fossil fuel boiler sales for the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published its fourth climate adaptation report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) under the adaptation reporting power of the Climate Change Act 2008 (CCA 2008). The report assesses how climate risks impact the EA’s statutory duties and operations, including estate management, supply chains and business continuity measures. It also outlines the EA’s priority adaptation actions across key areas such as flood and coastal risk management, water resources, nature protection, regulation, incident management and asset maintenance, among others. By 2030, the EA aims to: (1) review the national Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy; (2) implement a revised National Framework for Water Resources; (3) transform its Incident Management service to be digitally enabled, resilient and reliable; and (4) invest in alternative resilience measures, including natural flood management and property flood resilience.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published guidance, outlining good practice standards for flood risk asset maintenance and inspection, incorporating feedback from risk management authorities, industry standards, and research. The guidance provides detailed information on various maintenance activities, including debris removal, tree and vegetation management, and minor repair work, among others. It establishes good practice standards for different types of inspections, ranging from routine operational checks to specialist and statutory inspections. The guidance also examines the potential use of digital tools and techniques, such as drones, satellite imagery, and artificial intelligence, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of asset monitoring and maintenance in the future.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published two new guidance documents on choosing and registering for waste exemptions. The first document explains how to choose appropriate waste exemptions for waste management activities and comply with exemption conditions. It outlines the four categories of waste exemptions, the registration process, and compliance conditions, noting that most exemptions must be registered through the waste exemption service and will last for three years. The second document details the steps required to register, deregister, or update waste exemptions for storing, treating, using, or disposing of waste. It also specifies the information needed for registration, including exemption types, contact details, and site locations. The EA has also compiled a collection of existing guidance documents related to waste exemptions for various waste management activities. It further notes that waste exemptions are undergoing changes, with a consultation on introducing charges for exemptions open until 20 January 2025.