The Environment Agency has been in the news recently due to a series of concerning events related to water pollution in the UK. Reports have highlighted a significant number of sewage spills into rivers and coastal waters, raising public health and environmental concerns. Additionally, incidents of water shortages and flooding have prompted evacuations and caused widespread damage in various regions, further emphasizing the importance of effective environmental management.
Established in 1995, the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It is tasked with protecting and enhancing the environment, focusing on issues such as pollution prevention, flood risk management, and conservation of natural resources. The agency plays a crucial role in regulating water quality, monitoring pollution levels, and enforcing environmental laws to ensure the sustainability of the UK's ecosystems.
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The water firm made 60,000 sewage spills last year but insists river quality is improving.
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The new bathing waters include a dozen river sites like the Severn at Ironbridge, and Wallingford Beach on the River Thames in Oxfordshire.
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Raw sewage was pumped into the Unesco world heritage site for nearly 10 hours in February
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The Met Office has issued a number of yellow weather alerts across the country, which look set to bring Britain's warm spell to an end.
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Waste, mostly shredded plastics, are being brought to the site at Iwade by lorries, say residents.
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High winds and big waves "churn up" sediment leading to pink waves at Dunster Beach.
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Damning figures reveal 31,000 cases of sewage discharges in bathing areas across England last year, with spots in Cumbria and West Sussex among the worst affected
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Members of the Henley Mermaids campaign group claim London is facing the brunt of sewage dumping.
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The number of devices not working properly has fuelled concerns the scale of the sewage scandal is far bigger than previously thought, further ramping up pressure on the utility companies and government.
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England’s reputation as a green and pleasant land takes a knock.
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About 110 homes in Dun Laoghaire and Rathdown are thought to be contributing to the pollution of a stream that flows into Dublin Bay. There are 1,700 homes in south Dublin between the N11 and
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Campaigners are taking the UK government to court, alleging failure to enforce laws preventing chicken manure pollution in the River Wye.
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UK water companies will no longer be allowed to monitor their own discharges of raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters, as the government plans to impose stricter monitoring by the Environment Agency.
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The UK government has released a revised National Planning Policy Framework, introducing changes to housing targets and greenbelt boundaries.
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Multiple incidents of water pollution, including sewage spills and water shortages, have raised concerns about public health and environmental impact in the UK.
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Severe flooding in England and Australia prompts evacuations and causes widespread damage.
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Warnings issued for further flooding in England as rivers reach record high levels after Storm Henk
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A cold weather alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency, with almost 250 flood warnings in place across England and Wales.
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Yorkshire Water has paid out a record
£1 million to charities after nearly 1,500 fish were killed when it dumped raw sewage into a river.
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Yorkshire Water pays
£1 million to charities after nearly 1,500 fish were killed due to sewage pollution