State visit
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, accompanied by the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu will visit Windsor, as the guests of The King and Queen, with preparations beginning on Tuesday 17 March 2026. Find out more.
Land Contamination
There is a legal framework in England to tackle the legacy of contaminated land left as a consequence of previous industrial development
Environmental Damage Regulations 2015
The Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2015 provide additional enforcement powers for the prevention and regulation of land contamination. These can be applied to allow a rapid reactive resolution to land contamination caused by a pollution incident. The regulations define environmental damage as damage to:
(a) protected species or natural habitats, or sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI's).
(b) surface water or groundwater with a deterioration in the water's status.
(c) contamination of land that results in a significant risk of adverse effects on human health.
The Environment Agency, Natural England, Local Authorities, and the Secretary of State are the enforcing authorities responsible for administering and enforcing the regulations in England and Wales, depending on the type of damage involved.
The enforcing authority must establish whether damage is 'environmental damage' and identify a responsible operator to serve a remediation notice taking account of any measures proposed by the operator.