Environment Act 1995

The Environment Act 1995 (EA 95) updates much of the earlier legislation on the areas that it extends too.

It established the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales (although the EA in Wales is now Natural Resources Wales) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The EA came into force on 1 Apr 1996 and amalgamated the functions of the National Rivers Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution and the Waste Regulation Authorities. SEPA assume the same functions with added responsibility for clean air previously undertaken by the district councils.

The Act also introduced new provisions in the EPA 90 (Part IIa) for dealing with contaminated land and abandoned mines. Land was contaminated if: ‘any substance in, on or under the land is causing significant harm, or there is a significant possibility of harm being caused: or Pollution of controlled waters is being or is likely to be caused’.

Part III of the Act made fundamental changes to the system of carer and control of National Park’s and introduced the National Park Authorities which were freed from Local Authority control .