Resource information
The Act consists of 125 sections divided into 5 Parts: The Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (I); Contaminated Land and Abandoned Mines (II); National Parks (III); Air Quality (IV); Miscellaneous, General and Supplemental Provisions (V).The Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency are established as a body corporate. The Environment Agency shall inherit functions of the various environment protection authorities including the National Rivers Authority and the London waste Authority, both abolished by this Act. (sect. 2). Principal aim and objectives of the Agency are set out in section 4. Functions of the Agency with respect to pollution control, water, the environment in general and incidental functions are described in sections 5 to 10. Various national, regional advisory committees, local fisheries advisory committees, regional and local flood defence committees shall be established. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shall inherit all the functions of river purification authorities, waste regulation authorities, and other environmental management authorities for Scotland (sect. 21). Other functions of SEPA with respect to drainage and flood management are set out in sections 24 and 25. General powers and duties of SEPA are set out in sections 31 and following. Part II concerns identification of contaminated land by local authorities and remediation of such land by enforcing authorities. Every enforcing authority shall maintain a register. Part III amends National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 with respect to purposes of national parks, prescribes a duty of certain bodies and persons to have regard to the purposes for which National Parks are designated, provides for establishment of national parks authorities and prescribes their general purposes, functions and powers. Every National Park authority shall, within three years after its operational date, prepare and publish a National Park Management Plan (sect. 66). Part V provides for matters of miscellaneous nature such as a National waste strategy (sect. 92), mineral planning permissions (sect. 96), drainage (sects. 100 and 101), powers of local fisheries committees with respect to sea fisheries and the conservation of the marine environment fisheries by-laws and offences (sects. 102 to 104), etc. (completed by 24 Schedules)
Implemented by: Environment Act 1995 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 1999 (S.I. No. 1108 of 1999). (1999-04-09)
Implemented by: Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 (S.I. No. 605 of 1998). (1998-03-09)
Implemented by: Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (S.S.I No. 97 of 2000). (2000-03-31)
Implemented by: Environmental Stewardship (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 621 of 2005). (2005-03-08)
Implemented by: Environment Act 1995 (Commencement No. 16 and Saving Provision) (England) Order 2000 (No. 340 (C.8) of 2000). (2000-02-02)
Implemented by: Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (S.S.I. No. 228 of 2011). (2011)
Amended by: Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (2009 Asp 12). (2009-08-04)
Amended by: Waste Management Licensing (England and Wales) (Amendment and Related Provisions) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 883 of 2005). (2005-03-22)
Amended by: Waste Management Licensing (England and Wales)(Amendment and Related Provisions)(No. 2) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 1528 of 2005). (2005-06-07)
Amended by: Transfrontier Shipment of Waste (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 861 of 2014). (2014-03-26)
Amended by: Waste Management Licensing Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (S.S.I. No. 275 of 2004). (2004-06-09)
Amended by: Waste Enforcement (England and Wales) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 369 of 2018). (2018-03-08)
Amended by: Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 (S.S.I. No. 235 of 2003). (2003-04-10)
Amended by: Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 937 of 2006). (2006-03-28)
Amended by: Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (2009 Asp 6). (2009-06-16)
Amended by: Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2011 (S.I. 694 (C. 25) of 2011). (2011-03-07)
Amended by: Local Government Byelaws (Wales) Act 2012 (2012 anaw 2). (2012-11-29)
Amended by: Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2015 (S.I. No. 374 of 2015). (2015-02-25)
Amended by: Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 475 of 2016). (2016-03-24)
Amended by: Commons Act 2006 (Chapter 26). (2006-07-19)
Amended by: Control of Mercury (Enforcement) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 1200 of 2017). (2017-12-04)
Amended by: Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (S.S.I. No. 85 of 2009). (2009-03-05)
Amended by: Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 463 of 2009). (2009-03-03)
Amended by: Water Act 2003 (Chapter 37). (2003-11-20)
Amended by: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme and National Emissions Inventory (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 3135 of 2013). (2013-12-11)
Amended by: Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 1154 of 2016). (2016-12-11)
Amended by: Waste Batteries (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (S.R. No. 247 of 2009). (2009-06-16)
Amended by: Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 (2004 asp 6). (2004-06-11)
Amended by: Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (S.S.I. No. 226 of 2011). (2011-03-16)
Amended by: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Charging Schemes) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 2788 of 2012). (2012-11-06)
Amended by: Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 675 of 2010). (2010-03-10)
Amended by: Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (Cap. 23). (2009-12-11)
Amended by: Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (2016 anaw 3). (2016-03-21)
Amended by: Planning (Wales) Act 2015 (2015 anaw 4). (2015-07-06)
Amended by: Water Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments etc.) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 506 of 2018). (2017-03-03)
Amends: Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Chapter 43). (1990-11-01)
Amends: Water Resources Act 1991 (Chapter 57). (1991-07-25)
Amends: Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 (Chapter 84). (1967-10-27)
Amends: Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (Chapter 51). (1975-08-01)
Amends: Urban Waste Water Treatment (England and Wales) Regulations 1994 (S.I. No. 2841 of 1994). (1994-11-04)
