Use Of Enforcement Powers

Two recent Welsh cases, whilst contrasting in scale, emphasise the importance of regulatory enforcement powers under the Environmental Permitting regime to deal with contamination problems.

In one case Natural Resources Wales used enforcement notice powers prohibiting the use of fuel pipelines at the Valero Pembroke Refinery in January 2019. The pollution, which appears to have been contained, affected the Milford Haven Estuary, threatening beaches and salt marshes. See ENDS Report 9 January 2019.

In another case in Wales, breaches of permit conditions at a vehicle scrapyard at Ruabon, near Wrexham led to revocation of the permit. The site posed a serious threat from pollutants being washed into drains, posing a threat to local watercourses and the River Dee. It was reported that the site had been cleared and no longer presented a risk. See ENDS report 23 January 2019.

Text reference: para. 8-08