Richard Benyon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Benyon on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what basic measures his Department takes in relation to (a) controls on abstraction and (b) prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources in order to comply with Article 11.3 of the Water Framework Directive.

Dan Rogerson

Controls on water abstraction are applied through the licensing system operated by the Environment Agency, which sets out prior authorisation and control of water abstractions and impoundments.

Measures to prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources include:

i. Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. These make it an offence to cause or knowingly permit a water discharge activity or groundwater activity, except under, and to the extent authorised by, an environmental permit. The Environment Agency regulates discharges under the environmental permitting regime. It can carry out works itself to rectify activities causing pollution, or issue anti-pollution works notices to require work to take place to prevent, remedy or prohibit pollution, as well as prosecuting offenders if pollution does take place;

ii. the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008, which aim to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution and the risk of further such pollution occurring. The regulations implement the Nitrates Directive, and apply within designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (57% of England);

iii. the Water Resources (Control of Pollution)(Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil)(England) Regulations 2010, which set standards for storing silage, livestock slurry and agricultural fuel oil to minimise the risk of water pollution. These are applicable nationally; and

iv. cross-compliance requirements for those farmers claiming direct payments and those participating in various rural development schemes.