2 Bedford Row

2 Bedford Row’s specialist environmental team offers real experience and insight in respect of alleged environmental breaches, with particular experience of

• Pollution, groundwater and water resources investigations and prosecutions;
• Waste management, permits: investigations and breaches;
• Producer responsibility and Transfrontier Shipment Regulations: export of waste products, alleged contamination of exports;
• Advice following environmental incidents and investigations;
• Response to investigation by Environment Agency (EA), local environmental health, the exercise of statutory powers under the s.108 Environment Act 1995; and invitations to be interviewed under caution;
• Breach of Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Water Resources Act 1991;
• Company, directors, and employee criminal liability;
• Representation at the Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court; jury trials and sentencing.

Members of the team have advised and acted for corporations in environmental prosecutions concerned with the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Water Resources Act 1991, groundwater / controlled waters pollution, waste management regulation, waste permits/ licenses, Producer Responsibility Obligations and Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations.

Recent cases include that realted to exports of sorted waste paper; alleged mixture of green list waste; contamination, in alleged breach of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations and the absence of a threshold for such contamination; and defending allegations of wrongful storage of tyres in a manner likely to cause pollution. Members of the team were instructed for both the prosecution and for the defence in the Environment Agency prosecution resulting from the Buncefield oil terminal explosion and fire.

The 2 Bedford Row environmental team also organise and conduct legal seminars across the UK focussed on current issues in environmental enforcement law and practice.