Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Paragraph: 127
We recommend that the Environment Agency work with DEFRA to intensify its work in the...
Recommendation
We recommend that the Environment Agency work with DEFRA to intensify its work in the inspection and, where necessary, remediation of large animal slurry stores. Where remediation is required, funding from the Slurry Investment Fund should be made available to support the work.
Paragraph Reference:
127
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government does not accept this recommendation. The Environment Act requires notification of spills occurring within 1 hour of the discharge (141DA) and continuous monitoring of the environment (141DB). Measurement of volume is limited by technical feasibility and cost, and therefore requires further consideration of how it could be implemented effectively. The provisions of the Environment Act requiring the sewerage undertaker to continuously monitor the quality of water upstream and downstream of an asset (either storm overflows or sewage treatment works) will be consulted on, with the associated detail on precisely what specific indicators should be monitored as part of this continuous monitoring, later in 2022. The Government has also been clear that we expect water companies to reduce their reliance on sewage overflows as a priority, and so it is important that the appropriate balance is made between investment in transparent monitoring and data sharing with the public, and investment in the infrastructure and other solutions needed to reduce the use of overflows and their harm.