The consequences of environmental incidents or failing to comply with your environmental obligations are considerable and continue to increase. These include the possibility of a significant fine, a custodial sentence, loss of business and reputational damage.
We have many years’ experience helping organisations and individuals to manage and respond to a wide range of environmental incidents and pollution events, and advising in connection with investigations and enforcement action by the main UK environmental regulators.
Respected Expertise
Our areas of expertise include:
environmental incident management, including Category 1 (Environmental Harm) pollution events
investigations and prosecutions by the Environment Agency and Local Authorities involving suspected waste management offences and environmental permitting breaches
civil sanctions, including Enforcement Undertaking Offers
statutory Nuisance – Abatement Notice Appeals
waste-related prosecutions involving confiscation proceedings brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Trusted Advisors
We work with a variety of clients, including those in the rural, retail, mining, manufacturing, leisure and tourism, food and drink, construction, energy and waste sectors.
Examples of the work we do include:
acting in connection with an investigation and prosecution arising from a release of chemicals into a major UK watercourse suspecting of causing Category 1 environmental harm
advising in connection with investigations and prosecutions involving slurry tank failures, slurry run-off and fuel oil spillages
successfully defending a construction company and its managing directors accused of having committed a number of serious waste management offences
advising in connection with an investigation into a major city centre fire at an illegal waste facility
helping a range of clients to prepare Enforcement Undertaking Offers that have been accepted by the Environment Agency and therefore avoid criminal enforcement action being taken
successfully appealing a number of abatement notices alleging statutory nuisance involving noise, odour, vermin and dust/particulate
successfully defending an energy company in connection with a private prosecution brought under s82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 alleging a statutory noise nuisance
representing a large UK organisation in connection with a multi-agency investigation into suspected non-permitted coastal defence works within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
