In 2022, after 46 years of generation, Hinkley Point B (HPB) switched off its last operational reactor and began defueling. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) declared the site free of nuclear fuel in January 2026. Alister, our Hinkley Point …
Every year, the Environment Agency processes over 13,000 permit applications. These decisions cover an enormous range of activity. From a small waste transfer site to permits regulating how the nation handles nuclear waste, every single one matters because they protect …
Water is essential for drinking, farming, industry, wildlife and recreation. Sustainable water abstraction is essential to ensure that river flows and groundwater levels support ecology and natural resilience. We work side by side with abstractors, combining their knowledge of the land with ours, to …
Elizabeth Maerz, Environment Officer for Cumbria Every day, our officers investigate pollution reports across the country's rivers and lakes. Surprisingly often, the cause is something quite ordinary: a household drainage system connected the wrong way round. Windermere, England's largest lake, …
Jake Surman is the Environment Agency’s innovation lead in our nuclear strategy team. As the Heads of Innovation Forum meets for its annual meeting Jake provides an update on our work New nuclear technologies, novel uses of radioactive substances and advancing digital innovations could help the UK produce cheaper low carbon energy, speed-up nuclear decommissioning …
Atlantic salmon are a remarkable and iconic species. Hatching in rivers across Northern Europe, they migrate thousands of miles across the North Atlantic to feed and grow before returning to those same rivers to spawn. Every year, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture …
Yasmin is an advisor in our Advanced Technologies and Fusion Strategy team. Here she highlights the benefits of our new early engagement process and the Environment Agency’s role regulating the fusion industry. The Environment Agency, working alongside the Health and Safety Executive, is the regulator of fusion research sites and will jointly regulate future commercial …
Regulating the environmental performance of the water industry is a core Environment Agency function. Since 2023 we have been transforming the way we regulate the water industry. Backed by significant investment we are delivering increased scrutiny and oversight through a specialised workforce dedicated to each water and sewerage company. We recognise that further change is needed and that improvements …
Waste crime isn't fly-tipping. It's a billion-pound criminal enterprise in which organised crime groups exploit the waste industry to launder money, evade tax, undercut legitimate businesses, and pollute communities and the environment, while presenting themselves as lawful operators. These criminals …
At the Flood & Coast conference 2026, Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy spoke about climate challenges and what they mean for those working in flooding, the new approach to delivering flood defences and how we need to work together …
