The problems facing water are complex, with multiple sources of pollution affecting water quality. One of the lesser-known areas of the Environment Agency’s work is cleaning up pollution from abandoned metal mines.
Mining played a major part in Britain’s rich industrial history, but this also left thousands of abandoned mines scattered across our landscape. Almost all these mines had closed by the early 1900s but they are still releasing harmful metals including lead, cadmium and copper. This is one of the top 10 issues for water quality in England as it harms fish and river insects. Abandoned mines are the largest source of metals to British rivers and seas (click here for more information). Pollution is localised to about 1,500km of rivers - mainly in the North East, Cumbria, Yorkshire & Cornwall.
Confusing algae for sewage is an easy mistake to make, but there are some tips to telling the difference.
In today’s blog we look at how the Environment Agency helped to restore 1km of urban chalk stream in West Sussex. By Gareth Williams, Environment Programme manager Solent and South Downs In order to restore one chalk stream in …
Research Scientist Kerry talks about our use of DNA technology to understand what’s in the water.
Laboratory scientist, Sean, takes us through the science behind bathing water monitoring.
The United Kingdom generates over 200 million tonnes of waste per year, but the data gathered about what exactly is generated, how much, and the journey from initial collection to its final destination is limited. Different systems for reporting across …
Regulated Industry has a huge impact on the economy and the environment, and it is the Environment Agency’s job to ensure the environment is protected by issuing of permits and ensuring businesses comply. In this blog Charlotte Sholl, who works …
Every job has its highs and its lows and very occasionally something so extraordinary happens it is left indelibly stamped on your mind. One such event was the MSC Napoli – a 62,000 tonne container vessel ‘shipwrecked’ off the UK’s …
Close your eyes. If I tell you to imagine you’re at the British seaside, with the waves lapping at your feet and the sound of seagulls in the distance, then where do you think of? For millions of people across …
Across the country, officers like myself are working hard with partners to help protect the environment from the detrimental effects of waste crime. One way we’re doing this is to target businesses and individuals who illegally dismantle vehicles and deal …
