Pollution Control: The Powers and Duties of Local Authorities

The regulation of polluting activities is an important responsibility, which must be carried out effectively to prevent the environment sustaining any more harm than is absolutely necessary. Although the Environment Agency is widely recognised as the principal environmental regulatory body for England and Wales, much of the day-to-day responsibility for tackling environmental pollution lies with the local authorities. Written in a clear and accessible style, this book covers matters such as contaminated land, atmospheric pollution, statutory nuisance, IPC and IPPC, and noise. A miscellaneous chapter also considers the various powers and duties that local authorities have for trying to ensure cleaner neighbourhoods. It therefore focuses on the law relating to litter, graffiti, dog-fouling, etc. It provides local authority employees who work in the environmental field with a ready overview of their powers and duties, which arise from both primary and secondary legislation. It also, where appropriate, seeks to identify and clarify how those laws have subsequently been interpreted by the courts.