Since April 1996 in the UK, the management of all sectors of the environment – land, water, air and radioactivity – has been controlled by three organizations: the Environment Agency for England and Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Department in the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland.

Each of these organizations produces a variety of educational material for use in schools and colleges and can answer specific questions about pollution in their respective countries. Both the EA and SEPA have produced ‘State of the Environment Reports’ which are particularly useful sources of information on a range of environmental issues. The addresses to contact initially are:

Environment Agency (EA)

Rio House

Waterside Drive

Aztec West

Almondsbury

Bristol BS12 4UD

Tel: 01454 624400

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Erskine Court

The Castle Business Park

Stirling

FK9 4TR

01786 457700

Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service

Calvert House

23 Castle Place

Belfast

BT1 1FY

Tel: 01232 254754

The above are the ‘regulatory’ authorities and they control pollution from various sources. The UK government has its own Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions in London which makes policies about the protection of the environment. Its main office is:

Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions

2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 3EB

he corresponding organization in Scotland is:

The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department

Victoria Quay

Leith

Edinburgh

EH6 6QQ

The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is at:

Northland House

3 Frederick Street,

Belfast

BT1 2NR

In England and Wales, the water industry has been privatized. These public limited companies are responsible for the supply of safe drinking water and for the purification of sewage so that it meets the standards set by the Environment Agency. They can supply details of the chemical and bacteriological quality of drinking water and the standards of sewage treatment works’ effluents. They may permit you to visit their treatment works. The companies’ addresses are: