The Environment Agency has opened consultation on its draft decision to grant an environmental permit to Fornax (North East) Ltd for an energy-from-waste facility at Merchant Park, Newton Aycliffe. The draft decision follows a previous public consultation and indicates the Agency is minded to approve the permit, subject to final review of responses and legal requirements.
The Environment Agency has updated its guidance on registering waste exemptions, including revised charges, new digital registration processes and clearer instructions for multiple-site and linear network registrations. It also flags that waste exemption rules are due to change from January 2027, subject to Parliamentary approval, and clarifies renewal requirements and charity eligibility.
The Environment Agency reports that water company chief executives have updated the National Drought Group on measures being taken to protect public supplies during severe drought conditions in parts of England. Actions include daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels, reduced overnight water pressure where appropriate, accelerated leak detection, and transferring water within networks to support low reservoirs.
The Environment Agency has partially suspended an environmental permit at a waste site in Little Hulton, Salford, after a rise in complaints about foul odours. The operator must stop certain waste activities in the affected area, remove waste by 13 November, and implement odour monitoring and control measures.
The Environment Agency has reviewed and extended Regulatory Position Statement RPS 91, which covers the use of waste clay in constructing slurry lagoons or water storage reservoirs, until 14 October 2027. The statement has also been updated to the latest template, while confirming that it does not remove the need for an environmental permit where one is otherwise required.
The Environment Agency says a further arrest has been made as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal waste dumping at multiple sites in the North East, including Callerton, Peterlee and Hartlepool. The agency says the sites involved thousands of tonnes of waste and have now been shut down or cleared, with enforcement action continuing under its waste crime crackdown.
The Environment Agency has updated its policy guidance on how it assesses and scores compliance with environmental permits and licences across several activity types, including waste, water, radioactive substances, abstraction and impounding. The changes clarify compliance assessment outcomes, appeal timeframes, publication of CAR forms, and how certain non-compliances are recorded.
The Environment Agency has updated its regulatory position statement on the use of manufactured topsoil made from waste. The guidance clarifies that even where manufactured topsoil meets BS 3882:2015, it may still be classed as waste, and it sets out conditions for use as a soil substitute for landscaping, including a maximum depth of 300mm.
The Environment Agency has updated its catchment statistics report on nutrient pollution in protected areas, replacing the previous version with 'Catchment statistics for nutrient pollution in protected areas 2026'. The update includes new nutrient modelling summaries, a corrected table, and revised notes on where Natural England nutrient neutrality advice applies, including Hornsea Mere, Chesil and The Fleet, and part of Waveney.
The Environment Agency has published guidance on meeting the operations requirements for intensive pig and poultry farming permits. It sets out limits on animal numbers and site boundaries, and explains when permit variations are needed for changes such as additional housing or expanded boundaries. The guidance also covers diet and nutrition planning to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and ammonia emissions, alongside annual emissions reporting requirements.
The Environment Agency has declared drought status in Yorkshire following sustained low reservoir and river levels after a dry spring and summer. It says water companies are being monitored against statutory drought plans, with weekly coordination through the National Drought Group and increased scrutiny of supply, leakage and demand reduction measures.
The Environment Agency says the illegal waste dump at Hoad’s Wood in Kent has now been fully cleared, with 39,500 tonnes of commercial waste removed from the ancient woodland. The site, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is now moving into a recovery phase while investigations continue into the organised criminal activity behind the dumping.
