Guidance and regulation

How to access the Environment Agency's public registers of environmental information.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 13 January 2023

When you need an environmental permit to discharge liquid effluent or waste water to surface water or the ground, and how to apply.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 21 February 2024

Standard rules and bespoke permits for using, treating, storing and disposing of waste. Check if you need a permit and find out how to apply.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 21 February 2024

How to meet the general binding rules if your septic tank or small sewage treatment plant releases (discharges) waste water to the ground.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 2 October 2023

What counts as a statutory nuisance and how councils can deal with complaints by issuing an abatement notice.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 7 April 2015

Permits for installations, medium combustion plant, specified generator, waste or mining waste operations, water discharge or groundwater activities, or work on or near a main river or sea defence.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 23 October 2020

Check if you need to apply for an environmental permit, formerly known as a flood defence consent, and get the forms you need.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 3 April 2024

When your waste operation does not need a permit but you may need to register.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 10 May 2024

How to meet the general binding rules if your septic tank or small sewage discharge treatment plant releases (discharges) waste water to a surface water.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 2 October 2023

The Environment Agency's charging scheme for environmental permits, abstraction licences and impounding licences.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 1 June 2024

You can use the pre-application advice service to make sure your permit application is correct.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 21 February 2024

How to change details of your environmental permit, transfer it to somebody else or cancel it.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 25 August 2023

How to carry out a risk assessment if you are applying for a bespoke permit that includes discharging hazardous chemicals and elements to surface water.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 25 February 2022

How to complete an air emissions risk assessment, including how to calculate the impact of your emissions and the standards you must meet.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 21 May 2024

When you need to do an environmental risk assessment, when the Environment Agency will do it for you, and how to do a risk assessment.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 21 November 2023

How to develop a management system and keep it up to date so that you can carry out activities under an environmental permit.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 3 April 2023

Plan for climate change impacts to and from your site. How to integrate climate change adaptation into your management system under an environmental permit.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 3 April 2023

Find out if and by when you need to apply for a medium combustion plant directive (MCPD) environmental permit to meet air quality requirements.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 3 others
• Updated: 12 December 2023

How the Environment Agency charges for activities that need an environmental permit and the charges you must pay.

• From: Environment Agency
• Updated: 21 February 2024

How you must control and monitor emissions from your activities that may cause pollution.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 24 November 2022