Search Legislation

Environmental Protection Act 1990

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes to legislation:

Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 1 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 29 March 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

1 Preliminary.E+W+S

[F1(1)The following provisions have effect for the interpretation of this Part.

(2)The “environment” consists of all, or any, of the following media, namely, the air, water and land; and the medium of air includes the air within buildings and the air within other natural or man-made structures above or below ground.

(3)Pollution of the environment” means pollution of the environment due to the release (into any environmental medium) from any process of substances which are capable of causing harm to man or any other living organisms supported by the environment.

(4)Harm” means harm to the health of living organisms or other interference with the ecological systems of which they form part and, in the case of man, includes offence caused to any of his senses or harm to his property; and “harmless” has a corresponding meaning.

(5)Process” means any activities carried on in Great Britain, whether on premises or by means of mobile plant, which are capable of causing pollution of the environment and “prescribed process” means a process prescribed under section 2(1) below.

(6)For the purposes of subsection (5) above—

  • activities” means industrial or commercial activities or activities of any other nature whatsoever (including, with or without other activities, the keeping of a substance);

  • Great Britain” includes so much of the adjacent territorial sea as is, or is treated as, relevant territorial waters for the purposes of [F2Part III of the Water Resources Act 1991] or, as respects Scotland, Part II of the M1Control of Pollution Act 1974; and

  • mobile plant” means plant which is designed to move or to be moved whether on roads or otherwise.

(7)The “enforcing authority”, in relation to England and Wales, is [F3the Environment Agency or the local authority by which], under section 4 below, the functions conferred or imposed by this Part otherwise than on the Secretary of State are for the time being exercisable in relation respectively to releases of substances into the environment or into the air; and “local enforcing authority” means any such local authority.

F4[(8)In relation to Scotland, references to the “enforcing authority” and a “local enforcing authority” are references to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (in this Part referred to as “SEPA”).]

(9)Authorisation” means an authorisation for a process (whether on premises or by means of mobile plant) granted under section 6 below; and a reference to the conditions of an authorisation is a reference to the conditions subject to which at any time the authorisation has effect.

(10)A substance is “released” into any environmental medium whenever it is released directly into that medium whether it is released into it within or outside Great Britain and “release” includes—

(a)in relation to air, any emission of the substance into the air;

(b)in relation to water, any entry (including any discharge) of the substance into water;

(c)in relation to land, any deposit, keeping or disposal of the substance in or on land;

and for this purpose “water” and “land” shall be construed in accordance with subsections (11) and (12) below.

(11)For the purpose of determining into what medium a substance is released—

(a)any release into—

(i)the sea or the surface of the seabed,

(ii)any river, watercourse, lake, loch or pond (whether natural or artificial or above or below ground) or reservoir or the surface of the riverbed or of other land supporting such waters, or

(iii)ground waters,

is a release into water;

(b)any release into—

(i)land covered by water falling outside paragraph (a) above or the water covering such land; or

(ii)the land beneath the surface of the seabed or of other land supporting waters falling within paragraph (a)(ii) above,

is a release into land; and

(c)any release into a sewer (within the meaning of [F5the Water Industry Act 1991] or, in relation to Scotland, of the M2Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968) shall be treated as a release into water;

but a sewer and its contents shall be disregarded in determining whether there is pollution of the environment at any time.

(12)In subsection (11) above “ground waters” means any waters contained in underground strata, or in—

(a)a well, borehole or similar work sunk into underground strata, including any adit or passage constructed in connection with the well, borehole or work for facilitating the collection of water in the well, borehole or work; or

(b)any excavation into underground strata where the level of water in the excavation depends wholly or mainly on water entering it from the strata.

(13)Substance” shall be treated as including electricity or heat and “prescribed substance” has the meaning given by section 2(7) below.

F6[(14)In this Part “the appropriate Agency” means—

(a)in relation to England and Wales, the Environment Agency; and

(b)in relation to Scotland, SEPA.]]

Textual Amendments

F1Ss. 1-28 repealed (1.4.2015 for S. for the repeal of ss. 1-19, 22-28) by Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 (c. 24), s. 7(3), Sch. 3 (with s. 7(7)); S.S.I. 2015/74, art. 2(2)(b)

F3Words in s. 1(7) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 120(1), Sch. 22 para. 45(2)(with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art.3

F4S. 1(8) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 120(1), Sch. 22 para. 45(3)(with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art.3

F6S. 1(14) added (1.4.1996) by virtue of 1995 c. 25, s. 120(1), Sch. 22 para. 45(4)(with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art.3

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Definitions in s. 1 applied (E.W.) (1. 12. 1991) by Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56, SIF 130), ss. 138(4)(a), 223 (with ss. 82(3), 186(1), 222(1), Sch. 14 para. 6)

S. 1 applied (1.3.1996) by 1986 c. 44, s. 4 (as substituted (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 1; S.I. 1996/218, art. 2)

Marginal Citations

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

You have chosen to open The Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act as a PDF

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act without Schedules

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act without Schedules as a PDF

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Act without Schedules

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open Schedules only

The Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources