Make polluters pay

The polluter pays principle should be at the heart of water policy. However, enforcement of legislation is patchy and fines for pollution do not fully reflect damage caused. As a result, those who pollute continue to profit while the environment and those who depend on it suffer the consequences.

Make those who damage the water environment bear the costs through more effective law enforcement, tougher penalties and fairer charges. 

• By 2012, the Government should remove the statutory limit on fines and require fines to take account of the damage caused.
• By 2012, Government and its agencies should improve effectiveness of enforcement of existing anti-pollution laws, including better cross-compliance checks targeted at environmental risk.
• By 2012, the crop protection and fertiliser industry should fund measures to reduce diffuse agricultural pollution and create new clean water habitats to mitigate ecological impacts.
• By 2014, the Government and its agencies should reform the charging schemes for water abstraction and waste discharge to fully reflect environmental costs and seasonal sensitivity.
• By 2014, the Government should create a Catchment Restoration Fund financed from fines, abstraction/discharge charges and publicfunds to support works to restore rivers and their catchments.    

Blueprint members will work with our local groups to help monitor compliance with existing wildlife protection and anti-pollution laws.