Cleaning Up

The headline goes “Environment Agency head wants change to EU water law.” It doesn’t sound like the start of a revolution, but maybe it should. The Environmental Agency is responsible for the regulation of water quality, and it’s been systematically downgraded and deprived of resources for more than a decade. When she was in charge of DEFRA, Liz Truss prioritised rapid response to floods over normal maintenance, and saved money by asking water companies to regulate themselves. In 2008 they were responsible for 800 prosecutions; in 2021, it was 17.

Maybe that was because the situation had improved? Oh no it wasn’t. Users of the rivers have increasingly reported dramatic increases in pollution, and one of the reasons this hasn’t been more widely featured in the news is that the Environmental Agency has virtually given up on their main job of monitoring what’s happening. So if Rees-Mogg’s wholesale abolition of EU laws goes ahead, they’ll be let off the hook and have an easier life. Yet another tasty choice for Rishi Sunak. Does he let this particular Truss lunacy go ahead, or is he prepared to do the rational thing and throw it out? One sign that isn’t that hopeful is his choice for head of DEFRA: Truss’ buddy Therese Coffey, known opponent of regulation, and everything it stands for. Don’t hold your breath.