Set up by the 1995 Environment Act as a non-departmental public body of the UK, The Environment Agency works in diverse areas such as flood defence, pollution control, town planning, farming and waste throughout England and Wales. The Agency’s activities range from influencing Government policy and regulating major industries nationally, right through to day-to-day monitoring and clean up operations at a local level. It also issue various permits, licences, consents and registrations.
Anothe focus of the body’s work is to inform and educate about environmental issues. The Agency publishes information about environmental issues in general both in print and online. Online, the Environmental Facts and Figures section contains general facts about the environment from a number of sources.