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Lawmakers aim to make water company owners criminally liable for sewage spills under plans to amend legislation passed by parliament this week.
Amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill, due to be returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday, will be tabled to create new criminal offenses for failure to meet performance standards specified to control sewage spills.
Importantly, the proposed amendments also seek to introduce new legislation that would impose personal criminal liability on senior managers of water companies if they fail to meet performance standards.
The measure was proposed by Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron, who has been campaigning on sewage issues for more than three years.
I We understand that Labor is considering supporting this amendment, but this will leave the Conservatives open to either accept it or oppose efforts to take tougher action on sewage dumping. This will put pressure on the government to make judgments as if it were true.
Labor has vowed to hold water board chiefs criminally liable if it comes to power, and vowed to strip executives of their bonuses if they fail to meet required standards.
The Environment Agency has previously sought criminal charges, including fines, against water company chief executives and directors.
The issue of sewage dumping in Britain’s rivers and seas has become a key electoral issue in some parts of the country, particularly on the southern coast.
“This new legal reform will deliver justice for swimmers, wildlife and our natural environment,” Fallon said.
“It is shameful that water companies are allowed to get away with increasing sewage pollution under this government.
“There is now clear consensus that water companies will face criminal charges for sewage contamination. I urge Conservative and Labor MPs to support this legislation.”
A Labor Party spokesperson said: “Labour has long called for individual criminal liability to be brought against water managers who continue to allow illegal sewage dumping.
“But this is just part of Labour’s plan to put water companies under special measures to force them to clean up hazardous substances. We will ban it and automatically introduce stiff fines.”