OpenLegislation

Environment Act 2021 in Northern Ireland

2021 c. 30 · Enacted 9 November 2021 · Extends to United Kingdom

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 7 May 2026.

An Act to make provision about targets, plans and policies for improving the natural environment; for statements and reports about environmental protection; for the Office for Environmental Protection; about waste and resource efficiency; about air quality; for the recall of products that fail to meet environmental standards; about water; about nature and biodiversity; for conservation covenants; about the regulation of chemicals; and for connected purposes.

[9th November 2021]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Part 1: Environmental governance
  2. Chapter 1: Improving the natural environment
  3. Environmental protection: statements and reports
  4. 20Statements about Bills containing new environmental law
  5. Chapter 2: The Office for Environmental Protection
  6. The Office for Environmental Protection
  7. 22The Office for Environmental Protection
  8. 23Principal objective of the OEP and exercise of its functions
  9. 24The OEP’s strategy: process
  10. 25Guidance on the OEP’s enforcement policy and functions
  11. 25AGuidance on the OEP’s Northern Ireland enforcement policy and functions
  12. 26Memorandum of understanding
  13. 27Co-operation duties of public authorities and the OEP
  14. The OEP's scrutiny and advice functions
  15. 29Monitoring and reporting on environmental law
  16. 30Advising on changes to environmental law etc
  17. The OEP's enforcement functions
  18. 31Failure of public authorities to comply with environmental law
  19. 32Complaints
  20. 33Investigations
  21. 34Duty to keep complainants informed
  22. 35Information notices
  23. 36Decision notices
  24. 37Linked notices
  25. 38Environmental review
  26. 39Judicial review: powers to apply in urgent cases and to intervene
  27. 40Duty of the OEP to involve the relevant Minister
  28. 41Public statements
  29. Information
  30. 42Disclosures to the OEP
  31. 43Confidentiality of proceedings
  32. Chapter 3: Interpretation of Part 1
  33. 44Meaning of “natural environment”
  34. 45Meaning of “environmental protection”
  35. 46Meaning of “environmental law”
  36. 47Interpretation of Part 1: general
  37. Part 2: Environmental governance: Northern Ireland
  38. 48Improving the natural environment: Northern Ireland
  39. 49The Office for Environmental Protection: Northern Ireland
  40. Part 3: Waste and resource efficiency
  41. Producer responsibility
  42. 50Producer responsibility obligations
  43. 51Producer responsibility for disposal costs
  44. Resource efficiency
  45. 52Resource efficiency information
  46. 53Resource efficiency requirements
  47. 54Deposit schemes
  48. 55Charges for single use items
  49. 56Charges for carrier bags
  50. Managing waste
  51. 57Separation of waste
  52. 58Electronic waste tracking: Great Britain
  53. 59Electronic waste tracking: Northern Ireland
  54. 61Hazardous waste: Northern Ireland
  55. 62Transfrontier shipments of waste
  56. 63Regulations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
  57. Waste enforcement and regulation
  58. 64Powers to make charging schemes
  59. 65Waste charging: Northern Ireland
  60. 67Enforcement powers: Northern Ireland
  61. 69Fixed penalty notices
  62. 70Regulation of polluting activities
  63. 71Waste regulation: amendment of Northern Ireland Order
  64. Part 4: Air quality and environmental recall
  65. Air quality
  66. 72Local air quality management framework
  67. Environmental recall of motor vehicles etc
  68. 74Environmental recall of motor vehicles etc
  69. 75Compulsory recall notices
  70. 76Further provision about regulations under section 74
  71. 77Interpretation of sections 74 to 76
  72. Part 5: Water
  73. Plans and proposals
  74. 78Water resources management plans, drought plans and joint proposals Not yet in force
  75. 79Drainage and sewerage management plans
  76. Storm overflows
  77. 80Storm overflows
  78. 81Reporting on discharges from storm overflows
  79. 82Monitoring quality of water potentially affected by discharges
  80. 83Reduction of adverse impacts of storm overflows Not yet in force
  81. Regulation of water and sewerage undertakers
  82. 85Authority’s power to require information
  83. 86Water and sewerage undertakers in England: modifying appointments
  84. 87Electronic service of documents
  85. Abstraction
  86. 88Water abstraction: no compensation for certain licence modifications
  87. Water quality
  88. 89Water quality: powers of Secretary of State
  89. 91Water quality: powers of Northern Ireland department
  90. 93Water quality: interpretation
  91. Land drainage
  92. 94Valuation of other land in drainage district: England
  93. 95Valuation of other land in drainage district: Wales Not yet in force
  94. 96Valuation of agricultural land in drainage district: England and Wales
  95. 97Disclosure of Revenue and Customs information
  96. Part 6: Nature and biodiversity
  97. Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity
  98. 116Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity
  99. Part 8: Miscellaneous and general provisions
  100. Regulation of chemicals
  101. 140Amendment of REACH legislation
  102. Concurrent functions in Wales
  103. 141Amendments of Schedule 7B to the Government of Wales Act 2006
  104. General provisions
  105. 142Consequential provision
  106. 143Regulations
  107. 144Crown application
  108. 145Financial provisions
  109. 146Extent
  110. 147Commencement
  111. 148Transitional or saving provision
  112. 149Short title
  113. Schedule 1: The Office for Environmental Protection
  114. 1Membership
  115. 2Appointment of non-executive members
  116. 3Appointment of executive members
  117. 4Interim chief executive
  118. 5Terms of membership
  119. 6Remuneration of non-executive members
  120. 7Staffing and remuneration
  121. 8Powers
  122. 9Committees
  123. 10Delegation to members, committees and employees
  124. 11Procedure
  125. 12Funding
  126. 13Annual report
  127. 14Annual accounts
  128. 15Meaning of “financial year”
  129. 16Status
  130. 17Independence of the OEP
  131. 18Disqualification from membership of legislatures
  132. 19Paragraph 19
  133. 20Public records
  134. 21Freedom of Information
  135. 22Investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner
  136. 23Public sector equality duty
  137. 24Meaning of “the Northern Ireland Department”
  138. Schedule 2: Improving the natural environment: Northern Ireland
  139. Part 1: Environmental improvement plans
  140. 1Environmental improvement plans
  141. 2Annual reports on environmental improvement plans
  142. 3Reviewing and revising environmental improvement plans
  143. 4Renewing environmental improvement plans
  144. 5Environmental monitoring
  145. Part 2: Policy statement on environmental principles
  146. 6Policy statement on environmental principles
  147. 7Policy statement on environmental principles: process
  148. 8Policy statement on environmental principles: effect
  149. Part 3: Interpretation
  150. 9Meaning of “natural environment”
  151. 10Meaning of “environmental protection”
  152. 11General interpretation
  153. Schedule 3: The Office for Environmental Protection: Northern Ireland
  154. Part 1: The OEP’s Northern Ireland functions
  155. 1Monitoring and reporting on the Department’s environmental improvement plans
  156. 2Monitoring and reporting on environmental law
  157. 3Advising on changes to Northern Ireland environmental law etc
  158. 4Failure of relevant public authorities to comply with environmental law
  159. 5Meaning of relevant environmental law, relevant public authority etc
  160. 6Complaints about relevant public authorities
  161. 7Investigations: relevant public authorities
  162. 8Duty to keep complainants informed
  163. 9Information notices
  164. 10Decision notices
  165. 11Linked notices
  166. 12Review application
  167. 13Judicial review: powers to apply to prevent serious damage and to intervene
  168. 14Duty of the OEP to involve the relevant department
  169. 15Public statements
  170. 16Disclosures to the OEP
  171. 17Confidentiality of proceedings
  172. 18Meaning of UK environmental law and Northern Ireland environmental law
  173. 19Interpretation of Part 1 of this Schedule: general
  174. Part 2: Amendments of the OEP’s general functions
  175. 20Paragraph 20
  176. 21Paragraph 21
  177. 22Paragraph 22
  178. 23Paragraph 23
  179. 24Paragraph 24
  180. 25Paragraph 25
  181. 26Paragraph 26
  182. 27Paragraph 27
  183. 28Paragraph 28
  184. 29Paragraph 29
  185. 30Paragraph 30
  186. Schedule 4: Producer responsibility obligations
  187. Part 1: Requirements
  188. 1General power
  189. 2Examples of provision that may be made
  190. 3Registration of persons subject to producer responsibility obligations
  191. 4Compliance schemes
  192. 5Registration of compliance schemes
  193. 6Power to direct compliance scheme operators
  194. 7Certificates of compliance
  195. 8Consultation etc requirements
  196. 9Paragraph 9
  197. 10Paragraph 10
  198. 11Interpretation
  199. Part 2: Enforcement
  200. 12General power
  201. 13Powers to confer functions
  202. 14Monitoring compliance
  203. 15Records and information
  204. 16Powers of entry etc
  205. 17Sanctions
  206. 18Paragraph 18
  207. 19Charges and costs
  208. 20Consultation requirement
  209. Schedule 5: Producer responsibility for disposal costs
  210. Part 1: Requirements
  211. 1General power
  212. 2“Disposal costs” and “disposal”
  213. 3Calculation of sums payable
  214. 4Administration
  215. 5Registration
  216. 6Payment of sums
  217. 7Distribution of sums paid
  218. 8Repayment of sums paid
  219. 9Charges
  220. 10Consultation requirements
  221. Part 2: Enforcement
  222. 11General power
  223. 12Powers to confer functions
  224. 13Monitoring compliance
  225. 14Records and information
  226. 15Powers of entry etc
  227. 16Sanctions
  228. 17Charges and costs
  229. 18Consultation requirements
  230. Schedule 6: Resource efficiency information
  231. Part 1: Requirements
  232. 1General power
  233. 2Meaning of “information about resource efficiency”
  234. 3Persons on whom requirements may be imposed
  235. 4Examples of provision that may be made
  236. 5Consultation etc requirements
  237. 6Interpretation
  238. Part 2: Enforcement
  239. 7General power
  240. 8Powers to confer functions
  241. 9Monitoring compliance
  242. 10Records and information
  243. 11Powers of entry etc
  244. 12Sanctions
  245. 13Costs
  246. 14Consultation requirement
  247. Schedule 7: Resource efficiency requirements
  248. Part 1: Requirements
  249. 1General power
  250. 2Meaning of “resource efficiency requirements”
  251. 3Persons on whom requirements may be imposed
  252. 4Examples of provision that may be made
  253. 5Consultation etc requirements
  254. 6Interpretation
  255. Part 2: Enforcement
  256. 7General power
  257. 8Powers to confer functions
  258. 9Monitoring compliance
  259. 10Records and information
  260. 11Powers of entry etc
  261. 12Sanctions
  262. 13Costs
  263. 14Consultation requirement
  264. Schedule 8: Deposit schemes
  265. 1Power to establish deposit schemes
  266. 2Scheme suppliers
  267. 3Scheme collectors
  268. 4Deposit scheme administrators
  269. 5Enforcement
  270. 6Interpretation
  271. Schedule 9: Charges for single use items
  272. 1General power
  273. 2Requirement to charge
  274. 3Sellers of goods and services
  275. 4Amount of charge
  276. 5Administration
  277. 6Registration
  278. 7Record-keeping and publication of records
  279. 8Enforcement
  280. 9Civil sanctions
  281. Schedule 11: Local air quality management framework
  282. 1Paragraph 1
  283. 2Paragraph 2
  284. 3Paragraph 3
  285. 4Paragraph 4
  286. 5Paragraph 5
  287. 6Paragraph 6
  288. 7Paragraph 7
  289. 8Paragraph 8
  290. 9Paragraph 9
  291. 10Paragraph 10
  292. 11Paragraph 11
  293. 12Paragraph 12
  294. 13Paragraph 13
  295. 14Paragraph 14
  296. Schedule 13Modifying water and sewerage undertakers’ appointments: procedure for appeals
  297. Schedule 17: Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity
  298. Part 1: Requirements
  299. 1Meaning of “forest risk commodity”
  300. 2Prohibition on using illegally produced commodities
  301. 3Due diligence system
  302. 4Annual report on due diligence system
  303. 5Exemption
  304. 6Guidance
  305. 7Meaning of “regulated person”
  306. Part 2: Enforcement
  307. 8General power
  308. 9Powers to confer functions
  309. 10Monitoring compliance
  310. 11Records and information
  311. 12Powers of entry etc
  312. 13Sanctions
  313. 14Sanctions
  314. 15Charges
  315. 16Consultation requirement
  316. Part 3: General provisions
  317. 17Review
  318. 18Interpretation
  319. Schedule 21: Amendment of REACH legislation
  320. 1Amendment of the REACH Regulation
  321. 2Amendment of the REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008
  322. 3Consent of the devolved administrations
  323. 4Requests by devolved administrations for exercise of powers under this Schedule
  324. 5Consultation
  325. 6The protected provisions
  326. 7Other interpretation