David Levy – Pollution of the R. Wye: What Happens Now? – Apr 24

This past month has proved rather tricky getting any sense from politicians. The focus of many of them appears to be on whether or not they will contest the next General Election, and for many Conservatives they see the writing on the wall and they have decided not to run.

My constituency (Kingswood, Bristol) has just had a by-election, and the seat has passed from Conservative to Labour. Even with a new MP, it is proving difficult to arrange a constituency meeting.

Why would I wish to bother the man?

Well, as you may recall, Marinet lodged a complaint with the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) about DEFRA’s failure to protect the River Wye and its tributaries from severe pollution. The pollution is caused by the manure from a very large number of intensive poultry farms in the area which is spread on the surrounding fields. The farming regulations that allow this were devised and are superintended by DEFRA.

We have asked the OEP to investigate DEFRA’s culpability, based on its failure to uphold the conservation laws that protect the Wye. The Wye is a Special Area of Conservation, and the case has been with the OEP since July 2022.

The OEP was established under the 2021 Environment Act. Its ‘mission statement’ is to protect and improve the environment by holding Government and other public authorities to account when their actions violate the law. Ours was one of the first cases the OEP took on.

The OEP has recently phoned us to say they are awaiting the outcome of the case brought to the High Court in Cardiff by River Action against the Environment Agency. River Action is alleging lax administration by the EA of the farming regulations on poultry manure disposal, and its connection with the pollution of the Wye.

In real terms, this is a somewhat different case from our complaint concerning DEFRA. Our focus is on the law itself, and why DEFRA is ignoring its statutory responsibilities to protect the environment of the River Wye, and our own health as a consequence.

This is the investigation we have asked the OEP to conduct, and they have had plenty of time to do so.

The question I want my MP to ask in the House of Commons is whether the OEP is living up to its mission statement, and if so, what would be a reasonable time frame for the OEP to come to a conclusion from its investigations?

Seems reasonable to me.

David Levy