July 28, 2005

Orders may be made against staff of polluters

by brian_turner

In its annual report on corporate environmental behaviour, the Environment Agency warned that companies who persistently break environmental laws could be given anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos). The agency believes that the use of Asbos could more effective in deterring environmental offences than the imposition of fines. An Asbo would apply to all employees, not just directors and would be used when a firm had been convicted of damaging the environment. The first time that a firm was issued with an Asbo was in 2004.

The Environment Agency said that companies were fined Â£2.3m for environmental offences last year. Those fined included Pizza Express and Gatwick Airport. Successful prosecutions were brought against 20 directors. The agency said that an Asbo was imposed last year to stop a skip hire company from incinerating skips of rubbish instead of disposing of the waste correctly.

Although the government agreed that some firms were guilty of anti-social behaviour, they stressed they were a small minority. The CBI said it believed that law-abiding companies would welcome fairly enforced and proportionate environmental rules.

However some business groups said that Asbos should be used with caution. Nick Goulding, chief executive of the Forum of Private Business, said it was an “outrage” to compare the action of businesses with those of drunk and disorderly yobs.

The average fine in 2004, for businesses committing environment offences, was Â£8,500, significantly lower than for 2003. According to the Environment Agency, many smaller firms were unaware of the damage they may be causing.

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Story link: Orders may be made against staff of polluters

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