The Coal Authority – the public body that resolves the impacts of mining – has appointed Lisa Pinney MBE as its new Chief Executive following a competitive process. Lisa takes over on 1 June 2018 from Philip Lawrence, who has been Chief Executive of the non-departmental public body for the past 11 years.

Stephen Dingle, Chair of the Coal Authority, thanked Philip for all his hard work and wished him well in his new role as Non-Executive Chair of Headlam Group plc.

He added:

“Philip has led the Coal Authority with great distinction for 11 years and I’d like to thank him for all his hard work, support, enthusiasm and dedication. I am delighted to welcome Lisa Pinney and look forward to working with her as she leads the implementation of our new 5 year plan.”

On taking up her new role, Lisa said being Chief Executive of the Coal Authority fits with her commitment to improve the environment for the benefit of communities.

She added:

“I grew up in Cornwall and was fascinated by the mined landscape and history around me, so I’m delighted to be joining the Coal Authority to lead its work in managing the impacts of mining in the UK.

“I am looking forward to leading such a passionate group of people who are wholly committed to safeguarding the public and restoring the environment in mining areas. Together we will work to provide peace of mind, enhance value and stimulate economic growth.”

Lisa joins the Coal Authority from the Environment Agency where she was most recently Director of the West Midlands Area and was involved in the management of national incidents, including the 2016/17 winter floods and the 2017 East Coast surge. During her 21 year career at the Environment Agency she also led their sponsor relationship with Defra and other government departments, including the 2013 Triennial Review.

Lisa is passionate about diversity and inclusion and was awarded an MBE in 2014. She served on the board of Stonewall UK from 2012 to 2018, including a term as Treasurer.

The Environment Agency publish permits that they issue under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

This decision includes the permit and decision document for:

• Operator name: Hampshire County Council
• Installation name: Micheldever Recycling Facility
• Permit number: EPR/BP3732WB/A001

Read this code or practice if you produce sewage sludge, or if you farm, own or manage agricultural land where it’s used.

The code tells you:

• the benefits and hazards of using sludge in agriculture
• when and where you’re allowed to use sludge
• the treatments you can use
• what tests you must carry out
• how to protect the environment and avoid public nuisance

The Nuclear Reactors (Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning) Regulations require all civil nuclear reactor dismantling and decommissioning projects to obtain consent before being allowed to commence. This ensures that projects likely to have significant effect on the environment take due measures to protect and reduce their environmental impact.

This consultation invites comments on proposals for implementing amendments of the European Union Directive on environmental impact assessments in so far as the Directive applies to consent for nuclear reactor decommissioning projects in the UK under the Nuclear Reactors (Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning) Regulations.

The first major report on water resources in England states that climate change and demand from a growing population are the biggest pressures on the availability of water. Without action to increase supply, reduce demand and cut down on wastage, many areas in England could see significant supply deficits by 2050 – particularly in the south east.

The State of the Environment: Water Resources report highlights unsustainable levels of water abstraction, leakage from water companies – currently estimated at 3 billion litres per day – and demand from industry and the public as three of the issues to tackle in order to protect the water environment.

Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency said:

We need to change our attitudes to water use. It is the most fundamental thing needed to ensure a healthy environment but we are taking too much of it and have to work together to manage this precious resource.

Industry must innovate and change behaviours in order to reduce demand and cut down on wastage – and we all have a duty to use water more wisely at home.

With demand on the rise, water companies must invest more in infrastructure to address leakage instead of relying on abstraction and the natural environment to make up this shortfall.

The report shows that current levels of water abstraction are unsustainable in more than a quarter of groundwaters and one fifth of rivers, leading to reduced flows which could damage local ecology and wildlife.

Previously, unsustainable abstraction has prevented up to 15% of rivers meeting good ecological status – including globally important chalk streams. Summer river flows and groundwater levels may decrease further in the future.

Last year the government announced a plan for abstraction reform which will review existing licences and introduce more controls to protect water resources. The Environment Agency has started work in four priority catchments to test out new licensing approaches to help meet local demand.

Of the water taken from freshwater sources over half (55%) is abstracted by water companies for public water supply and more than a third (36%) is used for electricity supply and other industries. The Environment Agency has urged water companies to pursue ambitious water resource management plans and called on industry to play its part to find ways to use water more efficiently.

The government’s 25 year environment plan sets out an ambition to reduce individual water use – on average 140 litres per person each day – by working with industry to set a personal consumption target. The Environment Agency will work with the government to set this target and cost-effective measures to meet it.

The Environment Agency plays a key role in protecting water for people’s lives and livelihoods – by responding to pollution incidents, prosecuting offenders, regulating abstraction and improving water quality along rivers and beaches.