The Environment Agency has urged the government for three years to implement stricter regulations on the use of sludge fertiliser, highlighting its contamination with harmful substances like Pfas and microplastics. Despite these efforts, government ministers have largely ignored these pleas, leading the agency to describe the current situation as akin to fly-tipping. In 2019, the agency was authorized to develop a sludge strategy for tighter oversight, yet no significant changes have occurred. A court case by the campaign group Fighting Dirty to compel regulatory action also resulted in a loss, revealing ongoing tensions between environmental safety and governmental action.
Emails from the Environment Agency reveal the agency's concerns over water companies' lax attitudes towards sludge fertiliser, likening it to fly-tipping on agricultural land.
Scientists have identified contaminants such as Pfas and microplastics in sludge fertiliser at unsafe levels, but current regulations only mandate testing for certain heavy metals.
The Environment Agency has urged the government for three years to enact tighter regulations on sludge usage in agriculture, but has faced consistent inaction from ministers.
In 2019, the Environment Agency was authorized to develop a sludge strategy to impose tighter rules akin to those governing landfills and incinerators.
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