Penalties of £1.7m paid to 'make amends' for environmental offences across Yorkshire in 2023, Environment Agency reveals

Companies including Yorkshire Water were among those to face civil action, making donations to environmental charities instead of facing a formal prosecution.

Such enforcement undertakings (EUs) are civil sanctions, under a "voluntary offer" to "put right" actions that can damage the environment - and do not serve as an admission of guilt.

Allegations included water pollution, illegal waste site operations and unauthorised waste dumping in the region's rivers and becks, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

As a crackdown saw the number of EUs more than double in the 12 months to December, the body has stressed it will always pursue prosecution in the most serious of cases.

Mike Dugher, the EA’s area director for Yorkshire, said: “Protecting the environment in Yorkshire and taking action against those that damage or threaten this is our utmost priority .”

The agency said it may accept an EU where it has “reasonable grounds” to suspect that the person or company has committed an offence. 

In the latest round, from June to October, the agency body has now revealed details of penalties paid. Sums go to local environmental charities or community groups to help improve the area, habitats or water quality.

Yorkshire Water donated £150,000 to Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, the EA has outlined, after a sewage discharge into Kirk Bridge Dike and the River Don in April 2020.

It has also pledged to replace sensors, so as to be informed if it happens again.

Then construction company BDW Trading Ltd, which donated £75,000 to the Aire Rivers Trust after two allegations that silt pollution was washed into Fagley Beck over the course of 12 months.

Furniture Choice Ltd, in Mirfield, donated just under £45,000 to the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, after failing to register as a producer or properly recover packaging waste, the EA has said.

And also in Yorkshire, Greenford Haulage & Aggregates Limited made a payment of £30,000 to the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust for operating without an environmental permit and "wrongly" depositing 2,000 tonnes of waste soils within the flood plain of the River Swale.

Throughout this year, the EA has warned, it will continue to take enforcement action through such penalties in cases where it isn't in the public interest to pursue prosecution.

“While we will always take forward prosecutions in the most serious cases, EUs are an effective enforcement tool to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements," said Mr Dugher.

“They allow polluters to correct and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents by improving their procedures, helping ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.”