Environment Agency, UK

Overview

The UK's Environment Agency (EA) is a large non-departmental public body (NDPB) with responsibility for protecting and enhancing England's natural environment. With more than 11,000 staff and care of some 13 million hectares of land, it is a substantial and complex operation.

One of the EA's most vital and frequently-used services is its control of environmental permits and licensing. Whenever an individual citizen, private company or public body wishes to take an action that could affect air, land or water quality, they must first be granted a permit by the EA. These Environmental Permits are one of the principal means by which the EA regulates the quality of England's natural environment.

Citizens and organisations typically need to apply to the EA to seek permits or licenses for matters such as:

• waste disposal
• resource extraction
• undertaking restricted activities.