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Prison - The price you could pay for environmental fall-out!
Beware of the New Environmental Liabilities Directive!
If your business’s operations do anything to cause pollution to land, water or protected ecological settings, then this new Directive (in force 1 March 2009) could hit you - personally. Going further than ever before, in requiring you to prevent environmental damage, but also to remedy any serious damage caused (or pay compensation), the new Directive holds company directors and owners/principals liable for corporate operations. You may think your public liability insurance covers you, but think again – in many cases it may not. If the Environment Agency carries out remediation work on your behalf, it will then present you with the bill – which could run into thousands of pounds. You could also face an unlimited fine or up to two years imprisonment if prosecuted in the Crown Court.
The implications will be explained in a free breakfast briefing at the Briar Court Hotel, Halifax Road, Birchencliffe, Huddersfield, on Tuesday 24 March, when experts from Sirius Strategic Environmental Management (SSEM) and invited guest speakers will advise property owners, land managers, operations managers and regulatory sector technical staff on the potential costs that could be buried under their buildings since the new Environmental Liabilities Directive came into force in England on 1 March, becoming law throughout the rest of the UK during 2009.
“We all know that businesses guilty of polluting the environment are held responsible, but the new legislation will take things further,” explains SSEM’s Phil Morgan. “The company – and its directors personally – are now liable for the prevention and remediation of serious ‘environmental damage’ to surface water, groundwater, land and legally protected ecosystems. This liability applies without the need to show fault when any of your operations fall into the categories identified by the regulations and in all cases where negligence has caused damage. You are required to act proactively to identify and prevent such damage and, should the worst happen, undertake full remediation.”
However, as SSEM along with legal and insurance experts will explain, with specialist advice it is possible to mitigate these risks. As Phil continues, “many businesses have little idea of their potential future liabilities under the Directive nor a good understanding of the environmental damage that could be caused. By implementing a thorough review of their sites and operations, undertaking preventative actions and defining emergency response plans, companies can very easily assess and minimise the potential liability and responsibly manage their business.”
Register for your FREE place on the Sirius breakfast briefing, and obtain more details from Sirius Strategic Environmental Management, tel 01928 515715, or email genevieve.boshoff@thesiriusgroup.com
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