Pollution incidents and investigations

A pollution incident is when any substance is released to land, air or water that could harm people or the environment. The scope, urgency and organisation of responses to pollution incidents depends on their nature and scale. Major incidents may require a multi-agency response coordinated in accordance with national civil contingency plans and the UK Resilience Emergency Response and Recovery Guidance, involving:

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police services
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fire and rescue services
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health bodies
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HM Coroner
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local authorities (LAs)
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government agencies and other non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs)
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the Armed Forces
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the private sector
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the voluntary sector, and
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the community

For the most severe emergencies, government may invoke emergency powers under Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Part 2. Emergency powers are a last-resort option for responding to the most serious of emergencies where existing legislative provision is insufficient. They are a mechanism for making temporary legislation in order to prevent, control or mitigate an aspect or effect of the emergency.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) maintains a national contingency plan for marine pollution from shipping and offshore installations.

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