The Environmental Information Regulations allows the public to request environmental information from public authorities.
The information covered can be divided into the following six main areas:
- The state of the elements of the environment, such as air, water, soil, land, fauna (including human beings)
- Emissions and discharges, noise, energy, radiation, waste and other such substances
- Measures and activities such as policies, plans, and agreements affecting or likely to affect the state of the elements of the environment
- Reports, cost-benefit and economic analyses
- The state of human health and safety, contamination of the food chain
- Cultural sites and built structures (to the extent they may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment)
If your organisation receives a request from a member of the public for environmental information on any of the areas mentioned above, you are legally obliged to provide it, usually within 20 working days. There are a number of exceptions to this rule and if you withhold the information, you must explain why and give the public interest reasons for refusal.
Full details of how the Environmental Information Regulations affects your organisation can be found in the relevant section of the website.