ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we introduce the reader to the legal framework which controls polluting emissions to the three environmental media (air, land and water) in England and Wales. The relevant national law is set in the context of European environmental and international environmental law. We examine the sources of environmental law, the relevant legal and policy principles, and the emergence of alternative methods (to the basic legal framework) to control polluting activities.
Before embarking on an explanation of the legal framework which regulates polluting emissions in England and Wales, we suggest that the reader spends a few minutes thinking about his or her answers to the following seven questions which are designed to provide the reader with a ‘mindset’ (orientation) which will help him or her grasp much of what follows:
