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Environmental information regulations
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The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 give the public access rights to environmental information held by a public authority in response to requests.
The legislation came into force on 1 January 2005, together with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and covers all documents, including closed files, archived material and information in current use, regardless of its age, or classification. The information includes:
- the state of the environment, such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites including wetlands, coastal land marine areas, biological diversity and its components, including genetically modified organisms, and the interaction among these elements;
- factors, such as substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, including radioactive waste, emissions, discharges and other releases into the environment, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment mentioned above;
- measures, such as legislation, plans, policies, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to above as well as measures or activities designed to practice those elements;
- reports on the implementation of environmental information;
- cost-benefit and other economical analyses and assumptions used within the framework of the measures and activities;
- the state of human health and safety, including the contamination of the food chain, where relevant, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structures in as much as they are or may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment.
There are exemptions where it may not be possible to disclose information such as information relating to pending court cases and personal details which are protected under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Accessing information
To access environmental information held by St Edmundsbury Borough Council please contact us in writing or send an email to foi@stedsbc.gov.uk. Please state clearly what information is required, your name and contact details, including an address for correspondence.
Freedom of Information Officer
St Edmundsbury Borough Council
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk IP33 3YU
Enquiries are dealt with in the same way as Freedom of Information requests.
We will respond as soon as possible, and no later than 20 working days after receiving your request. The reply will confirm or deny whether or not we hold the information, and either provide the information, or explain why it has not been provided and quote an exemption under the act.
We have a standard hourly charge out rate for dealing with environmental searches - mainly when the enquiry is from a commercial organisation.
Useful links
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