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<p>Taking cases forward to prosecution is only one part of the Environment Agency's
(EA) overall enforcement activity. Other interventions such as Notices requiring action
and civil sanctions are quicker and can be effective in securing good outcomes for
the environment in different ways.</p><p>The Regulatory Enforcement & Sanctions
(RES) Act 2008 made civil sanctions available to the EA to use from 2011. The number
of enforcement undertakings accepted by the EA under the RES Act has nearly doubled
from 2016 to 2020. This has included, for example, the compensation of £975,000 made
by Wessex Water following sewage pollution at Swanage Harbour in November 2018.</p><p>The
EA focuses prosecutions on the most serious and harmful pollution cases, allowing
it to focus resources where the impact is greatest. We still take the most serious
cases to court. The size of fines for environmental offences are at the highest they
have ever been, and custodial sentences are now being imposed regularly for environmental
offences.</p>
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