Compliance - monitoring and assessment

Find out about monitoring your emissions to air, land and water (MCERTS), compliance and Operational risk apraisal (Opra)

We provide advice and guidance to help your business comply with environmental regulations and protect the environment. We want to make it easy for business to understand and work within the law. We carry out on-site inspections and monitoring to ensure your business is complying with its environmental permits. Breaches can result in extensive damage to the environment or human health.

We visit sites to:

  • give advice and guidance to help businesses meet their permit conditions
  • identify any areas where businesses can improve their environmental performance
  • check progress against an agreed improvement programme or action plans
  • assess and review the Operational risk appraisal (Opra) score for a site
  • respond to incidents and complaints
  • carry out investigations
  • take action to protect the environment
  • maintain public confidence and the reputation of the Environment Agency.

Find out about monitoring your emissions to air, land and water (MCERTS), compliance and Opra and sharing environmental data:

If non-compliance evidence is found we may serve an enforcement or works notice, requiring your business to stop some or all aspects of its work, if the environmental risk of continuing would be considered serious.