Environmental Information Regulations requests

What is an Environmental Information Regulations request?

The Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004 give members of the public the right to access environmental information held by public authorities. The request can be made by letter, e-mail, telephone or in person.

Environmental information is divided into 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 that they may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment).

Public authorities are legally obliged to provide information on any of the areas mentioned above, usually within 20 working days. There are a number of exceptions to this rule - for example, if the information is likely to prejudice national security - and if this is the case, the public authority must explain why the exception applies.