Good results from SEPA
show that Scotland’s environment is protected and
improving
EXT01 – A11
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s
(SEPA) Annual Report for 2009/10 is now available.
Major environmental developments during the year included
‘Operation Aspen’, a notable SEPA success in enforcing
environmental legislation. This led to a significant reduction in
the illegal dumping of tyres in Glasgow and Lanarkshire. Flooding
was also a major area of work for SEPA with the launch of the Flood
Risk management (Scotland) Act 2009 and a new early warning flood
system for the North East.
Overall, the Agency achieved 18 of its 20 key operating targets
for the year against a background of shifting environmental demands
and increasing financial pressures.
SEPA’s Chief Executive, Campbell Gemmell, said:
“I am very pleased to be able to report a
successful year for SEPA and I would like to thank all our staff
for their excellent work in very challenging circumstances. Meeting
so many of our key targets was a particularly notable achievement
in a year in which we also delivered major organisational changes,
including new ways of approaching our scientific work and
developing our ‘better regulation’ programme*. As part of our
Annual Operating Plan process and commitments we also succeeded in
reducing our staff complement by around 7% and our costs by about
10%, to balance the year’s budget.
“The public sector continues to change, budgets will continue to
shrink and we will continue to rise to those challenges in 2010-11
and beyond. However, environmental imperatives remain at the heart
of what we do. As Scotland’s environmental watchdog our job is to
help provide Scotland with the high quality environment it wants
and needs. We will continue to play our part in delivering a
prosperous and sustainable future for Scotland, working more
co-operatively with our customers and partners to promote good
environmental practice.”
For the first time, SEPA’s Annual Report will
be available to access this year through its own website and can be
found at www.sepa.org.uk/sepaperforms
Ends
Notes to editors:
· *SEPA’s ‘better regulation’ programme is shaping a new
approach to environmental regulation, with the aim of simplifying
processes, reducing bureaucracy and encouraging good environmental
practice. At the same time it will enable SEPA to take stronger
enforcement action against poor performers and illegal operators,
backed up by heavier penalties for environmental crime.
· Overall, SEPA achieved 18 of its 20 key operating
targets. The two remaining targets were either superseded or
re-prioritised as a result of changes implemented within the
organisation
· Full details of SEPA’s performance in2009-10 can be found on
its Annual report website at www.sepa.org.uk/sepaperforms