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Environment Agency Wales, (Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd Cymru in Welsh) is a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, while also being part of the Environment Agency for England and Wales.

Its principle aims are to protect and improve the environment in Wales and to promote sustainable development.

Role and responsibilities
Environment Agency Wales' role includes: reducing industry’s impacts on the environment, enforcing pollution legislation and reducing the harm caused by flooding and pollution incidents. It also oversees the management of waste, water resources and freshwater fisheries; cleaning up rivers, coastal waters and contaminated land and improving wildlife habitats.

By influencing others to change attitudes and behaviour, it aims to make the environment cleaner and healthier for people and and wildlife.

Act to reduce climate change and its consequences
Environment Agency Wales manages the risk of flooding from rivers and the sea in Wales. To do this, Environment Agency Wales builds, maintains and operates flood defences to protect people and property. It also issues flood warnings and works with communities at risk of flooding to help them find appropriate solutions to flood risk through its Flood Awareness Wales programme. When a flood happens, Environment Agency Wales works with the emergency services and local authorities to minimise the harm to people and damage to property.

Protect and improve water, land and air
Environment Agency Wales is responsible for ensuring that environmental legislation is implemented properly on behalf of the Welsh and UK governments. This includes regulating businesses such as power stations, chemical factories, metal processors, waste management sites, construction industry, food and drink manufacturers, farms and the water industry – to make sure that their work does not damage the environment. Where people and businesses need to take water for drinking, industry and irrigation, Environment Agency Wales ensures that they do so without damaging the environment. To do this, Environment Agency Wales gives advice and issues permits, authorisations and consents to businesses that comply with legislative requirements. When pollution occurs, Environment Agency Wales works to minimise any environmental damage, identifies the source and stops any further pollution. If businesses fail to comply with their permits, and pollution occurs, Environment Agency Wales takes enforcement action against them, including possible prosecution. Environment Agency Wales also leads on dealing with serious waste crime which is often organised, large-scale and profitable. Priority waste crime types include large-scale illegal dumping, illegal waste sites and illegal exports of waste. It also deals with high risk activities such as illegal disposal of wastes, where there is an actual or imminent threat of significant flooding or pollution.

Work with people and communities to create better places
Environment Agency Wales creates and improves habitats for fish and other water-based wildlife such as salmon and helps species that are at risk, such as the freshwater pearl mussel. It also manages licences for fishing and and navigation, so that people in Wales – and people visiting Wales – can enjoy the water environment.

Work with businesses and other organisations to use resources wisely
Environment Agency Wales licenses water abstractions from groundwater, rivers and lakes to ensure that the needs of people and business are met whilst protecting the environment and wildlife. It also regulates waste management facilities, such as landfill sites or large composting facilities, to ensure that they do not cause environmental damage and monitors the Landfill Allowances Scheme to track how waste is managed in Wales. As a Welsh Government Public body, Environment Agency Wales must provide its services in Welsh as well as English in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993.

Accreditation

 * Stonewall Cymru, for the fourth year running, named Environment Agency Wales as the best place to work in Wales for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in 2012.


 * Environment Agency Wales is accredited to both the ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental management standard.

Structure
Environment Agency Wales has three operational areas, South East Wales, South West Wales and North Wales. Its other departments are Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Corporate Services, Human Resources, Finance and the policy department known as Strategic Unit Wales. All departments report to the Director of Environment Agency Wales, Chris Mills.

Senior Management structure

 * Chris Mills - Director, Environment Agency Wales
 * Steve Brown - Area Manager, South West Wales
 * Ceri Davies - Strategic Unit Manager
 * David Edwell - Area Manager, North Wales
 * Gareth O’Shea - Area Manager, South East Wales
 * Andrew Jervis - Finance Manager (Acting)
 * Helen Davies - Human Resources Manager (Acting)
 * Graham Hillier - Flood & Coastal Risk Management Manager
 * Joanne Sherwood - Corporate Services Manager

Committees
Environment Agency Wales has three statutory committees, each with their own responsibility and each contributing towards making Wales a better place for people and wildlife.

The committees were set up by Parliament under the Environment Act 1995. The committees are made up of external members who have been elected to stand on the committee because they have the relevant expertise.

Environment Protection Advisory Committee Wales (EPAC)
EPAC advises Environment Agency Wales on issues of environmental protection, pollution control, water resources, air quality and waste regulation.

Chairman: Prof Tom Pritchard

Flood Risk Management Wales Committee (FRMW)
FRMW advises Environment Agency Wales on flood risk management and coastal erosion.

Chairman: Deep Sagar

Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committee FERAC)
FERAC advises Environment Agency Wales on maintaining, improving and developing fisheries as well as recreation, navigation and conservations issues.

Chairman: Dr Graeme Harris

Future of Environment Agency Wales
The Welsh Government is currently creating a single body to deliver environmental priorities for Wales. This will be created from the functions of Environment Agency Wales, Countryside Council for Wales and Forestry Commission Wales to deliver the Living Wales Framework from April 2013 onwards.