Part IIA

Contaminated Land

Offences of not complying with a remediation notice.
78M
1
If a person on whom an enforcing authority serves a remediation notice fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with any of the requirements of the notice, he shall be guilty of an offence.
2
Where the remediation notice in question is one which was required by section 78E(3) above to state, in relation to the requirement which has not been complied with, the proportion of the cost involved which the person charged with the offence is liable to bear, it shall be a defence for that person to prove that the only reason why he has not complied with the requirement is that one or more of the other persons who are liable to bear a proportion of that cost refused, or was not able, to comply with the requirement.
3
Except in a case falling within subsection (4) below, a person who commits an offence under subsection (1) above shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and to a further fine of an amount equal to
one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale
one-tenth of the greater of £5,000 or level 4 on the standard scale
for each day on which the failure continues after conviction of the offence and before the enforcing authority has begun to exercise its powers by virtue of section 78N(3)(c) below.
4
A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) above in a case where the contaminated land to which the remediation notice relates is industrial, trade or business premises shall be liable on summary conviction to
a fine not exceeding £20,000 or such greater sum as the Secretary of State may from time to time by order substitute
a fine
and to a further fine of an amount equal to one-tenth of that sum for each day on which the failure continues after conviction of the offence and before the enforcing authority has begun to exercise its powers by virtue of section 78N(3)(c) below.
5
If the enforcing authority is of the opinion that proceedings for an offence under this section would afford an ineffectual remedy against a person who has failed to comply with any of the requirements of a remediation notice which that authority has served on him, that authority may take proceedings in the High Court or, in Scotland, in any court of competent jurisdiction, for the purpose of securing compliance with the remediation notice.
6
In this section, “
industrial, trade or business premises
” means premises used for any industrial, trade or business purposes or premises not so used on which matter is burnt in connection with any industrial, trade or business process, and premises are used for industrial purposes where they are used for the purposes of any treatment or process as well as where they are used for the purpose of manufacturing.
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pt. 2A (ss. 78A-78YC) inserted (in force at 21.9.1995 for certain purposes only, at 1.4.2000 for E. in so far as not already in force, at 14.7.2000 for S. for certain purposes and otherwise 14.7.2000) by 1995 c. 25, s. 57, (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1995/1983, art. 3; S.I. 2000/340, art. 2(a); S.S.I. 2000/180, art. 2(1)(a)(2); S.I. 2000/1986, art. 2
Pt. 2A (ss. 78A-78YC) modified (1.2.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 5(5)(e), (with ss. 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art.2.
Pt. 2A (ss. 78A-78YC) modified (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 33(5)(e), (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art. 3.
Pt. IIA (ss. 78A-78YC) inserted (in force at 21.9.1995 for certain purposes only, at 1.4.2000 for E. in so far as not already in force, at 14.7.2000 for S. for certain purposes and otherwise 14.7.2000) by 1995 c. 25, s. 57 (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1995/1983, art. 3; S.I. 2000/340, art. 2(a); S.S.I. 2000/180, art. 2(1)(a)(2); S.I. 2000/1986, art. 2
Pt. 2A (ss. 78A-78YC) applied (with modifications) (S.) (1.4.2007 for certain purposes, 30.10.2007 otherwise) by The Radioactive Contaminated Land (Scotland) Regulations (S.S.I. 2007/179), regs. 1(1)(2), 2-15 (as amended: (10.12.2007) by S.I. 2007/3240, reg. 3 (with reg. 2); (26.6.2009) by S.S.I. 2009/202, regs. 1, 2; (30.9.2010) by S.I. 2010/2153, regs. 1, 2, 3; (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Nuclear Installations (Liability for Damage) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/562), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 11 (with art. 40); (22.5.2019) by The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/703), reg. 1(1), Sch. 10 para. 8 (with reg. 3))
Words in s. 78M(3) substituted (E.W.) (12.3.2015) by The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Fines on Summary Conviction) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/664), reg. 1(1), Sch. 3 para. 6(3) (with reg. 5(1))
Words in s. 78M(4) substituted (E.W.) (12.3.2015) by The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Fines on Summary Conviction) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/664), reg. 1(1), Sch. 4 para. 22(4) (with reg. 5(1))
Pt. 2A (ss. 78A-78YC) applied (with modifications) (E.) (20.1.2006) by The Radioactive Contaminated Land (Enabling Powers) (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3467), regs. 1(4), 2, 3, Schs. 1, 2 (as amended: (29.9.2010) by S.I. 2010/2147, regs. 1(2), 2(2); (18.4.2018) by S.I. 2018/429, regs. 1(2), 2(4); and (31.12.2020) by The Ionising Radiation (Environmental and Public Protection) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/24), regs. 1(1), 4; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1))
Pt. 2A (ss. 78A-78YC) applied (with modifications) (E.) (4.8.2006) in so far as not already applied by S.I. 2005/3467 by The Radioactive Contaminated Land (Modification of Enactments) (England) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1379), regs. 3-17, Sch. (as amended: (10.11.2007) by S.I. 2007/3245, reg. 3; (6.4.2008) by S.I. 2008/520, regs. 1, 2, 3; (23.8.2010 and 30.9.2010) by S.I. 2010/2147, regs. 1(2), 3, 4; (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Nuclear Installations (Liability for Damage) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/562), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 9 (with art. 40); (22.6.2018) by S.I. 2018/429, regs. 1(3), 3; (22.5.2019) by The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/703), reg. 1(1), Sch. 10 para. 6 (with reg. 3); and (31.12.2020) by The Ionising Radiation (Environmental and Public Protection) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/24), regs. 1(1), 5; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1))
Pt. 2A (ss. 78A-78YC) applied (with modifications) (W.) (16.11.2006 for certain purposes and otherwise 10.12.2006) by The Radioactive Contaminated Land (Modification of Enactments) (Wales) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2988), regs. 1, 3-17, Sch. (as amended: (10.12.2007) by S.I. 2007/3250, reg. 3 (with reg. 2); (6.4.2008) by S.I. 2008/521, regs. 2(3), 3; (30.9.2010) by S.I. 2010/2146, regs. 1, 2, 3; (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Nuclear Installations (Liability for Damage) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/562), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 10 (with art. 40); (4.7.2018) by S.I. 2018/725, regs. 1(2), 3-5; (22.5.2019) by The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/703), reg. 1(1), Sch. 10 para. 7 (with reg. 3); and (31.12.2020) by The Radioactive Contaminated Land (Modification of Enactments) (Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/114), regs. 1, 2; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1))
S. 78M(7) omitted (9.11.2021) by virtue of Environment Act 2021 (c. 30), ss. 63(4), 147(1)(a) (with s. 144)