The main aims of the Environment Agency are protecting and improving the environment and promoting sustainable development. It plays a central role in protecting the public through managing environmental risks such as pollution and flooding. It carries out research on tackling environmental issues and reviews reports from the public about potential environmental issues and decides whether they need action. This enables local environmental problems to be managed or solved, and those who pollute the environment to be prosecuted. The Environment Agency was established by the Environment Act 1995 and is staffed by public servants. It has a wide range of different statutory duties and functions, including regulating major industry, ensuring water quality, carrying out prosecutions for environmental offences, and conservation. Its parent department is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its chair and chief executive report directly to the Defra Secretary of State.
