Exclusive: Britain is falling behind the bloc on almost every area of green regulation, analysis reveals.

EU rules designed to protect rivers from agricultural pollution are set to come to an end on 1 January 2024. / A Brexit law change is set to worsen the state of Britain’s rivers as the Government ditches old EU rules designed to protect the waterways from agricultural pollution.

Farmers will no longer have to follow EU regulations in areas such as reducing agricultural runoff into rivers.

East Midlands airport has been accused of causing sewage fungus in the River Trent with pollution up to 32 times worse than raw sewage. The Environment Agency is investigating.

The UK's Environment Information Regulations have enabled researchers and campaigners to force water firms to publish data on river pollution, but they may be scrapped as part of the Brexit process.

The Environmental Information Regulation allows the public to demand data from private water companies, but it is at risk of being scrapped by the Government.

Ministers have refused to rule out scrapping EU regulations that protect swimmers and wildlife.

79 organisations have joined together to write an open letter to the Prime Minister urging her to change the Government's trajectory on environmental deregulation, which is set to harm our people, planet and prosperity.

Michael Gove has failed to name a single change from Brexit that has “made business easier”, as criticism of the economic harm from the trade deal grows.

A bill to remove EU-derived laws that include 570 environmental regulations will cause serious ecological harm, charities and MPs have warned.

One of the supposed ‘benefits’ of Brexit was the ‘bonfire of Brussels red-tape‘ which was promised by libertarian Brexiteers. Two weeks into the administration of Liz Truss, the new government announced that they were planning to revoke 570 environmental laws which, in order to continue environmental protections, were rolled over from EU law after Brexit.

Government’s plan to ‘streamline’ environmental regulations could put dormice, porpoises and bats under threat.

Campaigners say revoking of post-Brexit protections amounts to legislative vandalism. / Hundreds of Britain’s environmental laws covering water quality, sewage pollution, clean air, habitat protections and the use of pesticides are lined up for removal from UK law under a government bill.

Zac Goldsmith’s claims that Brexit could help the environment have been utterly demolished this week.

As sewage pours into the sea along England’s south coast, eagle-eyed commentators are flashing back to environment minister Zac Goldsmith that environmental regulations wouldn’t be weakened after Brexit.

Reckless cuts and the impact of Brexit have left rivers dangerously polluted.

Wastewater plants in England offered waiver because of impact of lorry driver crisis.

The supply chain crisis has sparked a relaxation of rules on dumping waste water.

Supply chain disruption leading to fears of water treatment chemical shortage.

Waste water plants have been told they may be allowed to discharge effluent that has not been properly treated due to chemical shortages caused by Brexit and the pandemic.

Our sister publication, Sussex Bylines, has been publishing a series of eye-opening articles – “Toxic Shock“ on the dirty practices of Southern Water. The same appalling abuses and breaches of regulation are occurring right across the country. Readers have been horrified to learn that it is cheaper for these companies to pollute and pay the fines than to address the causes of the problem.

The head of the Environment Agency has called for less rigorous measures to determine water quality in England’s rivers, lakes and beaches after Brexit – a move which would allow the government to classify more waterbodies as being at a high standard.

The head of the Environment Agency has endorsed a proposal to weaken laws on cleanliness of polluted rivers, lakes and coastlines after Brexit.