Companies who pollute the environment can be hit with unlimited fines from the Environment Agency from today (Monday, December 11).

The previous £250,000 cap on variable monetary penalties (VMPs) has now been scrapped and the range of offences they cover has been expanded.

This means that the Environment Agency has more tools with which to hold the water industry and others to account, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

The range of offences that can be punished with a VMP now include:

Breach of permit conditions from sites that discharge into rivers and seas - for example from sewage treatment works and permitted storm overflows;
Illegal discharges to water where there is no permit, such as in the event of agricultural pollution from slurry stores;
Illegal waste offences, such as from illegal scrapyards or unpermitted waste management facilities;
Permit breaches from manufacturing industries and power stations which contribute to air pollution.

Environment secretary, Steve Barclay said: "Polluters should be in no doubt that if they harm our precious habitats and waterways they will pay.

"By lifting the cap on these sanctions, we are simultaneously toughening our enforcement tools and expanding where regulators can use them. These changes will deliver a proportionate punishment for operators that breach their permits and cause pollution.

"This is part of the increased investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement we are delivering through our Plan for Water."

Environment Agency Executive Director John Leyland said the new powers will allow the Environment Agency to deliver more penalties and continue to hold polluters, including water companies, to account.

"The threat of uncapped financial penalties should boost compliance with environmental laws – helping us provide stronger protection to the environment, communities and nature," he said.