Accessing environmental information

Environmental Information Regulations

This legislation gives members of the public the right to request environmental information from public bodies. These include central government, local authorities and other organisations such as water and waste authorities.

What is environmental information

Environmental information includes information about air, water, soil, land, plants and animals, energy, noise, waste and emissions. It also includes information about decisions, policies or activities that could affect these aspects of the environment.

How can you access the information?

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) takes the lead in advising on and implementing, the Government's environmental policy and strategy in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Environmental Statistics Report January 2009 contains useful environmental information including details on Northern Ireland's population and air, climate, water and soil quality
more environmental information can be accessed from Northern Ireland government department websites
public authorities have a duty to provide this information electronically, so you should check the website of the relevant department
if you can't find the information you are looking for, you can request it from the relevant department
environmental information is often provided free-of-charge, but a charge can sometimes be made

Can a request for information be refused?

There are a number of exceptions in the legislation that allow a public authority to refuse to disclose the information. These would be relevant in such cases where to release the information would damage: