Environmental authorities in England downgraded thousands of water company pollution incidents without even investigating them.
A former Environment Agency employee called attention to the matter and is committed to exposing the disturbing truth.
As The Guardian reported, Robert Forrester is the whistleblower who called out the EA for failing to investigate pollution reports.
According to the freedom of information request data, the EA downgraded approximately 98% of serious pollution incidents by water companies. There was a 1500% increase in pollution incident downgrades in 2021.
Forrester highlighted the fact that water companies financially contribute to the EA's budget. This conflict of interest raises concerns that regulations are loosened for polluting companies due to financial reliance.
A 2017 report on toxic sewage initially remained hidden from public view, even as dangerous pollutants posed risks to human health.
"The results were horrendous," Forrester said about the report, according to The Guardian. "It was like scrapings off a gasworks. It was going to be published in four months' time, but then it never happened, and that set alarm bells ringing. So I spoke to Greenpeace."
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