Freedom of Information Request - Freshwater Pollution notifications from SEPA
Date: 15 July 2025
Our ref: SIR180631/A5251692
Information Request – Freshwater Pollution notifications from SEPA
Your Request
Did NatureScot receive notification from SEPA whenever a pollution incident was recorded, for the period Jan 2020 until June 2025?
Clarification Received:
Re, “whenever a pollution incident was recorded”, to confirm I'm seeking information in relation to incidents that may have had a pollution impact on waterways, such as rivers, burns or lochs.
Our Response
We have carried out detailed searches across our information management systems using several search parameters to try to find the information that you have requested. The searches returned a very large number of results:
- Over 200 potentially relevant cases logged on our Casework Management System
- Over 10,000 potentially relevant documents stored in our electronic Records and Document Management System (eRDMS)
It is likely that some documents will be duplicated, and not all of them will be relevant, but it would take several staff throughout NatureScot a considerable amount of staff time to review all the documents within the searches in order to identify which ones match the terms of your request.
Whilst we always try to provide requestors with the information requested, in this case it would place a considerable burden on our staff, and it would be too much work for us to be able to deal with. It would not be in the public interest for NatureScot to divert such a significant amount of staff time to this work and possibly impede our ability to carry out other statutory duties.
We have therefore applied EIRs Regulation 10(4)(b) which permits authorities not to comply with a request if it is too big and burdensome for them to deal with.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
