The Agency pointed to many of the watchdog’s findings being based on “historical data” rather than current actions.
The OEP report, published yesterday (14 May 2026), identified “significant weaknesses” in the effectiveness, consistency and oversight of inspections at waste operations and installations in England between 2018 and 2022.
Among its findings, the OEP said around one third of inspections reviewed failed to follow guidance, while 42% of inspections during the period were conducted remotely.
It also questioned the reliability of the EA’s long-standing KPI that 97% of regulated waste sites are compliant.
However, the EA said the inspection regime had changed substantially since the period assessed by the OEP.
An EA spokesperson said: “This report is based on historic data, and the stronger oversight and clearer outcomes that the OEP is calling for are not future ambitions – we have already put them in place.
“We are cracking down on persistent poor performers by being more consistent through stronger enforcement, utilising data and intelligence to spot non-compliance earlier, and targeting our officers to where they are needed most.
“We will consider the OEP’s recommendations to support our future regulatory improvements, which includes focusing inspections at the highest risk sites.”
EA inspection reforms since 2022
The agency has pointed to a series of reforms had already been introduced under its Chief Regulator, Jo Nettleton, who was appointed in 2024.
According to the EA, its wider programme of regulatory reform is intended to make environmental regulation “clearer, faster and more consistent” through stronger compliance activity, smarter enforcement and greater use of digital systems, data and AI.
Several changes have been introduced since 2022, including the publication of Waste and Installations Compliance Assessment Reports (CAR forms) on the online public register from August 2025.
New training and assurance processes had been introduced to improve inspection consistency, transparency and accuracy.
The regulator also pointed to the development of a new Regulatory Compliance Service, which it said would make it easier for officers to record, track and follow up non-compliance issues identified during inspections.
Intelligence-led regulation
The OEP’s analysis also focused heavily on remote inspections, noting that 42% of inspections between 2018 and 2022 were carried out off-site and questioning whether there was a clear strategy governing their use.
The EA said the figures no longer reflected current practice.
According to the regulator, in 2025 officers carried out 7,283 waste site inspections, of which 245 – around 3% – were remote inspections.
The agency added that remote assessments are now only used “where appropriate” and follow risk-based guidance introduced in December 2022, after the period assessed by the OEP.
“Data driven intelligence” and early-warning reviews are also being used to identify non-compliance earlier and target resources towards higher-risk operators and sites.
The agency recently launched a new 10 Point Plan aimed at strengthening prevention, improving detection and increasing enforcement activity against waste criminals.
