Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) requests

The deadline for us to respond is 20 working days. We may need to charge a fee to cover costs of printing, photocopying and postage. We will let you know if a fee applies to your request. For any queries about making requests, contact the Information Management Team using the details below.

Environmental Information Regulations (EIR)

The Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) allow members of the public to request environmental information from us. EIR will be anything in these categories: 

• The state of the elements of the environment, such as air, water, soil, land, fauna (including human beings).
• Emissions and discharges, noise, energy, radiation, waste and other such substances.
• Measures and activities such as policies, plans, and agreements affecting or likely to affect the state of the elements of the environment.
• Reports, cost-benefit and economic analyses.
• The state of human health and safety, contamination of the food chain.
• Cultural sites and built structures (to the extent that they may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment).

We may charge a reasonable amount for some requests. Check our EIR charging guidance (PDF, 291 KB) for more information.

The request process

Once you have sent us your request, we will:

• acknowledge receipt of your request with a confirmation page (please note, you will not receive an auto-acknowledgement email) 
• respond to your request within 20 working days from the date of receipt
• provide you with advice and assistance in relation to your request
• keep you informed of the progress of your request
• tell you if a fee is applicable to your request.

We must supply the information in 20 working days, unless:

• we need more information from you to find what you have asked for
• we apply an exemption to withhold information
• a time extension is necessary
• you have not paid the requested fee