Polluting the environment doesn't just cost the earth - it can also hit your pocket.

That's something Anglian Water knows to its cost. In February this year it was fined �190,000 after sludge from one of its sewage plants got into a river.

It's one of the largest ever fines against a company.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency - that's the government body which polices the environment in England and Wales.

Its officers roam the country rooting out the polluters.

Don't even ask what's in there!

It's a dirty job. Getting rid of our rubbish is a messy business.

In Swindon alone, up to 500 tonnes of the stuff is produced every day. That's 500 tonnes of plastic bottles, packaging, garden waste, dirty nappies, builders' skips and old furniture.

Most of it ends up in the ground, which sounds simple enough. But it's not.

There are strict environmental laws on how waste must be disposed of, in order to prevent pollution and protect our environment.

Angie Wills makes sure we stick to those rules. She's one of the Environment Agency's protection officers - a green cop.

ANGIE'S CV

AGE: 26 JOB TITLE: Environment Protection Officer EXPERIENCE: Two years QUALIFICATIONS: BSc in Environmental Science and on the job training SALARY: : �14,900 - �16,900 JOB REQUIREMENTS: You must be keen, green - and have a strong stomach!

It's not a job for the faint-hearted. A typical day could involve a visit to a sewage works, an afternoon tracking down fly-tippers or an emergency call-out.

One of her most high profile cases recently was that of an overturned lorry on the M4 motorway which had shed its load of Dulux paint.

Angie was called in to prevent the accident polluting the countryside.

It's the emergency stuff that Angie likes most.

"We respond to pollution incidents which people phone in on our hotline and we go out and we could find anything," says Angie.

Angie likes the emergency side of her work

But emergency call-outs are rare. Angie's bread and butter work is making regular visits to water companies and landfill sites, like the Hills of Swindon landfill.

Twelve years worth of rubbish is buried there on a site the size of six football pitches.

The earth around Swindon has a large clay content. This means the waste is buried in what is basically an underground china pot.

The site may seem huge. But it will be another seven years before it's full.

Fly-tipping

Angie's job is to check that the right rubbish is going into the site, and that the waste is treated properly.

But it's not just the big boys the Environment Agency is after.

Fly-tipping by individuals is a growing problem. And it's the Environment Agency's job to track down the tippers and take them to court.

If Angie gets a tip-off on a fly-tipper, she may stake out a site with hidden cameras to catch the culprit.

Or it may just be a case of going through the rubbish to find a name and address to follow up.

It's not exactly a glamorous job, but without officers like Angie things would be a lot dirtier for the rest of us.

"I know it's not for everyone," she says. "I think it's a job to do if you really believe in it. I've always had a keen interest in the environment so it fits in perfectly for me."

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Student Guide

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Business responsibility means looking after the environment as well as the business's other stakeholders.

Sometimes this is a voluntary activity but the way we treat the resources around us is becoming increasingly regulated.

Governments are trying to meet environmental targets set by the European Union and the United Nations.

The Environment Agency is a government body which is responsible for ensuring that businesses meet these legal requirements in England and Wales.

Healthier

The Agency's goals are a better quality of life and an improved environment for wildlife.

The environmental outcomes the Agency is aiming for are:

cleaner air for everyone

improved and protected inland and coastal waters

restored, protected land with healthier soils.

It is in search of a "greener" business world, with a wiser, sustainable use of natural resources.

Just think...

What effect do you think the work of the Agency has on business?

What areas are covered by regulation?

Stocking water with fish

Fishing

Carrying out works on or next to a watercourse

Navigating on some inland rivers

Carrying out large or technically complicated and potentially polluting processes

Keeping, using or disposing of radioactive materials

Putting effluent into a watercourse or into the ground

Handling, treating or disposing of waste on the land

Taking water from a river, lake or underground source

Storing water from a river or lake

Just think...

Why do you think these things are regulated?

What sort of businesses might be affected by these regulations?

Keeping control

The Environment Agency keeps control by monitoring the environment, issuing licences and monitoring the people who hold them and prosecuting offenders.

Is it the right sort of rubbish?

It tries to help people getting into trouble by giving warnings when things seem to be going wrong.

But if all warnings are ignored, the business or individual will find themselves in court.

Eddie Harris from Portsmouth found himself in trouble when he dumped waste in an alleyway.

He had been paid to remove office waste from a pet shop and dispose of it properly - but he didn't.

Salmon poachers also come within the agency's remit.

Businesses must take care. Accidents can lead to prosecution too.

Taking water without a licence is an offence as well.

There is also a 24-hour hotline which allows people to report pollution, poaching and other environmental incidents.

Just think...

Have a look at the reports of offences that have taken place. What have the offenders done wrong?

Why were their actions wrong?

How have they affected other people?

Have they made things more difficult or more expensive for other people?

Keeping watch on the profit motive

Businesses need to make a profit if they are to survive. Sometimes it can go too far. Polluting the waterways or releasing effluent into the air can be cheaper than installing and maintaining the equipment to prevent it.

The result is that the business saves money but other people have to pay to clear up.

The Environment Agency will have to work to clear up the waterways. It may be too late because the fish are dead and nothing can live in the water for ages.

If the air has been polluted, it may damage people's health as well as costing money.

There are all sorts of ways in which one organisation's carelessness, or even deliberate actions, can hurt others.

The Environment Agency aims to encourage everyone to be good citizens.