Monmouthshire MP hails penalties for water company bosses
The Water (Special Measures) Bill, which came into effect last week, introduces the toughest criminal penalties in history for law-breaking water company executives.
From now on, water bosses who cover up illegal sewage spills could face up to two years in prison.
The bill, which Catherine helped to develop and scrutinise in Parliament, also bans bonuses for law-breaking water bosses, imposes severe financial penalties on polluting water companies, and grants new enforcement powers to crack down on persistent polluters.
Ms Fookes said: "From today, persistent water polluters will now face up to two years behind bars, and rightly so.
"For too long, sewage has been endlessly pumped into our rivers with no real consequences.
"That ends now."
The new law delivers on a key promise in the Labour manifesto to tackle water pollution.
Ms Fookes said: "As part of the Parliamentary committee that scrutinised and developed this legislation, I'm proud to have played a part in making this happen.
"This is real, tangible action – not just words – to clean up our rivers."
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