Latest news with #criminalinvestigations
CBS News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado responded to four subpoenas by Department of Homeland Security
Colorado has been subpoenaed nine times by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security this year. The state provided information to DHS for four of those subpoenas - all related to criminal investigations or enforcement, according to Gov. Jared Polis' office. In one of those four instances, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment erroneously provided information. State law restricts local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "We are implementing procedures to ensure that erroneous sharing does not happen in the future, including elevating any potential responses to DHS subpoenas to the Governor's Office for review and approval," the Governor's Office said in a statement. Polis said reducing crime is a top priority of his -- and in releasing the subpoenas, his office is urging the federal government to be more transparent about immigration activities in Colorado. See the federal subpoenas and responses provided by Colorado:
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anglian Water gets £500m boost after criminal investigations
Anglian Water has received a £500m boost from its shareholders just days after it was revealed it is facing a raft of criminal investigations. The company, which operates in the East of England, is owned by the Osprey Consortium which is made up of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Colonial First State and Industry Funds Management. Anglian Water said its backers would inject £500m into the group on a pro-rata basis to their current shareholdings. The announcement comes after the government confirmed earlier this week that Anglian Water and Thames Water together face more than 50 criminal investigations between them as part of a crackdown on sewage dumping. In total, 81 investigations into water companies were launched between last July's general election and March 2025. Anglian Water and Thames Water, two of the country's largest such businesses, face the bulk of the investigations. The record number of spot checks unearthed 'widespread law-breaking', the Environment Agency said, with under-fire Thames Water the subject of 31 of probes. Anglian Water faces 21 probes – the second-highest of England's 10 major water firms – while London-listed Severn Trent and United Utilities together face the third-highest number of investigations with seven. In a statement issued to the London Stock Exchange, the group said: 'Anglian Water is pleased to announce that our shareholders have provided unconditional and legally binding commitments to inject £500m into the Anglian Water Group, pro-rata to their current shareholdings. 'This investment reflects shareholders' continuing confidence in both the business and the strength of our arguments to the CMA, as well as government's recent commitment to address the long-term attractiveness of the sector to investors. 'The shareholder equity commitment forms part of the group's plans which were announced in March 2025 to strengthen the capital structure ahead of anticipated regulatory reforms and reflecting the group's desire to maintain strong investment grade credit ratings.' Anglian Water said £300m is to be provided by early September and will be used to repay a £240m bond which matures in March 2026, as well as repayment of drawn bank revolving credit facilities. The group added that the remaining £200m will be provided by early June 2026, when it will be used to repay £200m of bank loans maturing in the middle of that month. In June last year, City AM reported that price increases helped revenue at Anglian Water increase to £1.6bn as it plans to hand shareholders a payday of almost £90m. For the 12 months to March 31, 2024, the supplier saw its revenue rise from £1.4bn to £1.6bn after introducing an average increase of 10.7 per cent in duel-service bills. Anglian Water, which has over six million customers in the East of England and Hartlepool, also handed its shareholders a dividend totalling £88.6m, up from £79.9m in the prior year. Anglian Water's pre-tax profit was slashed from £358.5m to £133.2m in the year.
Sky News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Politics latest: Government announces crackdown on water companies
The government says it has launched 81 criminal investigations into water companies in England, as the environment secretary threatens this could put bosses behind bars and clean up our coasts. But the Liberal Democrats say efforts to fix the issue are "a job half done".
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Record number of water sector criminal investigations launched as sewage issues rise
The government has launched a record 81 criminal investigations into environmental breaches by water companies, more than double the number since the last general election. This surge in investigations follows a 400 per cent increase in spot checks at water company sites and rivers by the Environment Agency over the past year, demonstrating a renewed focus on tackling the sector's environmental performance. Environment Secretary Steve Reed emphasised the government's commitment to holding water companies accountable, stating that those who break the law "will finally be punished for their disgraceful behaviour." This crackdown comes amid public outcry over the deteriorating state of England's waterways, coupled with concerns about rising water bills, high dividends, and substantial executive compensation packages within the privatised water industry. Thames Water leads the list with 31 open investigations, followed by Anglian Water with 22. These investigations focus on alleged breaches of environmental permits, including the illegal release of excessive pollutants into rivers and failures to conduct proper water quality monitoring. Such breaches constitute criminal offences. While environmental groups welcome the government's increased attention to water pollution, they caution that potential budget cuts to the Environment Agency could hinder its ability to effectively enforce regulations and hold polluters accountable. The Environment Agency says it follows up on every offence it finds, with the most serious cases, such as illegal sewage spills, prompting criminal investigations which could lead to executives being jailed for up to five years and water companies fined hundreds of millions of pounds. Under new laws, water company bosses could also face up to two years in prison for obstructing an investigation. Cabinet minister Mr Reed said: 'Water companies have too often gone unpunished as they pump record levels of sewage into our waterways. No more. 'A record number of criminal investigations have been launched into law-breaking water companies – which could see bosses behind bars. 'With this Government, water companies who break the law will finally be punished for their disgraceful behaviour so we can clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.' Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said: 'This milestone is testament to our determination to hold water companies to account and achieve a cleaner water environment. 'Our message to the industry is clear: we expect full compliance throughout the water system, and we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where we identify serious breaches. 'This is just the beginning – we are on track to deliver 10,000 inspections next year, using our tougher powers gained through the Water (Special Measures) Act alongside more officers and upgraded digital tools to drive better performance across the water sector.' Figures released by the Environment Department (Defra) and Environment Agency show the regulator had launched 81 criminal investigations between July 2024, when the general election was held, and March 2025 – an average of nine a month. That compares with a total of 187 criminal investigations launched in the period from April 2020 to June 2024, an average of 3.6 per month, representing a 145% increase – although the number of investigations has been rising year on year since 2023. The increase in investigations follows a quadrupling in the number of inspections by the regulator in the last financial year, with more funding and extra staff brought in to boost checks under the last government. James Wallace, chief executive of campaign group River Action, said: 'It's good to see the Government finally taking water pollution seriously', but suggested jail time for water bosses remains highly unlikely. He added: 'Criminal investigations are welcome, but regulators need urgent access to courts and, if the upcoming spending review slashes Environment Agency funding, how will it sustain the level of enforcement needed to hold polluters to account — from water companies to factory farms? 'Tough talk needs backing with real resources.' Ali Plummer, director of policy and advocacy at Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition of conservation groups, said: 'While it's positive to see the Government taking such action, the fact that 81 criminal investigations across 11 water and sewerage companies are warranted should set alarm bells ringing in every corner of Government. 'This isn't a case of isolated bad practice — it's evidence of systemic failure. 'For too long, pollution has been treated as a manageable cost rather than a criminal offence. 'What we need now is proper funding for regulators so they can investigate, enforce, and hold powerful polluters to account.' A spokesperson for industry body Water UK said: 'It is right that water companies are investigated and held to account when things go wrong. 'Almost 99% of sewage and water treatment works meet their permits and we are focused on getting to 100%.'
