The 1st October saw the end of the National Groundwater and Contaminated Land Centre 
of the Environment Agency but the start of the new Science Group headed up by the Head 
of Science, Prof Mike Depledge. 
 
 
There are 4 Groups working across the whole of the Agency's science agenda. These are: 
 
 
Science Program: Concerned with all cross-cutting management aspects of Agency Science, 
including the development of external partnerships and the dissemination of science; 
 
 
Air, Land and Water: Covering natural processes in catchment systems, including the 
sources, fate and pathways of geochemicals / pollutants and their treatment / remediation; 
 
 
Ecosystems and Human Health: Dealing with the impact of chemicals on receptors, be they 
ecosystems or people, and the interaction of the environment with human health; 
 
 
Technology: Addressing more innovative ways of doing things, including monitoring and 
remote sensing, data mining and information display, and longer term issues (horizon  
scanning). 
 
 
So... where will you find groundwater and contaminated land people in Science now? The 
majority of the former NGWCLC staff reside with the Air, Land and Water (ALW) Group,  
based at Olton Court. ALW forms a grouping that anticipates the sound scientific  
underpinning needed for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), with  
its focus on improved and sustainable aquatic ecosystems through a whole catchment  
management and land use planning approach. 
 
 
Further details can be found at: 
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/s ... 
 
or by contacting Bob Harris (bob.harris@environment-agency.gov.uk) who is the Head of  
Air, Land and Water.