§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Upon whom the responsibility lies for the surveillance of humans, domestic and wild animals and the environment following a major spillage of toxic chemicals, and for how long that surveillance is maintained.
Earl FerrersDistrict health authorities are responsible for the monitoring and surveillance of public health in their areas following a major spillage of toxic chemicals. Where necessary, they would seek assistance and advice from specialists on how the surveillance should be conducted and for how long.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have procedures in place to ensure that swift action can be taken to protect the food chain, which is based on a detailed assessment of the risk of exposure and consequences for human and domestic animal health. Where the incident resulted in pollution of the water environment, the National Rivers Authority would monitor the water quality and the effects on aquatic life. In all cases, monitoring would continue until the concentrations of toxic substances had declined to levels not considered to pose an unacceptable risk.