UK firms warned of Y2K eco-nightmare

The UK Environment Agency has warned of a possible environmental disaster if firms do not increase their efforts to beat the millennium bug.

The amount of waste released into rivers or the air is strictly controlled by computer systems. However, an Environment Agency survey of 400 companies found that 69 per cent of companies were rated as 'poorly prepared' for Y2K.

While 76 per cent have carried out checks of environmentally critical systems, only 57 per cent have performed risk assessments of affected systems.

Manufacturing and agricultural industries fared the worst, while the chemical and utilities industries were ranked as the best prepared.

Dr Paul Lenister, director of environmental protection at the Environment Agency, said there is a high level of awareness, but efforts to address the issue are either insufficient or running behind schedule.

Lenister warned that the agency will not accept millennium bug failures as a defence when considering prosecution in the event of an environmental disaster.