The Environmental Protection Team of the Council has a wide remit in protecting and enhancing the conditions for the residents of East Lothian and of the environment of East Lothian and beyond.

A wide range of complaints are handled including issues such as noise, dust , odour, smoke, drainage ,abandoned vehicles , refuse dumping, pests and vermin and housing disrepair. Monitoring is undertaken for air quality, radiation and contaminated land and problems encountered are tackled to obtain improvements.

The licensing of shared accommodation called Houses in Multiple Occupation is another important area of work as the licensing system tries to ensure a safe and satisfactory standard of housing for tenants. In order to provide a coordinated service the team works closely with other departments of the Council such as Food & Safety , Trading Standards and Planning and with outside agencies such as the Police, Fire Authority and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)