The tasks of the Inspection are performed by The Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection assisted by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and voivodes supported by Voivodship Inspectors for Environmental Protection as heads of voivodship inspections for environmental protection constituting a part of combined voivodship administration. The main tasks of the Inspection for Environmental Protection include: controlling compliance with environmental protection regulations, examining the state of the environment under the programme of the National Environmental Monitoring and preventing major accidents. These tasks are performed by, among others:

• controlling compliance with environmental protection regulations and sensible use of natural resources;
• controlling compliance with the decisions specifying the conditions of using the environment;
• participating in the proceedings related to the location of investments;
• participating in the commissioning of the facilities that may have a significant impact on the environment and controlling the use of installations protecting the environment against pollution;
• taking decisions suspending the activity violating environmental protection requirements or the conditions for the use of the environment;
• cooperating with other inspecting authorities, prosecution authorities, justice and government administration, the organs of local government and civil defence administration as well as social organizations in the area of environmental protection;
• organizing and coordinating the National Environmental Monitoring, conducting research on environmental quality, observing and assessing the state of the environment and the changes taking place in the environment;
• preparing and implementing analytical and research methods as well as control and measurement methods;
• initiating activities with the purpose to establish the conditions preventing major accidents, helping to eliminate their consequences and restore the environment to its proper condition;
• approving the decision on the development order of investments harmful for the environment and human health.

The Chief Inspector for Environment Protection annually submits to national authorities a report on the activities of the Inspection for Environmental protection in the previous year.