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Archive News from the UK
NEWS FROM THE UK
NFU WARNINGS OVER NEW FLOODS ACT
(Posted 14 May 2010)
The new Flood and Water Management Act fails to recognise the need to produce food in England and Wales and could raise costs for those with on-farm reservoirs, the NFU has warned. The NFU has raised concerns that the desire for environmental enhancement could take precedent over domestic food production, a situation potentially worsened because the Environmental Agency has legislative powers to take environmental action irrespective of the scale and impact on farming business.
Full text of the news release is available on the NFU website:
(http://www.nfuonline.com/News/NFU-warnings-over-new-floods-Act/)
SCOTLAND GETS MARINE ACT
(Posted 14 May 2010)
On 10 March 2010, Scotland’s Marine Bill received Royal Assent, making it the Marine (Scotland) Act. The Act provides a framework, which will help balance competing demands on Scotland’s seas. It introduces a duty to protect and enhance the marine environment and includes measures to help boost economic investment and growth in areas such as marine renewables. The main measures cover marine planning, marine licensing, marine conservation, seal conservation and enforcement.
For further details and to download the Act visit the Scottish Government website:
(http://scottish-schools.gov.uk/Topics/marine/seamanagement/marineact)
WATER RESOURCES STRATEGY - WATER FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Environment Agency Action Plan
(Posted 14 May 2010)
In March, the Environment Agency published plans to help secure future water supplies and a healthy water environment in England and Wales. The new water resources strategies, one for England and Wales and one for Wales only, set out how water resources should be managed over the coming decades so that water can be abstracted and used sustainably. Implementing these will help to ensure there will be enough water for people and the environment now and in the future. The strategies include a series of actions that the Agency believe need to be taken to deliver a secure water supply and safeguard the environment. The measures include a review of the structure of the water industry and actions to reduce water consumption to help lower the country’s carbon emissions. This replaces the strategy the Agency produced in 2001 ‘Water resources for the future: A strategy for England and Wales’
You can access the Strategy documents, Action Plans and supporting documentation at the Environment Agency website:
(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/publications/40731.aspx)
THE FLOOD AND WATER MANAGEMENT ACT
(Posted 14 May 2010)
The Flood and Water Management Bill responded to recent pressure to introduce legislation to address the threat of flooding and water scarcity, both of which are predicted to increase with climate change. The Bill was introduced into Parliament on the 19 November 2009, completed its progress through the House of Commons on the 2 February and was introduced into the House of Lords on the 3 February. Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the Bill it received Royal Assent on 8 April. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law).
For more details on the Act visit the Parliament website:
(http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2009-10/floodandwatermanagement.html)
FISH LEGAL AND ANGLING TRUST APPALLED BY SUCCESSFUL APPEAL BY WATER COMPANIES TO AVOID PROPER REGULATION OF SEWAGE DISCHARGES
(Posted 14 May 2010)
Fish Legal, the legal arm of the Angling Trust, has reacted with dismay to the news that six water companies have won their appeal against the decision of Environment Agency (EA) to provide proper regulation for the thousands of unregulated Combined Sewage Overflows (CSOs) in England and Wales.
Full text of the news release is available on the Angling Trust website:
(http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?section=29&itemid=528)
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING REGULATIONS 2010 AND GUIDANCE
EP Regulations 2010 (SI no 675) approved
(Posted 14 May 2010)
The EP Regulations 2010, made on 11 March 2010 after they were approved by the Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales, came into force this April. The EP Regulations 2010 provide industry, regulators and others with a single extended permitting and compliance system and includes those systems for discharge consenting, groundwater authorisations and radioactive substances regulation.
In March 2010 Defra also published a Guidance for EP Regulations 2010, a summary of responses for related consultation, Exempt Waste Operations Guidance, Mining Waste Directive Guidance for EP Regulations 2010 and a revised EP
For more details visit the Defra website:
(http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/policy/permits/guidance.htm)
LEGAL BATTLE LAUNCHED TO REMEDY ISSUES OVER OUR RIVERS
(Posted 14 May 2010)
On 17 March 2010 the Angling Trust and WWF launched a legal challenge aimed at improving the River Basin Management Plans in England and Wales. WWF and the Angling Trust have had meetings with Defra and the Environment Agency but could not resolve their differences. The Angling Trust and WWF have now lodged documents at the High Court in process of applying for a judicial review of the government’s plans. If the challenge is successful, and the plans are found to contravene the law, the government could have to produce supplementary plans.
Full text of the news release is available on the WWF website:
(http://www.wwf.org.uk/news_feed.cfm?3774/Legal-battle-to-protect-our-rivers)
PROPOSAL TO DESIGNATE LOWER LEE AS WATER PROTECTION ZONE (WPZ)
Blueprint for Water response to Environment Agency proposals
(Posted 14 May 2010)
In February the Environment Agency (EA) invited views from the Blueprint for Water coalition on their proposals to designate the Lower Lee river environment as a Water Protection Zone (WPZ). Link has now responded to the EA, outlining their concerns with the proposals. Whilst Link does remain supportive of the use of WPZs, they question whether the Lower Lee region is the right place to designate one of the seven pilot WPZ projects.
The response letter is available for download at the LINK website:
(http://www.wcl.org.uk/blueprintforwater.asp)
DIFFUSE POLLUTION PRIORITY CATCHMENTS IN SCOTLAND
(Posted 14 May 2010)
Diffuse pollution priority catchments have been identified by SEPA as catchments failing to meet environmental standards. A new programme of rural diffuse pollution work has started in March 2010 to help deliver the objectives outlined in the recently published River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) for the Scotland and Solway-Tweed river basin districts. Fourteen priority catchments have been selected using a risk-based approach for action in the first basin planning cycle. SEPA has appointed dedicated priority catchment coordinators to investigate the issues each catchment faces and liaise with local land managers to implement the measures.
For further details visit the SEPA website:
(http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning/dp_priority_catchments.aspx)
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