UKTAG REPORT (SR1 – 2006): UK ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS (PHASE 1)
Draft provided to groups and organisations for review and comment, January 2006.
Consultation open until 18 April 2006.
(Posted 28 February 2006)
UKTAG is developing a range of environmental standards and conditions to underpin the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This is the first time that such standards and conditions have been developed on a UK basis.
The review has involved many of the UK’s leading independent experts in ecology, hydrology, geomorphology and chemistry. Monitoring results from across the UK and scientific literature from around the world has informed the process.
The proposals define environmental conditions that would support healthy communities of aquatic plants and animals. They will help focus efforts to protect the water environment. The report covers standards for water quality, and for water flow and water levels. It also proposes a system for assessing the structure and condition of the beds and banks of rivers.
The Report and response forms are available for download from the UKTAG website:
(http://www.wfduk.org/stakeholder_reviews/)
The contextual statement from the UK administrations (Defra, Scottish Government, Department of the Environment Northern Ireland, Welsh Assembly Government) outlines the approach being taken to develop these environmental standards and conditions, and the process for their introduction in the UK.
More details and full text of the statement are available from the Scottish Government website:
(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/17316/esc)
CONSULTATION ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
(Posted 28 February 2006)
Since 1999 water companies have produced water resources plans on a voluntary basis. The Water Act 2003 makes it statutory for water companies to produce these plans. The proposed water resources management plan regulations will specify details about some of the processes involved. They will enable stakeholders to be better informed and contribute to the water resources planning process as well as improve the consistency and transparency of water resources planning. This is a joint Defra/Welsh Assembly Government consultation and both Governments welcome views from all interested parties. The consultation period will run for 12 weeks and will finish on 25 April 2006.
The water resources management plan regulations are planned to be implemented with effect from Autumn 2006, at the same time the duty for water companies to produce plans should commence.
Further information and the consultation document are available from the Defra website:
(http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wrmr/letter.htm)
UKTAG REPORT (SR1 – 2006): UK ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS (PHASE 1)
Draft provided to groups and organisations
for review and comment, January 2006.
Consultation running until 18 April 2006.
(Posted 28 February 2006)
UKTAG is developing a range of environmental standards and conditions to underpin the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This is the first time that such standards and conditions have been developed on a UK basis.
The review has involved many of the UK’s leading independent experts in ecology, hydrology, geomorphology and chemistry. Monitoring results from across the UK and scientific literature from around the world has informed the process. The proposals define environmental conditions that would support healthy communities of aquatic plants and animals. They will help focus efforts to protect the water environment. The report covers standards for water quality, and for water flow and water levels. It also proposes a system for assessing the structure and condition of the beds and banks of rivers.
The Report and response forms are available for download from the UKTAG website:
(http://www.wfduk.org/stakeholder_reviews/)
The contextual statement from the UK administrations (Defra, Scottish Government, Department of the Environment Northern Ireland, Welsh Assembly Government) outlines the approach being taken to development of these environmental standards and conditions, and the process for their introduction here in the UK.
More details and full text of the statement are available from the Scottish Government website:
(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/17316/esc)
CONSULTATION ON WATER
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
(Posted 28 February 2006)
Since 1999 water companies have produced water resources plans on a voluntary basis. The Water Act 2003 makes it statutory for water companies to produce these plans. The proposed water resources management plan regulations will specify details about some of the processes involved. They will enable stakeholders to be better informed and contribute to the water resources planning process as well as improve the consistency and transparency of water resources planning. This is a joint Defra/Welsh Assembly Government consultation and both Governments welcome views from all interested parties.
The consultation period will run for 12 weeks and will finish on 25 April 2006.
The water resources management plan regulations are planned to be implemented with effect from Autumn 2006, at the same time the duty for water companies to produce plans should commence.
Further information and the consultation document are available from the Defra website:
(http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wrmr/letter.htm)
WATER UK’S RESPONSE TO NATIONAL
CLIMATE ADAPTATION FRAMEWORK
(Posted 28 February 2006)
Water UK is the representative body for the regulated water businesses in the UK. In their response Water UK welcomes and supports Defra’s commitment to a national adaptation policy framework, in particular the statement setting out that this policy will ensure that “adaptation to climate change is integrated into the wider policy making progress so that it can be weighed alongside other policy objectives and priorities”. Currently tightening environmental legislation drives the industry to invest in very energy intensive assets and economic regulation looking at short term financial payback. These drivers must be balanced against the demand to reduce energy use to mitigate against the impacts of climate change.
Full text of the response is available on the Water UK website:
(http://www.water.org.uk/home/policy/statements-and-responses)
CATCHMENT SCIENCE CENTRE
INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH EVENT
(Posted 28 February 2006)
A new collaborative research initiative, the Catchment Science Centre (CSC), has been established jointly by The University of Sheffield and the Environment Agency. The CSC conducts novel interdisciplinary science to support the sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems in both rural and urban environments. To celebrate the Launch CSC invited a number of internationally recognised speakers to contribute invited presentations at a seminar on catchment science on 8 February 2006. The seminar was also used to launch the CatSci programme within the CSC. CatSci is a Marie Curie EST research programme to support the training of researchers on catchment science at an early stage of their academic careers. It has funding for 12 research fellows to work and train for 12-36 months in Sheffield and with collaborating partners.
For more details see the Centre’s website:
(http://www.shef.ac.uk/csc/launchevent.html)