The Environment Agency
- 30-May-2007 - The Environment Agency couldn't
and wouldn't try to stop the British public
from eating meat. On World Environment Day,
June 5, we aim to educate the public on
the range of possible things they can do
to help tackle climate change.
These include actions such as walking instead
of driving, turning off appliances left
on stand-by and using energy efficient light
bulbs. But there are many more things that
members of the public are doing.
Promoting the potential benefits of a vegan
diet in tackling climate change was a suggestion
offered by a member of the public. The Environment
Agency believes this is a matter of personal
choice, but it would be wrong of us to dismiss
the already very public research showing
the benefits that reducing the consumption
of animal protein, and therefore methane
emissions from farm animals, can have on
tackling emissions.
We encourage all people this World Environment
Day to go to our national survey on www.mendoftheworld.org
to tell us what they are doing to tackle
climate change.
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Environment Agency hatches plan for charr
survival at Kielder
Francesca Glyn-Jones - 30-May-2007 - Staff
at the Environment Agency in the North East
have successfully reared 15,000 rare fish
at their hatchery in Kielder.
The fish are Ennerdale Arctic Charr which
are unique to Ennerdale Water in the Lake
District and have existed since the Ice
Age.
However, over recent years the numbers
of Ennerdale charr have declined dramatically
and now there are only believed to be a
few hundred left, so staff at Kielder Hatchery
worked with their Environment Agency colleagues
in the North West to help save the lake’s
species.
Hatchery officer Richard Bond said: "Ennerdale
charr have developed different characteristics
to other charr which is why it is so important
that they survive. Eggs were taken from
adult charr in the lake and brought to the
hatchery where they were fertilised and
incubated.
"We have now got around 15,000 fish
which are ready to go back to Ennerdale
and these will hopefully breed and boost
the population."
Kielder staff had to keep the water in
the breeding tanks below 6C to help the
eggs to hatch, which took more than two
months.
North West fisheries officer Suzi Hawkins
said: "It is likely that Ennerdale's
charr are genetically different because
they have long been an isolated population
with no other charr able to reach the lakes
from cold northern seas to breed. They are
also the only charr population in England
which spawn exclusively in the burns that
feed the lake.
"Thanks to the dedication of the staff
at the Kielder hatchery, the charr have
been given the best possible chance of survival
when they are returned to the lake in June."
The Kielder hatchery was built 28 years
ago to breed salmon for the River Tyne.
They now breed around 700,000 salmon a year
and 160,000 of these are released into the
River Trent in the Midlands every autumn
as part of a salmon restoration programme.
The Kielder team has also been trying to
breed freshwater pearl mussels, which have
difficulty breeding in the wild due to pollution
and loss of habitat.
One of the species’ last remaining strongholds
is in the north of England, and staff have
been trying different techniques to encourage
them to reproduce at the hatchery.
Visitors to Kielder will soon be able to
discover more about work at the hatchery
thanks to a refurbishment of its visitor
centre which is due to be opened next year.
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Environment Agency factsheet for landfill
operators on forthcoming changes under Landfill
Directive
Head Office Press Office - 30-May-2007
- Environment Agency factsheet for landfill
operators
on forthcoming changes under Landfill Directive
The Environment Agency has published a
factsheet to help landfill operators understand
their role when changes to landfill regulations
which come into play later this year.
Liz Parkes, Head of Waste at the Environment
Agency, said: "From 30th October 2007,
new rules mean waste must be treated before
it is disposed of at a landfill site. At
the same time, liquid waste will be banned
from any landfill.
"For landfill operators this means
you will have to the procedures in place,
advise your customers of these changes and
consider whether you will be able to provide
a treatment service for them."
To help explain what needs to be done,
the Environment Agency has been working
with members of the waste management industry
to produce a factsheet for landfill operators
detailing the changes.
Liz Parkes added: "There are many
easy ways to treat waste and deliver real
environmental improvements. Much of the
waste we send to landfill is already treated,
however for some wastes more effort is needed.
Treatment can simply be separating the waste
on site, and recycling one or more of the
separated components."
As a landfill operator you should:
Consider extending your waste management
services by becoming involved in sorting/screening
waste for recycling, or composting waste.
Consider publicising the requirements by
handing or mailing a leaflet to your customers.
If you will not be offering waste treatment
services to your customers, can you suggest
where they might get this service?
Decide how you will check whether waste
has been treated. This can include an initial
discussion with the waste producer or contractor
about the nature of the waste, checking
the paperwork with the load and visually
inspecting it.
Liz Parkes added: "We know it can
sometimes be difficult to determine whether
waste has been treated. This makes it good
practice to get written confirmation that
the waste has been treated either as part
of the Duty of Care transfer note or a written
declaration.
"Our guidance, Treatment of non hazardous
waste for landfill, provides an example
form that your customers can use to declare
what treatment has taken place. It is also
good practice to keep a record of this declaration."
Two further factsheets on dealing with
municipal solid waste (MSW) and inert waste
will be published in the coming weeks. See
link oppostite for all the new factsheets
available to download or by calling 08708
506 506.
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Environment Agency serves warning to fly-tippers
Francesca Glyn-Jones - 30-May-2007 - The
Environment Agency will give a clear warning
that fly-tipping will not be tolerated this
week when it crushes a truck, seized as
part of a targeted campaign to crack down
on illegal waste carriers.
The pick-up truck will be destroyed at
1pm this Friday at Backworth Metal &
Auto Dismantlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
A Northumberland man was ordered to forfeit
the truck earlier this year, after pleading
guilty to dumping waste in a lay-by. He
was not registered as a waste carrier and
did not hold a waste management licence.
This investigation was part of a fly-tipping
project in Northumberland and Tees Valley,
urging people to find a legitimate waste
collection business to dispose of their
waste by logging on to www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publicregisters
The aim of the campaign is to stamp out
criminals posing as legitimate waste collection
businesses, and to encourage people to use
waste carriers that are registered with
the Environment Agency.
Environment Agency project manager Gerald
Lee said: "This is a clear and simple
message to those that are flouting the law
at the expense of legitimate businesses.
Don’t do it, because if you do, and get
caught the penalties could be high resulting
in a fine and the loss of your vehicle".
The days of using a man with a van to remove
your waste are over, unless the man with
a van is authorised to transport waste by
the Environment Agency.
Gerald said: "We are urging people
to steer clear of the rogue traders, and
to use the public register on our website
to find a legitimate company who will dispose
of their waste properly – not land them
in court."
The Environment Agency also recommends
that you record the vehicle registration,
name and telephone number of the person
who removes any waste from your property
or businesses. Alternatively people can
ask to see a copy of the firm’s waste carriers
certificate and keep a copy of the waste
transfer note.
