National
Press Office - 9-Jul-2008 - ‘Cleaner Air
for Everyone’ will be at the top of the
agenda as the Environment Agency Board meets
this Thursday 10 July 2008 to discuss progress
and plans in improving air quality from
sources it regulates.
The Environment Agency,
along with local authorities, plays a key
role in delivering improvements in air quality
as highlighted in the Government’s 2007
Air Quality Strategy. The strategy sets
out air quality standards and objectives
for priority pollutants and proposed Government
measures to improve air quality.
Ted Cantle, Deputy Chairman
of the Environment Agency, said: “We are
responsible for regulating air pollution
from around 2,000 industrial sites, 1,000
farms and 450 landfill sites. These sites
can have a major impact on air quality and
so our work regulating these facilities
plays an important role in reducing air
pollution.
“Emissions from Environment
Agency regulated sites are down by up to
60% since 2000, with significant reductions
in emissions in all of the eight priority
pollutants we regulate. This improvement
in air quality has resulted in an estimated
£1.1bn of health benefits, highlighting
the importance of our work in regulating
emissions.”
Ted Cantle continued:
“However, traffic pollution remains a real
challenge for local authorities as they
are responsible for tackling this and we
will be liaising with them to see what more
can be done. Of the 225 local authorities
in the UK who have declared Air Quality
Management Areas (AQMA), those being areas
of poor air quality, around 95% of these
are in relation to transport emissions.
“Only 13 AQMA are in
relation to emissions from sites the Environment
Agency regulates and we have action plans
in place to tackle these problem areas.
We are also putting in to action plans for
further a reduction of the emissions by
2010 – in some cases a cut of up to 40%.
“We are focussing our
efforts on the sources of pollutants which
have the greatest impact on health and the
environment – oxides of nitrogen; particulate
matter; and sulphur dioxide – ensuring cleaner
air for everyone.”
The Environment Agency
Board meets on Thursday, 10 July, 2008,
from 10am to 1pm at North Lakes Hotel, Ullswater
Road, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 8QT. The agenda
can be discussed with Environment Agency
Deputy Chairman Ted Cantle and board members
during lunch from 1pm – 1.45pm.
The agenda and board
papers can be found at the link on the left.
+ More
The Environment Agency
runs through Bedford River Festival
Catherine Burbage -
7-Jul-2008 - The Environment Agency joins
other exhibitors this weekend, July 12th
and 13th, by inviting you to come along
and enjoy all the fun at this weekend’s
Bedford River Festival. The Agency spends
lots of time and money dealing with things
connected to the river, such as recreation,
conservation and flooding.
Ever fancied boating
on the river? The Waterways team from the
Environment Agency will be there to tell
you how to get started. The River Great
Ouse is just one of the rivers whose navigation
is managed by the Environment Agency. Find
out more about navigation by visiting the
Waterways team on Stand MM17 in Mill Meadows.
The Environment Agency
is also a supporter of the Bedford River
Valley Park – an ambitious project to create
a 'Park for People and Wildlife'. The Environment
Agency’s Fisheries team would like to see
a centre of excellence for angling as part
of the project. They will have a stand alongside
Waterways with a display fish and information
on the joys of angling – you’re never too
young or too old to get hooked!
The Environment Agency’s
Flood Incident Management Team will also
be attending the River Festival in partnership
with the Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience
Forum (BLLRF). As part of BLLRF, the Environment
Agency works with local authorities, ‘blue
light’ services and other organisations
to increase community preparedness for emergency
situations, one of which is the risk of
flooding. Visit the Environment Agency’s
Floodline Trailer at MM20 in Mill Meadows
to find out more about BLLRF.
