From today (30 November
2010) North West residents can benefits
from new online flood forecasts and clearer
warnings are part of improvements to the
Environment Agency’s
flood warning service.
From today (30 November
2010) North West residents can benefits
from new online flood forecasts and clearer
warnings are part of improvements to the
Environment Agency’s flood warning service.
The Environment Agency
will now provide a daily, three day flood
forecast for England and Wales on its website
of flood risk from rivers, the sea and the
potential for surface water flooding from
intense rainfall.
Warnings issued to homes
and businesses by phone and text message
will now include more localised information
about potential flood risk from rivers and
the sea, with clearer advice on actions
to take to help safeguard lives and property.
The new flood warning symbols and what they
mean are:
Flood alert, meaning
Flooding is possible. Be prepared. Residents
and businesses are advised to be prepared
to act on your flood plan. Prepare a flood
kit of essential items. Monitor local water
levels and the flood forecast on our website.
Flood warning, meaning
flooding is expected. Immediate action required.
Residents and businesses are advised to
move family, pets and valuables to a safe
place. Turn off gas, electricity and water
supplies if safe to do so. Put flood protection
equipment in place.
Severe flood warning,
meaning severe flooding. Danger to life.
It will be used when flooding poses a significant
threat to life. Residents and businesses
are advised to stay in a safe place with
a means of escape. Be ready should you need
to evacuate from your home. Co-operate with
the emergency services. Call 999 if you
are in immediate danger.
Warnings no longer in
force (no symbol), meaning no further flooding
is currently expected in your area. It will
be used when river(s) or sea conditions
begin to return to normal. Residents and
businesses are advised to be careful. Flood
water may still be around for several days.
If you've been flooded, ring your insurance
company as soon as possible.
Householders and businesses
can also monitor rising water levels all
year round at over 160 river and coastal
locations across the North West at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/riverlevels
Over five million people
in England and Wales are at risk from flooding
from rivers and the sea. Those in flood
risk areas are encouraged to sign up to
the Environment Agency’s free flood warning
system – the most immediate and localised
source of information on flooding – by calling
0845 988 1188 or visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodnorthwest
The changes made today follow recommendations
made by the Pitt Review into the floods
of summer 2007.
Pete Fox, North West
Flood and Coastal Risk Manager, said: “Just
over 400,000 people in the North West live
and work in properties that are at risk
of flooding. We urge everyone to check whether
their property is at risk by visiting the
Environment Agency’s website and taking
steps to prepare, such as looking at ways
to make properties more flood-proof.
“Our new online flood
forecasts, along with clearer warnings,
will better prepare people ahead of potential
flooding, helping protect lives and property.”
More information on
the new flood warning codes can be found
online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fwd
ENDS
For media enquiries
please contact the press office on 01925
542621
Out of hours please call 07776 497255 and
ask for the duty press officer
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
In March 2011, Defra,
the Welsh Assembly Government, Cabinet Office
and Environment Agency will conduct a national
emergency flooding exercise – Exercise Watermark
– to test the country’s arrangements to
respond to severe, wide-area flooding from
the sea, rivers, surface water and reservoirs.
Local communities and businesses are being
encouraged to take part by signing up at
www.exercisewatermark.co.uk
+ More
Business’ environmental
record prompts new focus on poor performers
and illegal activity
Environment Agency publish
Greener Business Report
A comprehensive review
of industry’s environmental performance
in England and Wales has been published
by the Environment Agency. It shows that
most of industry is improving, even during
difficult economic times, and that the impact
of pollution going down. It also shows that
some sectors need to do better.
The majority of operators
are doing well. More than half (54 per cent)
of the sites regulated by the Environment
Agency were in the top two ‘A’ or ‘B’ ratings,
up from 51 per cent last year. Industrial
sites are inspected by the Environment Agency
and rated on a scale from A to E for their
environmental performance and management.
The legal waste sector
has the most serious (category one and two)
pollution incidents of the sectors regulated
by the EA. It causes around half of all
serious incidents in this category.
And the water industry
also has an underlying performance issue:
pollution incidents from this sector have
remained static at around 2,200 per year,
although more serious pollution incidents
by the water industry have reduced dramatically.
The new research highlights
illegal waste activity as a serious risk
to the environment: dangerous or hazardous
chemicals are often not disposed of properly
by illegal operators and this can blight
local communities. The Environment Agency
has identified over 800 illegal waste sites,
over 350 of which are operating within 50
metres of schools, homes or sensitive environmental
sites.
In fact, the analysis
indicates that for every ten legal waste
sites, there is another operating illegally.
The Environment Agency today pledged to
continue to crackdown on these dangerous
sites and urged all waste producers to take
responsibility for ensuring they deal only
with legitimate waste and skip companies.
The number of serious
industrial pollution incidents has fallen
by over 30 per cent in the last five years
– down from 600 incidents per year to just
under 400. And that emissions associated
with global warming fell sharply last year
in the energy sector.
But the analysis also highlights key areas
for improvement among big industrial sites,
with the waste and water sectors continuing
to cause the most pollution incidents.
The energy sector is
still the biggest source of emissions from
regulated sites, with 75 per cent of greenhouse
gases, 82 per cent of nitrogen oxides and
75 per cent of sulphur oxides. Though each
of these has reduced substantially over
the last decade and the energy sector is
well-managed.
The Greener Business
report provides vital evidence for the Environment
Agency and business to guide their priorities
over the next five years.
The Environment Agency
will be focusing its regulatory efforts
on improving those poorest performing sectors
and organisations with advice, guidance
and more regular inspection. Those organisations
that perform will have fewer inspections
– reducing the administrative burden and
associated costs.
Dr Paul Leinster, Chief Executive of the
Environment Agency said:
‘Our analysis shows
that most companies have a good environmental
record, despite the difficult economic conditions.
And serious pollution incidents have reduced
dramatically in the last five years. Green
business is good business because it can
help reduce costs and enhances reputation
with customers.
‘But we will continue
to target the poor performing companies
and illegal activity that cause damage to
the environment and pose a risk to communities.
There are still too many pollution incidents
in the water and waste industries and we
will be working with companies to clean
up their act.
“And we’ll continue
to take a zero-tolerance approach to illegal
waste sites. We have stopped 2,000 in the
last two years, but continue to work with
the police and other agencies to gather
intelligence and target these dangerous
operations. Though waste companies, councils
and householders also have a role to play
by making sure their waste goes only to
licensed sites”.
