Summer
October 9th, 2008, 03:03 AM
One in three rivers now polluted, says report
UP to one-third of Ireland's rivers are polluted and dozens of lakes and estuaries are in an "unsatisfactory" condition, a major new report on the state of the nation's environment revealed yesterday.
The 'Ireland's Environment 2008' report warns that while the environment is generally in good shape, progress on meeting a range of challenges including climate change, carbon dioxide emissions and loss of wildlife is at a "standstill".
The Environmental Protection Agency report, published only every four years, says we will miss EU targets for reducing the amount of household waste sent to landfill and in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and that up to 75pc of fish species are harvested "beyond safe biological limits'.
It also warns there is no national inventory of contaminated land banks, and no policy to deal with legacy issues from mining and old landfills.
Car emissions are keeping nitrogen oxide levels well above the 2010 ceiling, because of a reliance on the private car and lack of public transport.
In addition to one in three rivers being polluted, over 80 lakes and estuaries are in an unsatisfactory condition.
Causes
The main causes of pollution are sewage discharge and agricultural sources; groundwaters contain elevated concentrations of pollutants in the east and west of the country.
The situation in the Swilly estuary in the north west appears to have deteriorated, while major rivers in the south east and south -- including the Blackwater, Slaney and Bandon -- show signs of serious pollution.
The report shows that 29pc of river length is polluted to varying degrees, a slight improvement on previous but nothing like the rate of improvement that will be needed to meet the obligations of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) which requires that all waters be of at least good status by 2015.
Click link to continue story.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/one-in-three-rivers-now-polluted-says-report-1493125.html
UP to one-third of Ireland's rivers are polluted and dozens of lakes and estuaries are in an "unsatisfactory" condition, a major new report on the state of the nation's environment revealed yesterday.
The 'Ireland's Environment 2008' report warns that while the environment is generally in good shape, progress on meeting a range of challenges including climate change, carbon dioxide emissions and loss of wildlife is at a "standstill".
The Environmental Protection Agency report, published only every four years, says we will miss EU targets for reducing the amount of household waste sent to landfill and in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and that up to 75pc of fish species are harvested "beyond safe biological limits'.
It also warns there is no national inventory of contaminated land banks, and no policy to deal with legacy issues from mining and old landfills.
Car emissions are keeping nitrogen oxide levels well above the 2010 ceiling, because of a reliance on the private car and lack of public transport.
In addition to one in three rivers being polluted, over 80 lakes and estuaries are in an unsatisfactory condition.
Causes
The main causes of pollution are sewage discharge and agricultural sources; groundwaters contain elevated concentrations of pollutants in the east and west of the country.
The situation in the Swilly estuary in the north west appears to have deteriorated, while major rivers in the south east and south -- including the Blackwater, Slaney and Bandon -- show signs of serious pollution.
The report shows that 29pc of river length is polluted to varying degrees, a slight improvement on previous but nothing like the rate of improvement that will be needed to meet the obligations of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) which requires that all waters be of at least good status by 2015.
Click link to continue story.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/one-in-three-rivers-now-polluted-says-report-1493125.html