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HERTFORDSHIRE'S ENVIRONMENT
In 1991 the ten District and Borough Councils together with the
County Council formed the Hertfordshire Environmental Forum. Its
first task was to undertake a wide-ranging survey of the county's
environment.
A report on the 'State of Hertfordshire's Environment' was produced
in 1992. You can see a copy at the main libraries or at council offices.
The report has been updated in many areas annually since then.
These pages give you a basic summary of the findings of the 1992
report. The report is intended to provide information, to increase
awareness of environmental issues and to stimulate thought and discussion
about the environment both in Hertfordshire and elsewhere. It gives
a base line from which future environmental trends can be monitored
and targets set.
Local authorities can take a lead role in environmental matters,
both by setting an example - for instance by using recycled products
and conserving energy - and by enforcing the law where they can.
There are some areas where local authorities have no statutory duties
at all, but where they can help bring together the agencies and organisations
concerned.
The report was a first step towards making this a truly "green" county
and is an example of the role local authorities can play in issues
which affect all our lives.
WATER
River Quality
Surveys of river quality are carried out every five years. The
1990 survey showed that 71% of Hertfordshire's rivers and canals
were graded in the top two categories (out of five). The then National
Rivers Authority's target was 90%.
Drinking Water Quality
The quality of piped drinking water is monitored by the water
companies. Whilst the quality of the water supply in Hertfordshire
is generally good, in some parts of the county the water companies
have difficulty meeting standards for pesticides.
Water Pollution
In 1990 there were 324 pollution incidents reported to the then
NRA, one of which, oil pollution at Borehamwood Brook, was classified
as major.
Groundwater
70% of the county's water supply is pumped from underground reserves.
Increased demand for water, growing by 1.5% a year, coupled with
low rainfall means that these underground reserves are getting
lower. This in turn affects rivers and in extreme cases, such as
the River Ver, rivers can dry up completely. Some action is being
taken to improve this serious situation.
RURAL LANDUSE
Agriculture
65% of the land in Hertfordshire is farmland, although this area
has decreased in the past ten years. Farmers, however, are now
facing pressures which make it more difficult for them to maintain
the countryside in the traditional way which many people wish.
Woodland
The amount of woodland in Hertfordshire is the same as it was
60 years ago, but quality and variety have declined.
Many small woods are now isolated which reduces their value as
habitat. Watling Chase, a community forest, is being established
in the south of the county.
Minerals Extraction
Although the area currently used by the mineral extraction industry
is small (less than 0.5% of the county) the impact on the environment
of the 21 active sites can be significant since road traffic, noise
and dirt all increase and water sources can be affected.
Leisure
An increasing amount of land is being used for leisure purposes,
for walking, fishing, riding and particularly golf. Between January
1990 and January 1992, 27 planning applications for new golf courses
were either submitted or approved. This could cover over 1% of
the county.
HABITATS AND WILDLIFE
Grassland
Very little unimproved grassland remains in Hertfordshire - only
2500 hectares - but this land supports many varieties of wildlife.
The chalk grassland at Therfield Heath near Royston is particularly
valuable for both flowers and butterflies.
Woodland
Some of the woodlands in the county are over 300 years old. As
well as plants, Hertfordshire woodlands are home to breeding birds,
mammals and 37 species of butterfly.
Water Habitats
Water habitats range from ponds to lakes, including flooded gravel
pits, from rivers to streams and from springs to marshes. The county
has 400 kilometres of canals and rivers.
Other Habitats
Areas such as churchyards, railway embankments, roadside verges,
hedgerows and gardens are valuable habitats. One third of the county's
hedgerows have been removed since 1950.
Species
289 bird species have been recorded in Hertfordshire, of which
133 breed or have bred here. Some, however, such as the snipe and
the rook, have shown a marked decline.
54 species of butterfly have been recorded in the county although
7 are now extinct and 7 more are endangered. 15 species of dragonfly
breed in the county.
TRANSPORTATION
Pollution
Transport is a major source of air and noise pollution. Road traffic
causes much of this and is likely to cause proportionately more
in Hertfordshire, a county with little heavy industry.
Journeys By Road
More than 4 million journeys of over one mile are made annually
on the county's road network of nearly 5000 kilometres.
Two-thirds are by car and it is estimated that the total annual
distance travelled by cars in the county is 10.8 billion kilometres
(6.75 billion miles), the equivalent of going 35 times to the sun
and back.
Probable annual emissions from car exhausts in Hertfordshire are
three million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 150,000 tonnes of carbon
monoxide and 35,000 tonnes of nitrogen oxides.
62% of residents commute to their place of work by car and over
half of the working population travel outside the district where
they live to their place of work.
Car Ownership
Despite the environmental impact, people still want to own cars
and to use them for all kinds of trips. The rise of car ownership
and the growth in traffic are both expected to continue in Hertfordshire.
There is the equivalent of one car for every two people in Hertfordshire.
Other Transport
The number of bus passengers has decreased by 40% since the early
70s. 45,000 people a day use British Rail to commute into London,
and many of them travel to the station by car. Although walking
and cycling are also important, many cyclists and pedestrians are
put off by lack of safety, noise and pollution from exhaust fumes.
Lead Emissions
Lead levels have fallen substantially, particularly since the
introduction and promotion of lead-free petrol, including tax incentives.
AIR
Monitoring
Hertfordshire is fortunate in having access to more information
on air quality than many other counties. This information shows
that the air in the county is generally clean and healthy, but
there are some causes for concern.
Gases
Increased road traffic and more use of gas and oil-fired central
heating systems mean higher levels of nitrogen oxides, components
of acid rain, and of carbon monoxide, which is toxic.
In addition, more exhaust fumes mean more carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons
being emitted into the atmosphere. Both substances contribute to
global warming and the greenhouse effect.
Methane, another greenhouse gas, is also found in the county,
the main source being landfill sites. Some sites have special measures
to deal with this, including flaring.
Other Pollutants
Other problems include dust and grit, pollens which cause hay
fever and odours. The effect of pollens and of chemical air pollutants
could be contributing to the increasing occurrence of respiratory
illnesses.
WASTE
Quantities
Hertfordshire homes produce about 350,000 tonnes of waste a year,
about one tonne from each household. A further 1.5 million tonnes
of other types of waste needs to be disposed of annually, including
special waste such as acids, alkalis, asbestos, heavy metals and
pharmaceuticals.
Litter remains a widespread environmental problem.
Disposal
About two-thirds of Hertfordshire's waste is disposed of outside
the county, largely in Bedfordshire. There are 50 licensed landfill
sites, sometimes known as rubbish tips, in the county, of which
27 were operational in 1991. Such sites can produce gases and pollute
water, so they are carefully monitored.
There are 19 household waste sites provided by the County Council
where people can bring bulky waste.
Recycling
The recycling of waste has many benefits. Although it is estimated
that 50% of domestic waste could be recycled, only 5% is in Hertfordshire.
The government target is to recycle 25% by the year 2000.
Hertfordshire has taken a positive lead and many products from
glass to paper, from textiles to cans and waste oil are now collected
for recycling at centres throughout the county provided by the
District Councils.
CONTAMINATED LAND
Definition
Contaminated land is land which contains substances which can
harm people, plants and animals.
Data
At present, information on contaminated land in Hertfordshire
relates mainly to landfill sites in the county. There are 284 sites
including those which are currently active or which have been used
in the last 30 years.
There are 50 registered scrapyards in the county which are a potential
source of contamination. In addition, there are sites of former
scrapworks and sites of active and abandoned industrial processes
which may have been contaminated. Two major land reclamation schemes
have been undertaken, in St Albans and Watford.
RADIATION
Sources
Although incidents of radiation pollution are few and far between,
when they do happen, they give rise to major public concern.
There are a number of sources in the county, such as radiation
from medical activities and the nuclear power industry.
Accidents
Hertfordshire is crossed by a number of motorways and mainline
railways and these are used to transport radioactive materials.
To date there have been no accidents and high standards of precautions
are taken. The emergency services are trained to cope with any
incident, should one ever occur.
Measurement
Background radiation in Hertfordshire is monitored by the District
Councils through the Hertfordshire Radiation Monitoring Group.
The measured levels for the county are below those recorded nationally,
and are well within safety limits.
NOISE
Complaints
Complaints about noise are generally made to District Councils.
In 1990/91, nearly 4,000 complaints were recorded within the county
of which 50% were concerning domestic noise.
There has been an overall increase in the number of complaints
although this may be because people are more willing to complain
rather than because there is a real increase in noise nuisance.
Road Traffic
Noise from roads is particularly commonplace but goes largely
unnoticed, unless there is a sudden increase in levels. Where a
new road is built, or where a road is substantially improved, residents
may have the right to an insulation grant, but not where traffic
levels have simply increased over a period of time. There are no
statutory limits for road traffic noise levels.
Air Traffic
Aircraft noise in the county comes from the two major airports
in neighbouring counties, Luton and Stanstead. In 1990/91 610 complaints
from Hertfordshire residents were logged at Luton, 1120 complaints
from all sources at Stanstead, a situation which is expected to
worsen as the airport grows.
URBAN AREAS
Living in Towns
Urban life is of great importance in Hertfordshire with 95% of
the population living in urban areas and 65% of the population
living in the ten major towns. The quality of life in residential
areas often depends on features such as tree-lined avenues, open
space, gardens and particularly traffic.
Providing New Housing
The number of households in Hertfordshire is growing and is expected
to continue to grow. This means that new houses must be built.
One way of doing this is to provide new estates on the edges of
towns, but in Hertfordshire this means building in the Green Belt.
An alternative is to build more dwellings within the existing
town boundaries, but this may mean more flats, less space in and
around houses and loss of open spaces in towns. It may also mean
more parking and extra traffic on existing roads within towns.
Parks and Open Spaces
As towns become more intensively developed, so the green spaces
within them become more important - for recreation, for plants
and wildlife and simply as visual relief to buildings and roads.
However, many parks were laid out by the Victorians, the mature
trees are past their best and need replanting. Some trees were
lost during recent gales and some through disease. Some open spaces
are bland areas of grass and offer considerable potential to make
a more useful contribution to the local environment.
ENERGY
Consumption
Burning fossil fuels to produce energy is one of the major causes
of air pollution and global warming. It is estimated that households
in Hertfordshire each contribute at least 7 tonnes of carbon dioxide
(a major greenhouse gas) to atmospheric pollution through electricity
and gas consumption.
Road Transport
Nationally, 60% of all petrol and diesel is consumed by cars and
lorries.
This proportion is likely to be higher in Hertfordshire because
of the large volume of road traffic.
Renewable Energy Sources
One way of reducing reliance on fossil fuels is to produce energy
from renewable resources, such as solar power, landfill and sewage
gas, waste incineration and the wind. The one example in Hertfordshire
is Maple Cross, a sewage treatment works.
There is potential to produce energy through solar power, landfill
and sewage gas, waste incineration and the wind, but the amount produced
is likely to remain small unless attitudes change.
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