'98 Update

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Legislation

UK Initiatives

Transport White Paper: Published July 1998 with the aim of reducing car use and improving public transport. Workplace parking and road use charges, and green commuter plans suggested to discourage car use. Development of transport information system, new rail authority and increase in rail freight proposed to help in this aim.

Groundwater Protection Policy: Updated November 1998 to protect groundwater by careful management of potentially polluting chemicals which presently fall outside the regulatory system.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: Updated 1998 to gain or extend protection for 11 more animal species and 17 more plant species.

Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997: Requires local authorities to produce current and future traffic flow figures and to develop traffic reduction targets, encouraging more sustainable transport, less car journeys and a reduction in harmful exhaust emissions.

National Air Quality Strategy: This was published in March 1997 as a result of the Environment Act 1995. The Government are committed to controlling and reducing eight main health threatening pollutants by 2005: nitrogen dioxide, small particles, ozone, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, benzene and 1,3 butadiene. Local Authorities should monitor levels of pollution and act if 'safe limits', as set by expert panels on air quality, are breached.

Local Air Quality Management: This policy came into force on 23 December 1997 and is in accordance with Part IV of the Environment Act 1995. It involves the designation of Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) following a wide review and assessment of local air quality. Local authorities are also obliged to develop a Local Air Quality Strategy to improve conditions if the review identifies issues.

Landfill Tax: As from October 1996 all waste disposed of in landfill sites is subject to a tax, collected by HM Customs and Excise. The tax levy is currently £7 per tonne for general waste and £2 per tonne for inactive waste. The general waste rate will be £10 per tonne from 1st April 1999.

Government Consultations on Sustainable Development: Set of booklets: Opportunities for Change, Making Biodiversity Happen, Sustainable Business, Sustainable Production and Use of Chemicals, and Sustainability Counts. These outline the Governmentís vision of sustainable development, and what needs to be done to put it into practice. Targets and indicators have been set to keep track of progress.

European and World Initiatives

EC Ambient Air Quality Framework Directive 1998: Provides a framework of national, regional and local measures to improve the quality of the air which surrounds us outdoors.

EC Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control: This came into force on 30 October 1997 and must be implemented by member states by 1999. It aims to prevent or minimise pollution of air, land and water by industrial processes.

Earth Summit II +5: A special session of the United Nations General Assembly to review and appraise the implementation of Agenda 21 was held on 23-27 June 1997 in New York. +5 denotes 5 years on from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The outcomes were:

• that all UK local authorities should adopt Local Agenda 21 strategies by 2000
• that environmental issues must be integrated into all government decision making
• the reiteration of the governments commitment to an integrated transport policy to realise CO2 reduction targets of 20% by 2010.

Kyoto: The World Summit on Climate Change was held in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, to seek agreement on greenhouse gas emission reductions across the globe. The result of the talks was an agreement to 8% reduction in total EU greenhouse gas emissions with the UK agreeing to a reduction target of 12.5%.

Buenos Aires: Participants from over 150 nations gathered in November 1998 to discuss the reduction of greenhouse emissions agreed in Kyoto. A programme of work for further negotiations was developed.

For further information contact: Helen Saunders, Hertfordshire County Council Environment Department (01992) 556296