Controlling dangerous substances in surface water - views sought on new proposals
Posted: Tuesday 2nd January 2007
Proposals for dealing with hazardous substances found in surface waters are published have been published by Defra. The Defra consultation follows publication in July of a European Commission proposal for a new Water Framework Directive daughter directive on Priority Substances - 33 of the most persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances on current assessment. It also seeks comments on Defra's regulatory impact assessment (RIA).
Views are sought particularly from the chemicals, ports, water and agricultural sectors. Comments on the environmental benefits and cost implications of the proposals will inform the UK 's position when substantive negotiations begin in Europe in 2007.
The proposed daughter directive includes:
- environmental quality standards for the priority substances in surface waters
- an obligation for member states to ensure that concentrations of priority substances do not increase in sediment and living creatures
- quality standards for some priority substances in living creatures
- transitional (‘mixing') zones where environmental quality standards may be exceeded
- additional reporting requirements, including an inventory of emissions, discharges and losses of priority substances
- consequential amendments to and repeals of existing Directives.
An important consideration is the proposal's cost effectiveness and potential high costs of compliance, detailed in the RIA.
The consultation is published online at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wfd-prioritylist/index.htm, and is available electronically by emailing wq.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk. Hard copies are available from Graeme Henton, Room 303, 55 Whitehall , c/o 3-8 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HH .
The closing date for responses is 16 March 2007.
