Air Pollution and Conservation Areas

Transcription

1 Air Pollution and Conservation Areas Simon Bareham Countryside Council for Wales Welsh Air Quality Forum 14 September 2005

2 Outline Nature conservation legislation and policy Key air pollution issues affecting nature conservation Changing threats Key sources Air Pollution legislative framework National policy Assessment of impacts on protected sites Looking ahead

3 The role of CCW The Countryside Council is the Government's statutory adviser on sustaining natural beauty, wildlife and the opportunity for outdoor enjoyment in Wales and its inshore waters. CCW is a statutory consultee under planning law and PPC

4 UK air pollution advice CCW works with the other country conservation agencies through a JNCC network to:- Provide advice to Government and others Develop air pollution policy; influence partners Manage and prioritise air pollution research

5 Nature conservation in Wales

6 Legislative and policy framework Habitats Directive (and Regulations) Wildlife and Countryside Act Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act Wales Biodiversity Action Plan

7 Protected sites in Wales Nationally important sites >1000 SSSIs >13% of land cover European sites in Wales 90 SACs 20 SPAs But don t forget biodiversity in the wider countryside!

8 Habitats Regulations Site protection provisions:- For plans and projects Competent Authorities must:- assess likely significant effect, alone and/or in combination undertake appropriate assessment consult the statutory conservation agencies Only authorise if can demonstrate no adverse effect on integrity (subject to over-riding public interest) Also CROW Act new provisions for SSSIs

9 Key air pollution issues Trends and threats Assessing impacts on nature conservation

10 Historical perspective - Acid Rain Freshwater systems acidified widespread damage reported in 1980 s Sulphur was the main concern Importance of long range transport of pollutants from power stations International protocols to reduce emissions

11 Changing air pollution climate - the good news Large reductions in emissions of pollutants from industry and road transport Sulphur dioxide 80% reduction Nitrogen oxides 40% reduction Cleaner air in urban and industrial areas Recovery of some freshwaters Government committed to further reductions of emissions

12 Changing air pollution climate - the bad news Only a small decrease in pollutants deposited in upland and western areas Large areas of semi-natural ecosystems remain at risk from acid deposition and nutrient nitrogen Diffuse, non-regulated sources are increasingly important - especially ammonia from agriculture Peak O 3 concentrations declining, BUT increasing mean levels Current measures in place will not provide adequate protection to sites (Gothenburg Protocol, NECD)

13 Focus on nitrogen NOy and NHx => N deposition nutrient enrichment and effects on biodiversity acidification nitrogen leaching NHx dominant component of total N deposition in UK Nitrogen pollutants are increasingly the dominant component of acid deposition (cf sulphur) NOx impacts close to roads, urban areas

14 Focus on ozone Clean air in the Welsh Mountains?

15 Ozone Reduced peak concentrations of ozone But, increasing mean concentrations => could have significant effects on upland vegetation

16 Nutrient N and Acidity CL exceedance Nutrient N Acidity Hall et al. 2004

17 Are we seeing effects? Acidification of freshwaters chemical recovery but slower biological recovery Future role of nitrogen? Evidence from CS2000; New Plant Atlas; lichen records What impact is ozone having?

18 Implications for protected sites Effects of acidity over long timescales, changes may already have occurred High deposition of nitrogen to large numbers of sites Risk to attaining favourable status Implications of increasing mean concentrations of ozone? Climate change - interactions and implications? Diffuse sources more difficult to tackle Better understanding of the impacts on site condition and long term integrity is essential Improved, targeted surveillance programme recommended

19 So what s being done about it? National/International NECD; CLRTAP Air Quality Strategy Sulphur from shipping Site Assessment IPPC/LAPPC Planning Assessments under the Habitats Regulations and CROW

20 Air Quality Strategy Air Quality Strategy National Objectives NO x annual mean 30 µg/m 3 SO 2 annual mean 20 µg/m 3 Objectives do not apply in exclusion zones <20 km from agglomeration 5 km from motorways, built-up areas and industrial Part A process

21 Location of SSSIs in southwest England and Wales with 1998 NOx concentrations

22 Location of SSSIs in southeast England with 1998 NOx concentrations

23 AQS Review 2005 CCW/JNCC advise Removal of exclusion concept for sensitive protected sites More holistic consideration of ecosystem protection Inclusion of ammonia Inclusion of deposition effects (i.e. using critical loads)

24 Site assessment IPPC/Habitats Regulations New PPC applications (inc. applications from existing processes) are a plan or project includes Part A(2); Part B Habitats Regulations also requires review of all existing permits/authorisations includes: IPC/LAPC Part A and B So the tests are applied to all regulated process/installations

25 IPPC/Habitats Regulations Major assessment of air emissions from industry and intensive agriculture Risk assessment approach Staged application of Habitats Regulations Relevant? Likely significant effect? Alone or in combination? Appropriate assessment?

26 1. Emissions 2. Dispersion modelling = process contribution 3. Background concentrations 7. Decision 6. Site Sensitivity The Assessment Basics 4. Exposure or PEC 5. Source attribution 1% 1% 2% 2% 3% 3% 4% 11% 43% 6% 24%

27 Looking ahead Current policy measures not enough Greater and more targeted emissions reductions required Action on diffuse sources national policy and local spatial solutions Ammonia Road transport

28 Summary Large improvements in air quality But, still have large areas of Wales/UK receiving unacceptably high deposition National policy measures must address ecosystem impacts more holistically New legislation and new obligations for planning and pollution control effects based approach Monitoring network proposed

29 Where to find help: Examples of Guidance 1) EA/CCW/EN joint guidance for IPC/IPPC and Habitats Regulations 2) Defra guidance for LAPPC 3) Highways Agency guidance supplement to DMRB