20 Sep 2023

Defra has published a summary of responses and the government response to the recent consultation on continuous water quality monitoring and event duration monitoring. The consultation sought views on the government’s proposals to enhance the monitoring of storm overflows and final effluent discharges into watercourses Some key points from the government’s response Urban Pollution Management […]

23 Nov 2019

Can shellfish aquaculture save coastal bays? A recent study has confirmed that mussel and oyster farming can play a key role in improving water quality by removing hundreds of tonnes of nitrogen from coastal bays and estuaries. A meta-analysis published in Aquaculture Reports reveals that mussel and oyster farming is likely to remove nearly 334 tonnes of […]

06 Jun 2018

The European Commission has published its latest implementation report on the Nitrate Directive. It shows only a slight improvement in agricultural nitrates pollution. The report concludes that nitrate levels in groundwater and surface freshwaters have “slightly improved” since 2008. Nitrates were still above 50 mg/l at over 13% of monitoring stations 2012-2015, compared to 14% […]

28 Feb 2018

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee is holding its first evidence session in its nitrates inquiry tomorrow when the Committee will hear from academics and Environment groups. The EAC launched its inquiry into nitrates pollution in December to consider the nature, scale and impacts of nitrate pollution in the UK on the environment and […]

12 Dec 2017

The Environmental Audit Committee has launched a new inquiry that will consider the nature, scale and impacts of nitrate pollution on the environment and human life, and review the Government’s approach to the regulation of the chemicals concerned and its approach to reducing them. Nitrates are damaging to the environment as, once they are released […]