Reducing Nitrate Pollution – November 2018
The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) recently published its report ‘UK Progress on Reducing Nitrate Pollution’. (November 2018)
Historic use of artificial fertiliser has led to nitrate pollution in Brighton’s chalk aquifer, and we’re pleased that the Government is taking the issue seriously, and is looking in detail at solutions. It’s increasingly important to be able to support change in practice, including supporting farmers to invest in infrastructure and processes to reduce artificial fertiliser application, and to promote better storage and use of animal waste in order to reduce nitrate leaching into the soil and groundwater. The ChaMP team is committed to being at the forefront, and we’ve been working with farmers and landowners on the Brighton Chalk Block over the past three years on practical ways to reduce Nitrate Pollution.
The report makes a number of recommendations around:
- Water quality, promoting a longer term approach to catchment planning and funding; investing in supporting farmers and stakeholders who go beyond regulation and best practice (while not breaking the ‘polluter pays’ principle)
- Alignment of EU Directives to ensure a cohesive approach to dealing with individual pollutants. Better alignment of UK air, water and soil policies
- Logistical problems in the movement of livestock waste from livestock to arable farms, and consideration of incentives such as nitrogen pricing to incentivise the reduction of artificial fertiliser application
- Effective monitoring, enforcement and resourcing to ensure a robust evidence base for policies and future investment decisions, as well as an effective watchdog with sufficient powers to enforce compliance with statutory targets and address non-compliance
- Setting robust long-term targets and milestones in the Government’s emerging 25 Year Environment Plan
If you’re in the ChaMP area we want to work with you. Please get in touch if you’re interested in getting involved.