30 October 2006
The European Council and Parliament's agreement on groundwater protection has led to a new directive, announced recently by environment minister, Ian Pearson. The Groundwater Directive is predicted to strike the right balance between concerns and practical considerations by adopting a risk-based approach.
The directive is designed to lay out guidelines on pollution prevention, the assessment of the chemical status of groundwater bodies, as well as the identification of pollution trends and starting points for their reversal. By being risk-based, it also promises to avoid overly-prescriptive EU standards and spiralling costs.
"Groundwater is an immensely important resource, inextricably linked to our use of the landscape, from agriculture, to industry, transport, and the domestic water supply," said Mr Pearson.
"A recent Environment Agency report highlighted how vulnerable groundwater is to pollution. It is essential that measures to protect it are effective and proportionate," he added.
The new directive has stated that member states of the EU will be required to prevent inputs of hazardous substances to groundwater and limit all others to prevent pollution. Some exemptions will be applied however, to ensure that this requirement is workable and proportionate.
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