Transcript Slide 1

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
The Water Framework Directive was
transposed into law in EU Member States at
the end of 2003.
Nearly two years on, do we understand the
implications for sediment management?
Presentation by Jan Brooke
28th September 2005
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Scope of presentation
• WFD objectives
• Natural role of sediments in coastal and
estuarine waters
• Sediments and characterisation
• Sediments in River Basin Management Plans
• Article 16 (priority substances and priority
hazardous substances)
• Practical implications
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Introduction to the WFD
• Important, far-reaching legislation: ambitious in
scope and programme
• New integrated approach to water protection,
improvement and sustainable use
• Applies to all water bodies, including rivers,
lakes, estuaries, coastal waters, and man-made
water bodies (eg. docks, canals)
• Various potential implications for sediment
management
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
WFD environmental objectives
•
•
•
•
•
Sustainable water management
Prevent deterioration in status*
Restore to good status* by 2015
Reduce pollution from priority substances and
phase out emissions, discharges, etc. of
priority hazardous substances
Achieve objectives for EU protected areas
* a measure of chemical and ecological quality
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Environmental targets
WFD introduces status classes:
high, good, moderate, poor and bad
•
Surface water bodies must achieve
• good ecological status (GES)
or
if designated as a Heavily Modified or Artificial
Water Body, good ecological potential (GEP)
and
• good chemical status
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Ecological
Status
Explained
ECOLOGICAL
STATUS
No or
very minor
{
{
Slight
Severe
GOOD
{
MODERATE
{
POOR
{
BAD
Moderate
Major
HIGH
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
WFD timetable
• By end 2004: characterisation and risk
•
•
assessment
• By end 2006: monitoring in place
By end 2007: significant water management
issues
By end 2008: draft River Basin Management
Plans (RBMP)
• By end 2009: final RBMPs
• By end 2012: measures in place
• By end 2015: good status achieved
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
WFD coastal and estuarine waters
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Natural role of sediment in coastal and
estuarine waters
• Important part of natural ecosystem
• Diversity of habitats
• Variation in suspended sediment levels
(background; in storm conditions)
• Supply to intertidal areas
• Problem of ‘coastal squeeze’
• Protected sites under EU Birds and Habitats
Directives
• Sediment management as mitigation and
compensation requirement
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Sediments and characterisation
• Lack of reference to sediments in WFD
• Materials in suspension listed as contaminant
• England and Wales: sediment in run off from
•
agricultural land
• No consideration of sediment in coastal and
estuarine waters
Hydromorphological pressures include navigation
dredging and disposal of dredged material
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
England and Wales: initial risk assessment
At risk or ‘probably at risk’ of failing to meet good
status due to physical modification
• 87% estuarine area
• 91% coastal water area
At risk or ‘probably at risk’ of failing to meet good
status due to TBT contamination
• 31% estuarine area
• 15% coastal water area
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
‘At risk’ water bodies
• Subject to ‘refinement’ exercise
• May meet criteria for heavily modified or artificial
water body designation
• Subject to monitoring requirements
• ‘Programmes of measures’ required to protect
and/or improve water status
• Implications for management of water body and
activities affecting it
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Sediments in River Basin Management Plans
• Statutory plans
• Will cover all water bodies, including coastal
•
waters out to a minimum of one nautical mile
Will define the ‘measures’ required to meet WFD
objectives
• Will provide the mechanism whereby future
water use and activities affecting water will be
managed
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
WFD programmes of measures
• Protection and restoration measures
• Informed by characterisation and monitoring
results
• May be national, regional or local
• May be statutory or non-statutory
• Potential to affect sediment management
• To be in place by 2012
• Ecological and chemical objectives to be
achieved by 2015
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Exemptions
• Economics has an important role in WFD
• Not intended to achieve objectives ‘at any cost’
• Programmes of measures must be cost-effective
• Less stringent targets or extended deadlines
may be set for specific bodies of water where
the achievement of the required quality is
otherwise not feasible or is disproportionately
expensive
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Article 16
• Article 16 requires measures to reduce
discharges, emissions and losses of priority
substances and to phase out same for priority
hazardous substances
• To be implemented via proposed daughter
Directive
• Mandatory environmental quality standards
(EQS) to be considered for water, sediments and
biota
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Current situation
• Daughter Directive not expected before October
or November 2005
• Sediment EQSs unlikely
• Concerns about science used to derive water
column standards (eg. suspended solids
concentration assumed low; bioavailability of
adsorbed contaminants not taken into account)
• If daughter Directive not agreed by end 2006,
Member States to develop own standards
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Sediment management issues
• Contamination may be historic rather than
current source
• Particular concern over standards for TBT as
proposed in 2004
• Possibility of failure of whole water sample (but
often no significant environmental effects)
• Other important questions (eg. definition of ‘loss
to system’)
• Implications for dredging and disposal?
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Practical implications
• Possibility of constraints on sediment
•
management activities such as dredging and
disposal (eg. dredging technique, overflow
mechanisms, aquatic disposal)
• Likelihood of increased costs (participation,
enforcement, data collection, investigations,
mitigation measures, etc.)
• Delays and uncertainties
Potential for conflict with EU Birds and Habitats
Directives
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Conclusions (1)
Q: Two years into WFD implementation, are we
any the wiser about its possible implications for
sediment management?
A: Probably not!
But ………
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
Conclusions (2)
• WFD has potentially significant implications for
sediments and sediment management
• Need to ensure sediment issues are properly
considered in both characterisation process and
River Basin Management Planning
• Article 16 draft daughter Directive still under
discussion
• Vital to ensure that decisions are well-informed
and scientifically robust
The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments
What can we do?
• Actively participate in WFD implementation
• Engage with those responsible for WFD
implementation
• Ensure that there are no misunderstandings
• Highlight the rigorous investigations already
required as prerequisite to most sediment
management initiatives
• Provide data to inform WFD decision making
• Demonstrate that sediment management can
have environmental as well as economic benefits