Germany on track to reach 2030 targets, environment agency says
(Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - March 16, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

‘Poisoned by chemicals’: citizen scientists prove River Avon is polluted
Charity says the decline of invertebrates linked to chemicals in water while Environment Agency said Wiltshire river had not deterioratedA citizen science programme has revealed the decline of one of thecountry ’s most significant chalk streamsafter claims by Environment Agency officials that it had not deteriorated. The SmartRivers programme run by the charity WildFish, which surveys freshwater invertebrates, reported “strong declines in relation to chemical pressure” on the River Avon in Wiltshire. It said its data indicated a decline in the condition of the river over the last five years.The charity compiled a rep...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - February 24, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Jon Ungoed-Thomas Tags: Pollution Rivers Environment Agency Science Fish UK news Conservation Source Type: news

The government ’s plan to tackle polluting water companies is wide of the mark
Commenting on the government’s plan to tackle polluting water companies announced today (Tuesday), UNISON head of environment Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “It’s encouraging to see the government recognise the challenges Environment Agency staff face, but ministers’ plan is still well wide of the mark. “Despite the best efforts of the workforce, spills have caused irreversible harm to coasts and rivers. Adding a handful of inspectors will make little difference. “The government’s failure to fund the Agency properly has put staff under mounting pressure. Many have quit their jobs, leaving those still in post o...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - February 20, 2024 Category: Food Science Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release Donna Rowe-Merriman environment agency Source Type: news

Severn Trent fined more than £2m for ‘reckless’ pollution of River Trent
Severn Trent has been fined more than £2m for polluting the River Trent near Stoke, with the Environment Agency calling its storm contingency plans “woefully inadequate”. Huge amounts of raw sewage were discharged into the river from Strongford wastewater treatment works near Stoke-on-Trent,…#severntrent #rivertrent #stoke #stokeontrent #kevingrego #adamshipp #environmentagency #stormclara #stormdennis (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - February 19, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Huge loss of invertebrates detected in stream feeding into Windermere
Campaigners say 76% decline in riverfly species ’ abundance at Cunsey Beck is being caused by sewage dischargesTesting by citizen scientists of a beck that feeds into Windermere has revealed a huge loss in invertebrate life in the lake in Cumbria that campaigners say is being caused by sewage discharges.Save Windermere and WildFish carried out testing for invertebrates in Cunsey Beck, a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), in order to assess the impact on its freshwater ecology of the Near Sawrey wastewater treatment works, owned and operated by United Utilities.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - January 23, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Sandra Laville Tags: Water Rivers Water industry United Utilities North of England Lake District Cumbria Environment UK news Environment Agency Environmental activism Science Source Type: news

South West Water ‘not honest’ about drought preparations, watchdog claims
South West Water has been accused of not being honest with the government about its drought preparations after parts of the country almost ran out of water in 2022, it has emerged. The Environment Agency told the water industry regulator, Ofwat, that SWW was “not honest” with regulators about the…#environmentagency #ofwat #sww #greenpeace #unearthed #ea #westcornwall #ofwatsww #megancortonscott #rishisunak (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - January 15, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

ITM receives RAM license for Lu-177 production
ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE recently received the radioactive material handling license (RAM license) for the company’s NOVA facility, which the company calls the world’s largest lutetium-177 (Lu-177) production site. Lu-177 is a medical radioisotope frequently used in radiopharmaceutical therapy to treat cancer. ITM said with the RAM license and other regulatory approvals, the company has achieved operational readiness. The license was granted by the Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU). With the license, the company can begin radioactive operations onsite to qualify and validate all systems. This is a mandatory...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - January 5, 2024 Category: Radiology Authors: AuntMinnieEurope.com staff writers Tags: Industry News Source Type: news

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year
As 2023 comes to an end, I want to thank all of you who’ve been working tirelessly to keep our public services going. I also want to thank those who’ve given up their time to support members, through representation and UNISON’s campaign work.  I hope you can spend precious time with family and friends this Christmas, but as our public services rely on your work every day, I know your jobs may be just as demanding as the rest of the year.   Throughout the festive period, the public still expects refuse services to keep running, people still need care in hospitals, care homes and the community, demands on environmen...
Source: UNISON Health care news - December 19, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: clydon Tags: Article Source Type: news

Water firm wrongly downgraded pollution events, documents suggest
The Environment Agency guidance says category 4 should only be used where either pollution doesn't get into the water course, or where it is of such insignificance that it doesn't have an impact, for example a "trickle into a large water course". The Environment Agency insider said it was a…#environmentagency (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - December 4, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

New Environment Agency  offer means strike suspension and pay talks
The four-day strike that had been due to take place from Friday 3 November involving hundreds of Environment Agency workers represented by UNISON has been suspended to allow pay talks to happen. Staff working to protect communities from the aftermath of Storm Babet and the onslaught of Storm Ciarán were reluctantly due to walk out from 7am on Friday until 7am on Monday as part of their long-standing dispute over pay, says UNISON. The decision to call off the strike was taken after the Environment Agency confirmed ministers had given it permission to negotiate a new offer* to give employees a long-overdue wa...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 2, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Dan Ashley Tags: News Press release environment agency pay talks Source Type: news

Pay claim submitted on behalf of Environment Agency staff
UNISON and the joint trade unions have submitted a pay claim for 2023/24 seeking an increase of at least 13.2% for Environment Agency (EA) staff. The unions’ fully-evidenced claim reflects how union members who remain in dispute over the 2022/23 pay award of 2% plus £345 have made it clear that the previous year’s uplift was not acceptable during the height of the cost of living crisis, with inflation running in double digits and with the wages of the lowest paid falling below the National Living Wage in April. The lack of a significant uplift has created a ‘grade drift’ across all roles in comparison to p...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - September 18, 2023 Category: Food Science Authors: Martin Cullen Tags: Article environment agency WET Source Type: news

Blog: Climate change is real, destructive and is an absolute emergency
Just acknowledging climate change isn’t enough. And we can’t wait for the Tories to find a politically convenient time to deal with it. We must pull together and champion the urgent action needed to meet this challenge head on. The overwhelming scale of climate-related disasters surrounds us every week, and UNISON is not shying away from facing this existential threat. For those unfamiliar with it, Green UNISON Week means seven days to champion and promote the engagement and activity that UNISON does all year round on tackling climate change. Because for UNISON, it couldn’t be more clear that all areas of public ser...
Source: UNISON Health care news - September 15, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Christina McAnea Tags: General Secretary's blog News Green UNISON Week Source Type: news

Environment Agency failing to monitor water firms in England, data suggests
The Environment Agency is failing to regularly audit water companies to check they are telling the truth about pollution and illegal sewage dumping in England, the Guardian can reveal. The audits contribute to the star rating companies are given for environmental performance by the watchdog. Some…#environmentagency #guardian #foi #ea #ashleysmith #wasp #audits #jamesbevan #bevan #ofwat (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - September 13, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Ex-environment secretary to take role at UK waste firm fined for polluting water
A former UK environment secretary is to take a consultancy role with a waste management firm that had to pay £36,000 after an Environment Agency (EA) investigation found contamination of groundwater at a site. George Eustice, who was the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs…#ea #georgeeustice #augean #whitehall #eustice #augeansouth #northamptonshire #liberaldemocrats #christinejardine #cabinetoffice (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - September 2, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Environment Agency staff set for out-of-hours ban
Thousands of Environment Agency (EA) workers in England will stop out-of-hours attendance at incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping this weekend, in their ongoing pay dispute. The industrial action, which starts at 9am tomorrow (Saturday), is set to continue for a month, with workers refusing to volunteer for on-call cover outside of contracted hours until 19 September. Officers will step in where there is a threat to life, from incidents such as a major flood, as emergency life and limb cover has been agreed by the union. This new wave of industrial action follows months of industri...
Source: UNISON Health care news - August 18, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News environment agency Industrial action Source Type: news