Author: Peacock Carter

The Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) for Scotland's latest annual report shows that Scottish Water's compliance with the stringent standards for drinking water remains high at 99.91%.

Scottish Water take and analyse samples of drinking water from across Scotland 365 days a year. The report on Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2017 states that a total of 305,459 regulatory tests were carried out on Scotland's drinking water last year. Of those taken from samples at consumers' taps, 99.91% met the required standards.

The report also describes significant reductions in the number of consumers expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of their drinking water supply. In 2017, Scottish Water were contacted by 9,239 customers who were concerned over quality – that's half the number reported in 2012.

During 2017 the number of samples failing from service reservoirs increased. On three occasions it was necessary for Scottish Water to advise consumers to boil their water as a precaution until the problem could be investigated and remedial action taken. The reasons for more than half of these failures was found to be the condition of the reservoir and Scottish Water has now increased the amount of money it spends on maintaining these assets. 

Sue Petch the Drinking Water Quality Regulator said:

"I am pleased to report that the quality of the drinking water supplied by Scottish Water continues to be high.

"The quality of drinking water is something that I expect Scottish Water to continue to safeguard and improve. There is still more for Scottish Water to do to raise performance through improvement in the operation and maintenance of its assets."

The sixteenth report from the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR) can be found here.

In an article, Michel Barnier, the European Commission's Chief Negotiator with the United Kingdom has said the UK Government has not yet agreed to protect ‘Geographical Indications’ (GI) such as Scotch Whisky.

The Scottish Government has been pressing UK Government to agree a need for a UK GI System post-Brexit.

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Fergus Ewing said urgent action is needed from the UK Government in Brexit talks to protect Scotland’s world-renowned food and drink produce.

The EU's GI scheme recognises products' regional importance and distinctive characteristics and prevents companies in other countries from producing knock-offs by threat of heavy legal penalties.

The UK Government has indicated it intends to establish its own GI scheme after leaving the EU.

But the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said these protections are among the outstanding issues yet to be agreed with his British counterparts.

Scottish ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon, have previously raised concerns that GIs for currently safeguarded Scottish products could be abandoned to sweeten a future free trade deal with the US.

There are 15 Scottish products that currently have protected Geographical Indicator and include Scotch whisky, beef and lamb, Dunlop cheese, Orkney cheddar, wild Scottish salmon and farmed Scottish salmon.

The Scottish food and industry is the fastest growing sector of the country's economy, with a record £6bn exported overseas last year led by soaring whisky and salmon sales.

Whisky accounted for 20% of all UK food and drink exports in 2017, with a boost in Scotch sales in the US, France, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan and South Africa.

Mr Ewing said:

“Maintaining our Protected Food Names and other Geographical Indications following Brexit is vital – this is something that we have been calling for the UK Government to do for a long time. The European Commission’s Chief Negotiator recognises the significant contribution that these producers make to the wider economy.

“We have been pressing UK Government to agree a need for a UK GI System post-Brexit from the outset and, while we welcome confirmation in their White Paper of the plans to do so, there remains a question over maintaining the existing protection currently enjoyed by our producers within the EU through the mutual recognition of our protected products.

“It is extremely alarming that the EU says this has not yet been resolved and that the failure of the UK Government to reach agreement on this issue is being cited as one of the obstacles to reaching an overall Withdrawal Agreement. A No Deal outcome would be catastrophic for our food and drink industry and the economy as a whole.

“The UK Government must make it clear it is not preparing to ditch vital Geographical Indications to facilitate a future trade deal with the US. It must rule out No Deal and reach an agreement that protects our world-class produce.

“Scottish food and drink exports are at an all-time high – with world-renowned Scottish goods like salmon and whisky being consumed across the globe at record levels. That’s due in part to sectors working together to sell our remarkable products, and creating or enhancing our national brands.

“Even in this time of uncertainty we will continue to do everything we can to support the growth of food and drink exports, working with key sectors to develop new and existing markets, boosting innovation and skills, and supporting Scotland’s local producers via business rates exemptions and grants.” 

The article by Michel Barnier can be read in full here.

Young children in prams may be exposed to up to 60% more pollution than their parents at the kerbside, a study has suggested. 

A study, conducted by the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) at the University of Surrey in the Environment International journal, investigated the potential exposure of infants based on their proximity to ground level and emissions at the roadside.

Researchers examined more than 160 references to highlight the factors concerning the pollution exposure of babies in prams and associated mitigation strategies, as part of the study.

Findings suggested that infants in prams breathe in more polluted air since they are positioned between 0.55m and 0.85m above ground level and vehicle exhaust pipes usually sit within 1m above road level.

This increases in-pram babies’ vulnerability to being exposed to more pollution than adults, they suggested.

The researchers also added that babies are more at risk from the health dangers of air pollution because their bodies are small and developing.

Professor Prashant Kumar, who is a Chair in Air Quality and Health and the founding director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research, said: “We know that infants breathe in higher amounts of airborne particles relative to their lung size and body weight compared to adults. What we have proven here is that the height most children travel at while in a pram doubles the likelihood of negative impacts from air pollution when compared to an adult.

“When you also consider how vulnerable they are because of their tissues, immune systems, and brain development at this early stage of their life, it is extremely worrying that they are being exposed to these dangerous levels of pollution.”

The authors called for more to be done to reduce air pollution or lessen its effects, such as lowering the emissions of road vehicles and encouraging greater use of public transport.

Professor Kumar added: “Our past research motivated us to set-up the MAPE (Mitigation of Air Pollution Exposure to young children) project that aims to develop targeted mitigation strategies and solutions. We are working together with industrial partners to develop innovative technological solutions and giving this aspect a special attention in our on-going living lab activities, including community and stakeholders’ engagement, part of our another in-progress project, iSCAPE.

“With the multitude of evidence we set out in this review, it is important that everyone across the country begin a full and frank conversation about pollution and the impact it has on our most vulnerable – from parents and community leaders, to government officials and industry.”

The study suggests a range of mitigation actions such as controlling emissions of road vehicles, and ‘passive’ actions such as roadside hedges between vehicles and pedestrians could address the issue as well as potential technological solutions to the issue.

Prof Jonathan Grigg, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, who was not involved in the research, said the findings were a "major concern".

"To help protect children's health we must promote alternatives to cars fuelled by petrol and diesel," he added.

The study was published in the Environment International journal and can be found here.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have published a rapid outbreak assessment following a multi-country outbreak of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Agona (S. Agona) in the European Union (EU).

Overall, 147 outbreak cases have been reported by five EU countries, namely, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK). Cases have retrospectively been identified back to 2014. 122 cases since 1 January 2017, and 25 historical cases between 2014 and 2016. The United Kingdom is reporting most outbreak cases (129), with Finland (15), Denmark, Germany and Ireland (one case each) reporting the other cases. The Irish case was probably infected while visiting the United Kingdom. 

Based on the information available, the microbiological evidence suggests ready-to-eat products containing cucumbers as a possible vehicle of infection but, at present, there is insufficient epidemiological information available to support the microbiological evidence. Epidemiological investigations in the other affected countries did not generate any strong hypothesis about the vehicle or source of infection.

The rapid outbreak assessment is available here.

The Scottish Government has launched a video for  tick awareness. Top tips for fighting ticks can be accessed here.  

A family from Paisley have been awarded £247,000 in a ground breaking legal case after losing their mother from mesothelioma caused by second-hand exposure to asbestos.

This is the first time in Scotland in which a case has been successfully pursued on behalf of someone who suffered from secondary exposure to asbestos from their spouse’s clothes.

Mrs Adrienne Sweeney, who died in 2015, seven years after her husband passed away, was exposed to asbestos after coming into contact with dust from her husband’s work overalls. William Sweeney had worked for Babcock & Wilcox Limited at their boiler-making factory in Renfrew in the 1960s.

He brought his work clothes home to be washed by his wife who then suffered secondary exposure to asbestos and contracted mesothelioma.

Lawyers for the family said they were left in the difficult position of proving their case with their father not there to provide evidence of the working conditions at Babcock's.  However, a former colleague came forward on Mr Sweeney's behalf.

Mrs Sweeney’s daughter Kay Gibson said: “We are pleased that our case against Babcock International was successful. Most importantly this gives our late mother the justice she wanted in life and that we sought on her behalf after her painful and unnecessarily premature death.

“Our loving mother like so many other women in Scotland in the late 1960s and early 1970s supported her family by caring for her children and washing her husband’s overalls when he returned from a hard day’s work for employers who used deadly asbestos.

She added: "These women were unaware how unsafe it was to be handling the asbestos dust that came from these work clothes or of the contamination risk to their own and their families' lungs.

"We, her children, await to see if we will suffer the same fate.

"Babcock International have not won their case but it is wrong that ordinary bereaved families still have to individually battle the might of global corporations for justice for their late relatives in such situations."

The family’s lawyer Nicola Macara from Thompsons Solicitors said: “It is very regrettable that Babcock International Limited made the family go through the full court process hoping that, with all those central to the case being dead, they would successfully defend the action.

“Fortunately, we were able to lead credible and reliable evidence as a result of having taken both Mrs Sweeney’s and the late witness’ statements. This landmark case is a very positive outcome not only for the Sweeney family but for all Scots fighting to ensure that justice is done for sufferers of asbestos-related disease.”

The Green Apple Environment Awards, which began in 1994, is an annual campaign that aims recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world. 

Scottish companies and projects have two chances of success, because if you apply for a Scottish Green Apple Environment Award, that entry is also submitted into the UK category of the International Green Apple Awards. So, you could win a Scottish Award, presented in Scotland and a UK Award, presented in Houses of Parliament in London.

Beyond that, your entry could then be chosen to represent Scotland in the European Business Awards for the Environment, and Green Apple Award winners have an excellent success record in this Brussels-led initiative.

Not only do you have a unique opportunity to win three awards from one entry, you have three chances of success in each campaign, because there are Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in every category.

These awards are supported by REHIS and are free to enter and open to anyone who is helping the environment.

Any company, council or organisation can enter.  If they are successful, they also have the opportunity to have their winning paper published and become a Green World Ambassador.

Among the numerous benefits, this also gives them free entry into the Green World Awards where they represent their country as well as themselves. This prestigious awards ceremony is hosted in a different country each year.  Last year it was Dubai, and this year it will be in Turkey.

National Organiser Karl Tullett commented: “We have categories for every type of business, plus opportunities for councils, industry, community groups, charities and even individuals.

“Everyone stands an equal chance because our judges always take into consideration the different levels of resources that contenders have available, so small companies often beat their bigger competitors.”

Anyone can claim a free entry up to 30 September, but late entries are accepted until 31 October on payment of the £100 + vat Late Entry Fee.

If you, your company or council is doing anything that benefits the environment, then enter now for free for a Green Apple Award. Full details and online entry forms can be found here. 

The campaign is run by The Green Organisation – an international, independent, non-political, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world.

The world’s most advanced electric taxis, designed and built in the UK, have started appearing on the streets of Edinburgh, thanks to a deal that has been signed by the city’s Union Motor Company.

The electric taxi called the TX, designed by LEVC, uses eCity technology which combines a small petrol generator (known as a “range-extender”) with a class leading battery and proven electric powertrain. The vehicle is only ever driven by its powerful electric motor, however, the small petrol engine on-board can top-up the battery, should the driver be unable to charge.

As a result, these TX eCitys, which promise to dramatically cut driver’s fuel bills, will increasing appear on the capital’s roads.

As well as improving the city’s air quality, the TX’s new multi-filter system works to remove gases and particles from the incoming air. Also, an in-built air quality sensor also automatically closes the external air intake if it detects increased levels of pollution in the outside air.

The first TX was handed over to the Edinburgh cabbie, David McMillan, as part of the opening of the new dealership. Mr McMillan, who has been a cab driver for seven years, said: “These types of vehicle are the future – promising a smoother, more comfortable ride for passengers and will help clean up cities too. The fact I will be financially better off is a big bonus too.”

The technology will give drivers a range of up to 377 miles, and a zero emissions range of 80.6 miles. This set up means that the move to electric will save drivers on average £100 a week in fuel. The PCP finance contract the vehicle will cost £177 per week, which compares with £167 per week for the outgoing diesel vehicle. Mr McMillan, who usually covers 100 miles a day, estimates that he will save £458 per month from making the switch. Further cost savings come from service intervals that jump from 12,000 miles to 25,000 miles.

Union Motor Company have been chosen by LEVC to sell and service the next taxi in the city. They have installed two electric charge points at both their retail sites and have employed four new members of staff to sell and service the vehicle. In addition, several staff members have undergone rigorous training to ensure they are ready to service these electric vehicles.

Danny Flynn, founder of The Union Motor Company, said: “This is the future of all vehicles – they will be essential to protect our urban environment and improve air quality. We have always been a forward-thinking company and we like to be involved in the pioneering of any new technology. We are very excited to come on board and work on the new electric taxi and LEVC.”

There were also be added benefits to the passengers who will notice less vibration and noise in the passenger cabin, alongside charging points for mobile phones, wi-fi and space for six passengers.

Chris Gubbey, CEO of LEVC said: “Our purpose-built, passenger focused taxi, has been designed with the intention of getting more people in the back of cabs – offering the safest, cleanest, quietest and smoothest taxi ride yet. We are delighted to have had the support of Union Motor Company to deliver this vision for the taxi trade in Edinburgh – and I look forward to hearing about how drivers all get on in the new cab.”

The Scottish Government has published their A Healthier Future: Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan.

The vision set out in A Healthier Future: Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan is for a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight. As announced by the First Minister in May 2018, the delivery plan includes a guiding ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030. This a bold but necessary ambition to ensure that more of our children have a healthy weight, and avoid health complications later in life. 

The actions set out within the delivery plan provide clarity on how the Scottish Government, together with partners across the public and private sector, will help everybody in Scotland make healthier choices about food. This includes actions to ensure: 

• Children have the best start in life – they eat well and have a healthy weight 

• The food environment supports healthier choices

• People have access to effective weight management services 

• Leaders across all sectors promote healthy weight and diet

• Diet-related health inequalities are reduced

My Beach, Your Beach, Keep Scotland Beautiful's latest campaign to improve bathing waters at three well known beaches has been launched.

The campaign, funded by Scottish Government, will aim to make a difference by tackling littering, dog fouling and feeding gulls by those visiting the beach.

The campaign will be focusing on three beaches in particular:

• South Beach, Ayr
• Portobello Beach, Edinburgh
• Fisherrow Sands, Musselburgh

All three of the beaches selected for this campaign trial have faced challenges in improving the quality of their seawater as measured by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), whose research confirms the strong link between behaviour on the land and the cleanliness of the local seawater.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“This campaign is one of a number of measures to improve three of Scotland’s best loved beaches and bathing waters, which are enjoyed by thousands of people on a daily basis. Sadly, some of those users leave more than just footprints behind, with dog fouling and littering, which attracts gulls, impacting on water quality.

“Keeping our beaches and bathing waters clean is a priority for the Scottish Government, which is why we’re helping to fund Keep Scotland Beautiful’s campaign, and working closely with stakeholders to provide long term solutions to the problem.

“I know the people of Scotland will be keen to support the campaign, and I would encourage them to do so by carrying out some simple actions to help us all continue to enjoy Scotland’s amazing beaches and bathing waters.”

The campaign team were on Ayr South Beach at the launch to meet and inform local beach users of the importance of responsibly collecting and removing their rubbish from the beach at the end of their visit, not letting dogs foul the beach, and discouraging the feeding of gulls which then leads to further negative impact on the local environment.

Members of the public are urged to get involved in a #2MinuteCleanUp and share their successes on social media, and dog owners are encouraged to enter the ‘doggy portrait’ competition which could see their pets feature as the face of a dog fouling campaign  – reminding dog owners to ‘bag it and bin it’.

Nicola Turner, Community Projects Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, commented:

“We can all play a part in cleaning up our nation’s bathing waters, improving the experience at the seaside for locals and visitors alike. Whilst visitor behaviour is only part of the solution, by taking our litter home, bagging and binning dog poo, and not feeding the gulls, we can all be part of the solution and get cleaner water for us all to enjoy.

“The launch of our ‘My Beach, Your Beach’ campaign emphasises our shared responsibility, and we look forward to meeting lots more local beach users as the campaign period unfolds.”  

The pilot project covering the three beaches will trial a number of interventions, including:

• Business packs for local business including stickers, posters and information on how they can get involved,
• Colourful bin wraps with key campaign messaging,
• Signage around the beachfront raising awareness of the campaign,
• A series of community engagement events involving dogs, litter and gulls, communicating how these can seriously impact on water quality.

Councillor Ian Cochrane, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and the Environment, added:

“We’re extremely proud of our beaches in South Ayrshire and work incredibly hard throughout the year to keep them looking their best and to ensure   – as far as we can – that our bathing waters meet national standards.

“Where standards aren’t quite what we want them to be, we work closely with SEPA and other partners to address pollution issues – and visitor behaviour is one way to do that. By being responsible and picking up after ourselves and our dogs and making sure that we feed our bins, not the gulls, we can help reduce the amount of dog and bird poo and litter that makes its way into our waters.

“That’s even easier this year thanks to hundreds of new bins that are being put in place at our beaches in South Ayrshire. And, with tens of thousands of people flocking to our beaches during the summer, people power really can make a difference and allow us all to enjoy our stunning coastlines and My Beach, Your Beach.”  

The campaign is also designed to complement the range of work currently undertaken by SEPA on bathing water quality.

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said:

“Every day SEPA works to protect and enhance Scotland’s stunning environment, and we are committed to ensuring all of Scotland’s designated bathing waters meet water quality standards.

“By targeting behaviour on land that can affect bathing water quality Keep Scotland Beautiful’s ‘My Beach, Your Beach’ campaign will complement SEPA’s work. Recently Scotland has seen the best rates of compliance since the Bathing Water Directive began and by working in partnership we can further improve the quality of Scotland’s bathing waters including at Ayr South Beach, Portobello and Fisherrow Sands.

“Working with partners, we’re continuing our focus on bathing waters rated as ‘poor’, with tailored improvement plans prepared by SEPA. These projects will result in major improvements to bathing water quality in the future and should see improvements over the coming season.”

To watch as the campaign unfolds this summer, check out the My Beach, Your Beach pages and if you see any of the beach interventions tag with #MyBeachYourBeach.

Scottish Government funding will be made available to Local Authorities and Scottish Water to ensure that emergency supplies of drinking water are provided to communities where their private water supplies have run dry.

Although the vast majority of Scotland has access to public water supplies, nearly 4% of the population rely on private water supplies. The majority of these are from springs and burns which are vulnerable to lengthy periods of dry weather.

The recent Water Scarcity Report from The Scottish Environment Protection Agency shows that the river flows are low in many areas, increasing the risk that private supplies will run dry.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, and Finance and Economy Secretary Derek Mackay have written to all local authorities to ask them to work with Scottish Water to ensure that affected communities are provided with emergency supplies.

Announcing the additional funding, Finance and Economy Secretary Derek Mackay said:

“An adequate supply of drinking water is something that most of us take for granted. However, for those who are not connected to the public supply, this is not the case particularly in prolonged dry periods.

“We are determined to ensure that no one goes without drinking water because of the current dry spell. For this reason, I have confirmed to Local Authorities and Scottish Water that the Scottish Government will cover the additional costs incurred where emergency supplies need to be provided.

“Where communities are experiencing difficulties, they should contact their Local Authority for advice and assistance.

“I would urge everyone across Scotland, whether connected to the public or a private supply to use water wisely in the coming weeks to ease the pressure facing the water network and to help conserve water supplies.”

A collaboration of East Lothian Council, Scottish Fire and Rescue and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) are to form a multi-agency Rural Crime Campaign which is due to launch soon.

Derek Oliver, Service Manager – Protective Services, East Lothian Council said “This campaign is bringing partners closer together in targeting and addressing a host of activities that affect our rural communities and landscape. We believe by working in collaboration and sharing intelligence, we can create a hostile environment for those seeking to commit crime in the rural East Lothian.

East Lothian Council Leader, Willie Innes, added: “This campaign and the use of quad bikes to access our more remote areas will go a considerable way to deter those contemplating criminal acts. From the council’s perspective, we want to help reduce crime and the fear of crime by involving all members of the community and protecting those who are most vulnerable. We will be liaising with other stakeholders and opening channels for members of the public to inform us of their concerns so that we can target areas and activities most effectively.”

Police Inspector Andy Hill said “our officers based across East Lothian Police are committed to the prevention, investigation and reporting of all crimes that impact negatively on our rural communities. We are pleased to be working closely in partnership with East Lothian Council and other agencies towards this aim.”

Further details of the Rural Crime Campaign will be launched in the coming weeks.