The main causes and trends in agricultural pollution in Scotland, are reported in the Scottish Agricultural Pollution Group’s newly-published Annual Review.

The Review focuses on some of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) pollution prevention work from the previous 12 months and provides advice on good agricultural practice. This year, the Review has articles on:

• The Groundwater Regulations 1998
• Preventing Soil Erosion
• Agricultural Pollution Prevention Work in SEPA East Region
• Environmental Opportunities in Agriculture

Alan Virtue sees the Review partly as a snapshot of what the Group were concentrating on last year, but stressed: "It is also forward-looking - the Group cannot afford to stand still. For example, the commitment by government that agricultural waste, with only a few exceptions, will be brought within the scope of the controlled waste regime is sure to exercise the Group considerably over the next few months. This is why we are so keen, for example, to promote the idea of waste minimisation on farms. Intensive pig and poultry farmers will also begin to learn more of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations and how this will begin to affect their businesses."

Copies of the Pollution Review are now available, free of charge, from offices of SEPA, Scottish Agricultural College and the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department.

NOTES

*The Scottish Agricultural Pollution Group (SAPG) comprises representatives from SEPA, SAC and the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department. As part of its remit, the SAPG seeks to encourage good farming practice as a means of minimising pollution of soil, air and water and acts as a forum for the exchange of a range of information related to agricultural pollution. The Group also makes recommendations to Government departments on draft legislation and promotes initiatives for investigative work.