HELCOM to develop new measures to reduce dioxin pollution

Bonn, 3 June (HELCOM) – Experts from the Helsinki Commission will develop a new Recommendation for the Baltic Sea coastal countries to further reduce dioxin pollution in the Baltic Sea. The proposal to develop the new measures was discussed at the regular meeting of the HELCOM Land-based Pollution Group (HELCOM LAND), which took place in Bonn 31 May - 2 June. The Meeting was focused on further actions to combat eutrophication and reduce pollution of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea.

HELCOM LAND strongly supported the development of a HELCOM Recommendation on Environmental Friendly Practice for the reduction and prevention of emissions of dioxins from small scale combustion with a view that this document will be adopted at the next HELCOM Commission Meeting in March 2006.

“Diffuse sources, such as combustion appliances in households and small enterprises are significant sources of dioxins which are difficult to address,” said Kaj Forsius, Professional Secretary at the Helsinki Commission. “That is why it is important to raise awareness on good practices of combustion and the importance to e.g. avoid waste burning in domestic combustion appliances”. The main aim of this Recommendation is to disseminate information on the environmentally friendly practices of small scale combustion in the coastal countries, said Kaj Forsius.

Among other issues, the HELCOM LAND Meeting also considered the deletion of four Lithuanian cities from the HELCOM list of the Baltic Sea most significant pollution source Hot Spots.

HELCOM LAND agreed that the capital of Lithuania Vilnius is ready to be deleted from the list, since major reductions in pollution loads have been achieved after modernisation of the wastewater treatment plant in recent years. The Meeting also noted the good progress in reduction of pollution at Hot Spots No. 57 (the city of Marijampole) and No. 58 (the city of Alytus). The final decision to remove these Lithuanian Hot Spots from the list of major polluters in the Baltic Sea region will be made at the HELCOM Heads of Delegations Meeting, which will take place on 14-15 June. The HELCOM LAND Meeting in general also welcomed the reduction of pollution loads from the wastewater treatment plant in Lithuania’s third largest city of Klaipeda, but could not yet support the deletion of this municipality from the Hot Spot list, since the HELCOM requirement for phosphorus has been exceeded in the wastewater.

A list of the most significant pollution source Hot Spots around the Baltic Sea was first drawn up under the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) in 1992. Today, 89 Hot Spots or sub-Hot Spots remain on the list, following the deletion of 60 of the original 149 Hot Spots/sub-Hot Spots, the last 2 of which were deleted in 2004. Investment and remediation projects carried out at pollution Hot Spots around the Baltic Sea have contributed substantially towards overall pollution load reductions in the Baltic Sea catchment area.

Contacts

HELCOM Secretariat

Mr Kaj Forsius
Professional Secretary
Tel: +358 9 62202221
Fax: +358 9 62202239

Mr Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 9 6220 2235
Fax: +358 9 6220 2239