HELCOM passes 50% mark in elimination of Baltic Sea pollution hot spots

Helsinki, 21 June (HELCOM Information Service) - The Heads of Delegation of the HELCOM member countries, meeting in the Finnish capital on 20-21 June 2007, approved the removal of another major hot spot from the list of the Baltic Sea’s most significant pollution sources, now resulting in a more than 50% elimination of the originally designated 162 pollution hot spots in the region.

“The latest removal is the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Tychy Urbanowice (near Katowice) in Poland. This plant has made major investments in waste water treatment techniques resulting in significant reduction of pollution and now fulfils the HELCOM requirements for municipal waste waters,” said Kaj Forsius, HELCOM’s Professional Secretary.

The Hot Spots List of the most significant point sources of pollution around the Baltic Sea was first drawn up under the HELCOM Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) in 1992. The hot spots were designated by an international group of scientists, engineers, environmental managers, bankers and national representatives, according to practical economic considerations as well as the seriousness of their impact on the environment and human health. The objective of the JCP is to facilitate the implementation of pollution reduction measures at the most polluted sites in the Baltic Sea catchment area. This programme, which should be completed by 2012 at the latest, specifies a series of actions to be undertaken at pollution hot spots. The most notorious hot spots are point sources such as municipal facilities and industrial plants. But the programme also covers pollution from agricultural areas and rural settlements, and sensitive areas, such as coastal lagoons and wetlands where special environmental measures are needed.

Certain hot spots have been split into sub-hot spots in order to facilitate their management and actions to reduce pollution. Currently, a total of 80 hot spots and sub-hot spots remain on the list, following the deletion of 82, including today’s, of the earlier identified 162 hot spots/sub-hot spots.

Alleviating pollution at hot spots involves considerable investments. In 1992 it was estimated that total funding of 18 billion ECU would be needed to finance the necessary measures at all the hot spots. Today, the clean up costs at the remaining hot spots could be roughly estimated at 9-11 billion Euros.

Investments 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. Water quality in many coastal waters of the Baltic Sea has improved considerably since 1992, reflecting welcome progress in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater. 

 “Successful efforts to remediate hot spots show the strong commitment of the HELCOM countries to eliminate all hot spots in the Baltic Sea catchment area. The remedial actions at the hot spots should be seen as major steps towards achieving a cleaner marine environment. These ongoing activities are also going to be part of the strategic HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, which is currently being drafted to drastically reduce pollution to the Baltic Sea and restore it’s good ecological status”, said Forsius.

Note to Editors:

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, more usually known as the Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organisation of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution. 

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," known as the Helsinki Convention.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Kaj Forsius

Professional Secretary

HELCOM

Tel.: +358 (0)207 412 621

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: kaj.forsius@helcom.fi

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi