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“Improving bathing water quality to meet
EU standards is an Executive priority and millions of pounds are being
invested currently in new sewage treatment plants north, south and west
of Seamill, in Largs, Stevenston, Arran and Cumbrae to make the disposal
of raw sewage into the Clyde a bad habit of the past” said Mr Wilson.
“This investment is already paying
dividends with only five failures, NONE of which were in Ayrshire, at designated
bathing waters in Scotland this season compared to last season’s nine”
said Mr Wilson.
“It is not true, therefore and damaging
to the towns of Saltcoats and Irvine to claim that their beaches had ‘failed
to meet stringent EU pollution standards’ this is categorically not the
case “ said Mr Wilson
“The Scottish Environmental Protection
Agency (SEPA) is also carrying out a full analysis for non-identified waters
such as Seamill and will report on this in the Scottish Bathing Waters
2002 Report.”
“But research tells us that bathing
water quality is a complex issue affected by pollution from a variety of
sources such as industrial processes, rainwater from built up areas, our
climate and hard rock geology and land use practices”
“To address these factors locally
SEPA have focussed effort on diffuse pollution control and visited 700
farm steadings to promote good agricultural practice on silage, slurry
and fuel oil with regard to collection and disposal. This has met with
a very positive response from the agricultural community at a difficult
time for farmers and is an important factor in the related improvement
in water quality” said Mr Wilson.
“All effort, such as litter clearing
from beaches, to improve on this record is to be welcomed and I appreciate
the efforts of local campaigners in this regard. Reports this year point
towards an increase in marine litter from Clyde Coast traffic being responsible
in large part for washed up debris on the Ayrshire Coast and talks are
taking place between SEPA and Calmac and Irish Sea Ferries to eradicate
marine litter from that source.”
“I am also reviewing the legislative
framework on combating marine litter to see if we need to introduce new
legislation to protect our coastlines, “ said Mr Wilson.
All in all a great deal of money,
time and effort is being expended by Government and its’ agencies to complement
the efforts of local beach campaigners in Seamill and along the length
of the Ayrshire coast “ concluded Mr Wilson.
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