The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments The

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments The Water Framework Directive was transposed into law in EU Member States at the end of 2003. Nearly two years on, do we understand the implications for sediment management? Presentation by Jan Brooke 28 th September 2005

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Scope of presentation • WFD objectives • Natural role of sediments in coastal and estuarine waters • Sediments and characterisation • Sediments in River Basin Management Plans • Article 16 (priority substances and priority hazardous substances) • Practical implications

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Introduction to the WFD • Important, far-reaching legislation: ambitious in scope and programme • New integrated approach to water protection, improvement and sustainable use • Applies to all water bodies, including rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters, and man-made water bodies (eg. docks, canals) • Various potential implications for sediment management

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments WFD environmental objectives • • • Sustainable water management Prevent deterioration in status* Restore to good status* by 2015 Reduce pollution from priority substances and phase out emissions, discharges, etc. of priority hazardous substances Achieve objectives for EU protected areas * a measure of chemical and ecological quality

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Environmental targets WFD introduces status classes: high, good, moderate, poor and bad • Surface water bodies must achieve • good ecological status (GES) or if designated as a Heavily Modified or Artificial Water Body, good ecological potential (GEP) and • good chemical status

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments ECOLOGICAL STATUS { { Slight HIGH GOOD { MODERATE Major { POOR Severe { BAD Moderate Restore No or very minor Prevent deterioration Ecological Status Explained

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments WFD timetable • By end 2004: characterisation and risk • • assessment • By end 2006: monitoring in place By end 2007: significant water management issues By end 2008: draft River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) • By end 2009: final RBMPs • By end 2012: measures in place • By end 2015: good status achieved

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments WFD coastal and estuarine waters

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Natural role of sediment in coastal and estuarine waters • Important part of natural ecosystem • Diversity of habitats • Variation in suspended sediment levels (background; in storm conditions) • Supply to intertidal areas • Problem of ‘coastal squeeze’ • Protected sites under EU Birds and Habitats Directives • Sediment management as mitigation and compensation requirement

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments and characterisation • Lack of reference to sediments in WFD • Materials in suspension listed as contaminant • England Wales: sediment in run off from • agricultural land • No consideration of sediment in coastal and estuarine waters Hydromorphological pressures include navigation dredging and disposal of dredged material

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments England Wales: initial risk assessment At risk or ‘probably at risk’ of failing to meet good status due to physical modification • 87% estuarine area • 91% coastal water area At risk or ‘probably at risk’ of failing to meet good status due to TBT contamination • 31% estuarine area • 15% coastal water area

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments ‘At risk’ water bodies • Subject to ‘refinement’ exercise • May meet criteria for heavily modified or artificial water body designation • Subject to monitoring requirements • ‘Programmes of measures’ required to protect and/or improve water status • Implications for management of water body and activities affecting it

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments in River Basin Management Plans • Statutory plans • Will cover all water bodies, including coastal • waters out to a minimum of one nautical mile Will define the ‘measures’ required to meet WFD objectives • Will provide the mechanism whereby future water use and activities affecting water will be managed

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments WFD programmes of measures • Protection and restoration measures • Informed by characterisation and monitoring results • May be national, regional or local • May be statutory or non-statutory • Potential to affect sediment management • To be in place by 2012 • Ecological and chemical objectives to be achieved by 2015

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Exemptions • Economics has an important role in WFD • Not intended to achieve objectives ‘at any cost’ • Programmes of measures must be cost-effective • Less stringent targets or extended deadlines may be set for specific bodies of water where the achievement of the required quality is otherwise not feasible or is disproportionately expensive

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Article 16 • Article 16 requires measures to reduce discharges, emissions and losses of priority substances and to phase out same for priority hazardous substances • To be implemented via proposed daughter Directive • Mandatory environmental quality standards (EQS) to be considered for water, sediments and biota

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Current situation • Daughter Directive not expected before October or November 2005 • Sediment EQSs unlikely • Concerns about science used to derive water column standards (eg. suspended solids concentration assumed low; bioavailability of adsorbed contaminants not taken into account) • If daughter Directive not agreed by end 2006, Member States to develop own standards

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Sediment management issues • Contamination may be historic rather than current source • Particular concern over standards for TBT as proposed in 2004 • Possibility of failure of whole water sample (but often no significant environmental effects) • Other important questions (eg. definition of ‘loss to system’) • Implications for dredging and disposal?

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Practical implications • Possibility of constraints on sediment • management activities such as dredging and disposal (eg. dredging technique, overflow mechanisms, aquatic disposal) • Likelihood of increased costs (participation, enforcement, data collection, investigations, mitigation measures, etc. ) • Delays and uncertainties Potential for conflict with EU Birds and Habitats Directives

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Conclusions (1) Q: Two years into WFD implementation, are we any the wiser about its possible implications for sediment management? A: Probably not! But ………

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments Conclusions (2) • WFD has potentially significant implications for sediments and sediment management • Need to ensure sediment issues are properly considered in both characterisation process and River Basin Management Planning • Article 16 draft daughter Directive still under discussion • Vital to ensure that decisions are well-informed and scientifically robust

The EU Water Framework Directive and Sediments What can we do? • Actively participate in WFD implementation • Engage with those responsible for WFD implementation • Ensure that there are no misunderstandings • Highlight the rigorous investigations already required as prerequisite to most sediment management initiatives • Provide data to inform WFD decision making • Demonstrate that sediment management can have environmental as well as economic benefits