The latest efforts of HELCOM’s Baltic Sea programme deletes a further 17 ‘hot spots’ from their hit list, along with 51 cleared over the past decade. Of the 81 remaining, the Programme’s chairman, Göte Svenson, is optimistic that the majority will be fully restored by the programme’s deadline in 10 years time.
The latest hot spots to be tackled included chemical, copper, oil refinery, wastewater and poultry plants in Poland, a fish farm in Finland and a smelter in Sweden.
The on-going programme monitors technical and environmental problems encountered at the hot spots and finances pollution abating measures. The programme is also preparing for the inclusion of eight Baltic Sea countries into the European Union, says HELCOM.