Around 400,000 cubic metres of sand are set to be pumped onto Lincolnshire’s beaches to reduce flood risk to more than 20,000 homes and businesses, 24,500 static caravans and 35,000 hectares of land in a massive Environment Agency-led project.

The Lincolnshire Beach Management project involves the raising of beach levels lost naturally to the sea, by dredging sand from the seabed and pumping it onshore. The work forms a key part of the Environment Agency’s management strategy for the Lincolnshire coast, which reduces coastal flood risk to thousands of homes, businesses and static caravans as well as agricultural land.

Reducing flood risk

The project started on 30 April at Boygrift. Over the course of the next eight weeks, the dredger will move to Trusthorpe, Mablethorpe, Ingoldmells, Trunch Lane, Wolla Bank, Chapel Six Marshes and Huttoft to complete the project for this year.

The HAM316 dredger, which has the lowest carbon footprint of its class, is operating continuously, delivering approximately 5,000 cubic metres of sand twice a day.

Mark Robinson, senior coastal advisor at the Environment Agency, said:

Our work to restore beach levels is important as it protects our coastal defences, such as sea walls, from the energy of the waves as they impact on the coast.

Our defences along the Lincolnshire coast help us reduce coastal flood risk to tens of thousands of homes and businesses as well as significant areas of agricultural land. By replenishing beaches, we extend the defences’ life.

The project also brings value to the bustling tourism economy on Lincolnshire’s coast, as without it Lincolnshire’s beaches would not be nearly as sandy.

Although the Environment Agency works around the clock to reduce flood risk to Lincolnshire’s coastal communities, the risk can never be eliminated completely.

Background

• The work to restore beach levels on Lincolnshire’s coast is part of the Lincolnshire Beach Management 2018-2021 scheme.
• With storms and flooding becoming more frequent and sea levels rising due to climate change, the Environment Agency has recognised a need to review whether the current coastal flood risk management approach will be sustainable in the long term for Lincolnshire. The agency has therefore been consulting with the public on six coastal flood risk options to work alongside beach nourishment as part of the Saltfleet to Gibraltar Point Strategy. This strategy will set out the most sustainable way of managing flood risk on this stretch of coast from 2021 to 2121. A draft strategy will be taken to consultation this summer.
• More details on the strategy and further information regarding times and locations of beach nourishment works are available online
• The Environment Agency is working to better protect more than 49,000 additional homes and businesses across Lincolnshire with £221m of government investment by 2021.

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for Radioactive Substances Activities. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement

These notices explain:

• what the consultation is about
• which Environment Agency office you can visit to see the application documents on the public register
• when you need to comment by

The Environment Agency will decide:

• whether to grant or refuse the application
• what conditions to include in the permit (if granted)

The National Waste Programme publishes a range of waste metrics to track progress and ensure that expected programme benefits are being delivered.

The metrics demonstrate:

• the successful diversion of waste away from disposal to the LLW Repository
• the optimal use of key national assets, such as the LLWR site and waste treatment facilities
• the safety and environmental performance of the National Programme.

The following site has exceeded the EU ozone public information threshold of 180 µg/m3:

• Bournemouth: µg/m3 – 16:00 BST

Public Health England advises that some people are more sensitive to ozone than others and may begin to notice an effect on their breathing. People with asthma are not necessarily more sensitive but, if affected, can use their ‘reliever’ inhaler to alleviate symptoms.

If affected, people are urged to take sensible precautions. In particular, avoiding exercise outdoors in the afternoon can reduce individual exposure to ozone.

If the legal threshold for ozone is again breached, further alerts will be issued on our website.

Forecasts, latest measurements and health advice are available on UK Air and via Defra’s freephone helpline (0800 556677). Updates on current and forecast levels of air pollution can also be found on Twitter (@DefraUKAir).

Further information:

• Ground level ozone is not emitted from any man-made sources in any significant quantities. It is formed when sunlight acts on nitrogen dioxide and other atmospheric substances close to the ground. The pollutants that cause ground level ozone come from a range of sources, including petrol and other fuels
• This alert has been triggered by a forecast of a HIGH level of ozone where significant health effects may be noticed by sensitive individuals, and action to avoid or reduce these effects may be needed. The EU Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) requires member states to provide information to the public when this level is reached
• Details of the Air Quality Index which classifies pollution as Low, Moderate, High, or Very High and gives health advice
• Information on the health effects of air pollution from the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP)

The Environment Agency proposes to have new and revised standard rules environmental permits to cover operation of medium combustion plant (MCP) and emission controls on generators.

The standards within the rule sets have already been imposed by the Medium Combustion Plant Directive and Specified Generator Regulations and are being implemented through the rules. They contain additional rules on the objectives that need to be achieved, such as management of the MCP or generator.

We are asking for your views on whether the use of new standard rules are appropriate for the environmental permitting of MCPs and specified generators. We also welcome your views on the use of a single standard permit issued to a specific operator for a number of MCPs at different locations.

We will use your responses to help develop the standard rules sets. We aim to publish the new standard rules sets in July 2018.

The new standard rules permits are an efficient way of regulating for both operators and the Environment Agency. They will also protect the environment from pollution.