Staff find more about dangers of diffuse pollution
Staff from Scottish Woodlands Ltd have been finding out more about the risks of diffuse pollution on forestry sites.
Members of the SWL team attended events to highlight the risks posed by diffuse pollution at four locations across Scotland.
The events included presentations and site visits and were supported by staff from both SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and Scottish Water, to help raise awareness and build closer networks between the organisations and the forestry sector.
Stuart Wilkie, Environment and Certification Manager for Scottish Woodlands Ltd, said: “These well-attended and very useful events led to plenty of positive discussion and feedback from the attendees.”
"The phrase ‘diffuse pollution’ refers to the release of pollutants from a range of different activities that might not have a significant effect on the local water environment individually, but can have a major impact collectively on a wider catchment scale."
Mr Wilkie added: “Diffuse pollution from forestry sites, essentially muddy water entering watercourses, is a potential problem which can have consequences for the environment downstream, including impacts on fish, invertebrates and drinking water supplies."
“These events emphasised the need to ensure that our forest management always takes full account of the potential for diffuse pollution and focuses on good planning and prevention techniques to control water on our sites."
“The events were a very useful refresher for our more experienced staff and a great training opportunity for our newer recruits via our Graduate Development Scheme.”