View report page

In future years, as all the various improvement schemes near fruition and there is the anticipated
improvement, the marine environment will be used increasingly for amenity and marine
sports. Some risk to the public health will remain and health authorities will need to review the
sanitary condition of their districts from year to year and in order to do so they should by
mandatory or friendly consultation keep themselves informed of preventive measures being
introduced inland or up river.
The Department of the Environment, in a letter dated 1st April, 1971, to the Clerks to Local
Planning Authorities, with copies to the Clerks to all Local Authorities in England relating to
(1) Pollution of Inland Waters; and (2) Safety of Aircraft and the pollution of water sources and
supplies, stressed the need to make formal arrangements for local planning authorities to carry
out certain consultations with the appropriate river authority, water undertakings or waterways
board.
It is interesting to note that in London, the Thames is becoming so clean that as well as
20 species of fish having returned to the estuary and lower and middle rivers, colonies of shellfish
are developing, the consumption of which by the public without some form of cleansing,
could represent a health hazard.
Sea and Air Port Health Authorities are particularly interested in many of the national and
international sources of marine pollution as they may from time to time affect their functions,
duties and judgement not only in relation to the health and well being of ships' crews and inward
passengers, but also to imported foodstuffs. It should be remembered that the Aberdeen Typhoid
outbreak was considered to have occurred because of the use of the River Rio de la Plata polluted
water in the cooling processes of the canning factory, It is important to read press reports,
including the marine press, as quite frequently such reports as appear from time to time, are often
well ahead of official notices and advice from the World Health Organisation and Government
sources, and early consideration can be given to relevant matters.
It is interesting to consider on an international note, that LASH lighters are required by
U.S.A. Quarantine Regulations, to be thoroughly hosed down with pressure jets to remove any
contamination or pollution picked up in European coastal waters or canals which may be carried
over to the Mississippi River and associated waters.
The third of the major priorities mentioned by the Minister of the Environment, that, is
Local Government reform, is awaited. On the pollution front, as well as the Committee's reports
mentioned in this paper, the Central Advisory Water Committee Report has been published (18).
They have recommended that the present 200 water undertakers should be reduced to between 6
and 15. The 1,300 sewerage and sewage disposal authorities and the 29 river authorities and the
water undertakers should be replaced by between 7 and 13 multi-purpose regional water authorities.
The West German Government are suggesting a meeting of all North Sea States to draw up interim
regulations to check marine pollution and have circulated an aide memoire (19). The Minister
for the Environment announced in the House of Commons (20) that an international policy on
marine pollution is urgently needed and a regional agreement concerning the North Sea and
English Channel would be the most productive way to move ahead. All of this indicates a national
and international deep concern over marine pollution in all its aspects and no nation should be
permitted to dump its wastes to river or sea where by natural flow or ocean current it pollutes
another nation's marine environment.