Wiltshire Council to spend £820,000 combating nitrate pollution
WC is to allocate the money, including £225,000 in the current financial year, to clean up farms on the county estate to attempt to make them compliant with the European Commission Nitrates Directive. The purpose of the directive is to prevent contamination of ground water. Farms in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) have to build secure slurry stores to prevent leakage, and are restricted as to when they can spread slurry. The Directive comes into force on January 1st 2012. Since the Environment Agency estimates it can take up to 18 months for an affected farm to achieve compliance WC could be accused of leaving things a bit late, and WC director Carlton Brand accepts that the council will be at risk of prosecution.