prop · GE0390 · 1990-12-31 00:00:00 — Theoverall objective in working with regional air pollutants is to limit theiremissions to a level at which no damage to nature occurs and human health is protected.This means that the production capacity of ecosystems is to be maintained, andthat the number of naturally occurring species is not to be markedly disturbed.Soil and water are to constitute a chemically and biologically balanced system.It must be possible to use animals and plants as food, at no risk to human oranimal health. Theseobjectives necessitate a reduction in sulphur deposition in south-westeraSweden and a reduction in the province of , in relation to the 1980levels. Nitrogen deposition must be reduced by in the southem and westeraparts of . Background levels of ozone should be reduced by 10 ,and the episodically high levels by in southem and mid-Sweden. Furtherreductions may be necessary in order to protect the most sensitive types ofnatural environments. In the Action Plan tocounteract air pollution and acidification adopted in 1985 by the Riksdag, it is stated that Swedish sulphur emissions should be reduced by during the period from 1980 to 1995. Nitrogen oxide emissions should, pursuant to the Riksdag's decision, be reduced by 24 between1980 and 1995. A 1988 Riksdag statement in response to the Prop. 1990/91:90Goverament on Environmental Policy stipulated that sulphur emissionsshould be decreased by between 1980 and 2000, and that the potential fordecreasing nitrogen oxides by between 1980 and 2000 should be investigated. Inthe assessment of the Goverament, the decisions which have been implemented todate should be sufficient to decrease Swedish sulphur emissions by by 1995,in relation to the 1980 level. The measures being stipulated here should makeit possible to reduce emissions by by the year 2000. Nitrogenoxide developments are more problematical, particularly as there has been agreater increase in traffic than was estimated in 1985 when the target valuewas set. New estimates indicate that emissions from and off-road andutility vehides are considerably greater than was prcviously known, and thus a30% decrease by 1995 poses a greater challenge than was apparent when thetarget values were set. Extensive measures need to be taken to achieve thistarget. is going to work actively for common programmes in EFTA and theEC, in order to reduce deposition to levels at which human health and natureare not härmed. This is the only way to bring levels in below thecritical loads. Inthe opinion ofthe Goverament, the emission target set prcviously for nitrogenoxides by the Riksdag should remain the guideline for future work. It istechnically feasible to reduce inputs of nitrogen oxides from traffic toacidification and eutrophication substantially by the year 2010. The measuresbeing proposed in the present provide a point of departure from whichthis development can take place. The regulations for air traffic and shippingare interaationally rooted, and require the implementation of measures jointlyby many nations. An interaational agreement is also necessary for off-road andutility vehides in order to make the regulations more stringent. Theestablishment of an emission target for the year 2000 should therefore, in theopinion of the Goverament, be postponed until both reduction and acceptancein international negotiations have been ensured. TheGoverament considers that measures should be taken to reduce emissions ofammonia. The objective for future work is a reduction of ammonia emissionsin southera by 1995. The potential for cutting back emissions by halfbefore the year 2000 is being investigated. TheGoverament is also proposing a new interim objective for emissions of volatileorganic compounds, i. e. a reduction by the year 2000, in relation to the1988 level. The requircments for vehicle exhaust emissions which have alreadybeen adopted are a major step towards achieving this objective. , theGoverament presents measures to limit the use of solvents. Asubstantial proportion of the sulphur and nitrogen deposition in comes from foreign sources. Swedish emissions are also dissemin- ated to other countries. For these reasons, a strategy to decrease acidifica tion and nitrogen saturation must encompass both emission limits in and international cooperation to reduce emissions. A number of measures arepresented in this to bring about further Prop. 1990/91:90 reductions ofsulphur emissions, particularly from industrial processes, energy generationplants, and fuels. It is the assessment ofthe Government that the sum of thesemeasures will lead to a more than reduction in total Swedish sulphuremissions by the year 2000, in relation to the 1980 level. Aneffective strategy to combat nitrogen oxide emissions requires theimplementation of additional measures in the traffic sector. Emissions ofnitrogen oxides from industries and large combustion plants will also have tobe reduced. , the Goverament presents such measures. Theextensive Action Plan being proposed by the Goverament is expected to lead toan approximately decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions by 1998. Ammoniaspreads över shorter distances than sulphur and nitrogen oxides. This meansthat there will be a greater relative effect of measures taken in toreduce ammonia deposition here than of correspond-ing measures for sulphur andnitrogen oxides. Emissionsof volatile organic compounds must be reduced by at least in most of Européin order to limit the health and environmental effects of high ozone levels onthe surface of the earth. than of these emissions are attributable totraffic. In addition to existing measures, the measures being proposed by theGoverament in this for the traffic sector will bring about a reduction ofemissions of at least from the traffic sector by the year 2000. Use ofcertain solvents in industry and in goods and products should also be sharplyrestricted. It is estimated that the total effect of all such measures would besufficient to achieve the emission target of a reduction of volatile organiccompounds by the year 2000 in relation to the 1988 levels. Inthe opinion of the Goverament, the use of environmentally-hazardous organicsolvents must cease by 1 January 1995. The chlorinated solvents in widespreaduse today must, therefore, be phased out, primarily through Europeancooperation. Inaddition to emission limits, liming is needed in the environment as a defenseagainst the deleterious effects of acidification. Liming may also contribute toreducing the levels of mercury and radioactive caesium. Powdered limestonetreatment of lakes and watercourses may be necessary for a long period of time.The pilot projects for liming of soil and fertilization to improve thevitality of the are to be completed. , the Government proposessubstantial expansion of the liming programme. Inthe opinion ofthe Goverament, there needs to be sharp limitation of transboundary air pollutants all över Northera Europé. This requires international cooperation. The fomm for international cooperation is cooperation under the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Trans boundary . Under the 1979 Convention, there are 26 bindingProtocols on reductions of sulphur and nitrogen emissions, which Prop.1990/91:90 has ratified. The 1985 Sulphur Protocol establishes a minimum30% reduction of sulphur emissions between 1980 and 1993. The 1988 NitrogenProtocol establishes a stabihzation of nitrogen oxides at the 1987 level nolåter than in 1994. A large number of West European nations, including ,have made a separate dedaration, adopted in conjunc-tion with the 1988Convention meeting in , in which they have undertaken to reduce emissionsof nitrogen oxides by roughly by 1998, with optional baseline years between1980 and 1985. Work under the Convention is currently focused on amendment ofthe Protocols on sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions, and on a new protocol onlimitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds. In the opinion oftheGoverament, in contrast to previous agreements, these target levels must beformulated on the basis of critical loads. This means that new measuresimplemented to achieve emission reductions will be different for differentnations or groups of nations, and that requircments for Northera and SouthernEuropé will not have to be the same. Thiswill make it possible to bring sulphur deposition levels in southera andcontinental Europé down below the critical loads. Estimates indicate that theper capita emissions corresponding to those reached in western would besufficient to achieve this target, with the most extensive measures needing tobe implemented in eastera and . It is anticipated that thesereductions will be brought about as a result of economic change, and as aconsequence ofthe discontinuation of subsidies on domestic coal. In WesteraEuropé, is the nation which will have to implement more extensivemeasures than have been planned to date in order to bring levels below thecritical loads. Itis the intention of the Government to work towards the signing of a newagreement among nations on the limitation of sulphur emissions nolater than . will also work towards the signing of an agreement onvolatile organic compounds as soon as possible. Morestringent regulations on vehicle exhaust emissions will be necessarythroughout Europé in order to limit nitrogen deposition. The Goveramentintends to continue working towards achieving such agreements. will worktowards the implementation of standards for light and heavy vehides in the ECand EFTA nations, no later than , corresponding to those being implementedfederally in the in 1994. In Eastera Europé, regulations on emission limitscorresponding to those which can be achieved through catalytic exhaustpurification need to be implemented. It is necessary to implement measures fortractors and diesel-fuelled railways throughout Europé by the year 2000. Measureson and should also be taken within the framework ofinternational agreements. 2.3 Theenvironment in urban areas Governmentproposals: The guideline for future work is that the air quality is to beimproved so as to eliminate remaining risks to human health resulting fromemission of air poUutants from traffic, industry or energy generation. Thevaluable cultural environments of our cities are to be maintained. Municipalplanning is to satisfy the need for green befts in and near urban areas. Bythe year 2000, the levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide,soot and partides are to be below the target loads set by the . The objective of these target loads is toeliminate acute health effects. Emissionsof carcinogens should be reduced by in urban areas, if the level oflong-term health effects is to be reasonable. As an interim goal, they are tobe halved by 2005. Noise in urbanareas should be brought below the current guidelines ofthe . Mostofthe air pollutants which contribute to global and regional environmentalproblems originate from traffic, industrial processes and energy generation.This extensive concentration of environmentally-dismptive operations to urbanareas also leads, in some cases, to local problems owing to air pollution. interaational perspective, the environment in Swedish urban areas is good.Major emissions with heafth-endangering effects, such as soot and sulphurdioxides, have been substantially reduced since the early 1970s. Workto reduce emissions from major stationary sources, such as energy generationplants and industries, has been successful. The implementation of districtheating systems and electric heating have been important contributing factors.The concomitant increase in transportation has meant that traffic is now thelargest remaining source of urban pollution. Emissions per vehicle,particularly of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons from passenger cars, have,however, decreased substantially in recent years as a result of theimplementation of strict regulations on vehicle exhaust emissions. In the assessment oftheGovernment, decisions taken to date will lead to decreases in the levels ofsulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in urban areas. Sootlevels are low in Swedish urban areas as compared with target loads, but shouldstill be further decreased in light of the risk of cancer. Manyindividuals in urban areas, mainly in the large cities, are exposed to levelsof air poUution above those which are considered to characterize a goodenvironment. The target loads for air quality set for certain pollutants bythe are being exceeded onheavily-trafficked roads in urban areas where large numbers of people Prop.1990/91:90 live and work. Target loads for nitrogen oxides are also beingexceeded in whole parts of and , for example. Themost severe health risk from air pollution in urban areas, according to currentestimates, is the increased risk of cancer. The research being carried out bythe on the environment in urban areasindicates for instance, that the number of cases of cancer caused by airpollutants is in the order of magnitude of 1,000 per year. Allergiesand other types of over-sensitivity have increased in the general populationin the last few decades. The reasons for this are uncertain, but it is probablethat various environmental factors play a role. Air pollutants constitute onesuch environmental factor. Noisefrom different sources may disturb people's work, sleep and relaxation, as wellas cause psychosomatic disorders. studies indicate that noise can, forinstance, affect the cardiovascular system. Traffic accounts for the västmajority of the noise disturbances in urban areas. Pollutionalso causes many materials to degenerate rapidly, which leads in tura to corrosionand other damage to and facilities. This also means that cufturalmonuments of stone, metal and glass are being threatened with destmction. Forexample, several of the porticos on our medieval churches, and most of theseventeenth century ornamentation on palaces and private homes, were sculptedin sandstone from . This lime-bound type of sandstone is more sensitiveto chemical corrosion than most types of rock. Despite radical reductions inthe level of sulphur dioxide in Swedish urban air in the 1980s, the situationis serious in many urban areas. Thebuild-up of urban areas sometimes makes it more difficuft for people to get torecreational areas. Good physical planning is necessary in order to expandresidential areas, service facilities and transportation arrangements and atthe same time to preserve both valuable cultural monuments and ensure access toparks, large recreational areas and green belts between different city areas. Largeareas near cities, offering sedusion, even from noise disturbance, and spöts ofoutstanding natural , are to be given long-term protection in municipaland regional planning wherever possible. Theaesthetic, historical and functional properties of should serve asguidelines for municipal planning. Bringing this traditional kind of planninginto line with newer, tougher requircments for clean systems will make itpossible to create a good living environment in our urban areas. 2.3.2Environmental objectives for the urban areas Theoverall environmental objectives for the urban areas are to protect the population from harmful health effects attributable, for instance, to air pollution and noise, and to give all people a good housing, work, traffic 29 Valuable cultural environments are to be Prop.1990/91:90 must be managed expediently and Itis the opinion of the Government that the guidelines established by the for air quality in the next century must besatisfied in all urban areas. A guideline for future work should be thereduction by half of the emission of carcinogens, as a first step. Municipalitiesbear a great deal of responsibility for local environments. The guidelines foracceptable air quality established by the Swedish Environmental ProtectionAgency are already in use, and are an important planning instrament. In thefuture, urban planning should, in the opinion of the Government, be moreexplicitly based on existing environmental regulations. Good planning can, forinstance, lead to a decreased need for transportation. Industries which mayaffect human health should be located at suitably safe distances fromresidential areas and public places. Sufficient areas should be earmarked forrecreation and outdoor activities. Municipal planning, pursuant to Act, for example, will fundamentally determine what kind ofenvironment we will have in our urban areas. Increased use of district-basedheating is one effective way of decreasing levels of sulphur dioxide in urbanair, and has already produced good results. Roadtraffic has increased greatly in the last 10 to 20 years. stringentexhaust regulations and the introduction of unleaded petrol are improving motortraffic greatly. However, increased amounts of traffic may counteract theanticipated environmental improvements. The Government has therefore appointedspecial negotiators for , and , to find solutions tothe environmental and accessibility problems caused by traffic in these areas.These negotiators have presented their proposals for agreements to implementmeasures affecting the traffic system and local traffic planning. The proposalsare dealt with in terms of industry and trade in the Government on anIndustrial Policy for Increased Growth. So that these agreements will be ableto attain their full effects, they will be followed up with stricterregulations on vehides and fuel. For this reason, the Government is proposing atightening up of regulations on vehides and fuel in extensive Europeancooperation, both generally and specifically for urban traffic. TheGovernment is proposing that the environmental of fuel oils be changedto provide even greater incentives to using environment-friendly fuels. Cleanerfuels make the biggest difference in urban areas. Economic incentives will alsobe implemented to further stimulate the development of clean technologies andof cleaner vehides. Noiseis primarily a problem in residential areas, where noise distur bances from different activities have increased successively. Noise-reduc- tion measures implemented at the source alleviate such disturbances. These measures are often cost-efficient, but their disadvantage is that it takes a long time for them to reach full effect. In many existing environ ments it is not possible to reduce noise from vehides sufficiently to obtain 30 a good qualityenvironment, using the best available abatement technol- Prop. 1990/91:90 ogy.For the foreseeable future, it will therefore be necessary to use other meansof preventing noise from reaching residential areas and other sensitive areas.Such measures must be considered in light of other pressing environmentalimprovement measures, and will have to be carried out with the existingfinancial resources. The authorities should be given broader sectoralresponsibility for noise reduction. All sectors must, in the opinion oftheGovernment, go on working to prevent and minimize noise disturbance. Particulatelevels have decreased in recent years, but are still relatively high in urbanareas. The readings that are available indicate that current levels areequivalent to the proposed target loads. As partides are the bearers ofcarcinogens and can also cause allergies, it is vital to further decrease theirlevels in urban air. For this reason, it is the opinion ofthe Goverament thatthe guideline for future work should, as a first step, be to achieve a reductionof emissions by 2005. Themeasures now being proposed by the Government to improve the urban environmentwill take full effect in the late I990s and at the beginning ofthe nextcentury. For the next 10 to 20 years, road traffic is going to have a decisiveeffect on air quality in urban areas. The guidelines on air quality (carbonmonoxide, nitrogen oxides, soot and partides) established by the will probably be attain-able early in the nextcentury on the basis of the measures now being proposed. Themost difficult target to attain will be a substantial reduction of particulateemissions. It will be possible, however, with more stringent regulations onboth exhaust purification and diesel fuel. City planning, improvements inpublic transportation and traffic planning will also enable the implementationof further measures. Wastemanagement is a particular problem in urban areas. Measures already taken bythe Government have made it possible to initiate inven-tory and planning workat the municipal level not only for domestic waste, but for all types of waste.The ultimate objective is to increase municipal responsibility for wastemanagement. Further municipal measures need to be taken, especially with regardto separation and collection of different waste fractions, and for recyclingand other suitable management of waste products. Increasedreuse and recycling will be necessary to achieve better resource managementand reduce waste quantities. Sometimes, too, waste contains toxins which, ifthey are leached out into the natural system, can severely disturb theenvironment. landfills also pose actual spatial and aesthetic problems inthe landscape, and often stånd in conflict with other types of land use, particularlyin and around urban areas. Theaquatic environment in urban areas has been improved in recent decades. Almostall cities in near lakes or watercourses or along the coasts have goodor excellent opportunities for outdoor bathing. There may be a need for furtherregulations on effluent treatment in some areas. 2.4Natural resources and nature conservation Governmentproposals: The following guidelines are to apply to use of natural resourcesand conservation ofthe natural environment: Renewableresources are to be used within the framework provided by the productioncapacity of the ecosystem. Use of non-renewable resources is to becharacterized, even more than at present, by responsible management. Biologicaldiversity and genetic variation are to be ensured. Animal and plantcommunities are to be maintained so that species of plants and animalsoccurring naturally in have the potential to survive in their naturalhabitats and in quantities that will ensure their continued procreation. Foreignspecies or organisms subjected to genetic mutation are only to be introducedwith great restriction, and under satisfactory conditions to ensure that theconditions required by the indigenous flora and fauna are not jeopardized. In addition toguidelines, the Government is also proposing amendment ofthe NatureConservation Act. Resources for care and maintenance of nature reserves and forwork with threatened species will be allocated an additional SEK30 million forthe coming budget year. Swedenis a wealthy nation in many respects, for instance in terms ofthe greatavailability of natural resources. Our are part of our culture, andgive many of the inhabitants of important opportunities to enjoy nature.The shape the landscape, and occupy half the land area of Sweden.Agriculture accounts for production of most of our food, and contributes tovariation in the cuftural and natural landscapes. The welfare of the nationis highly dependent on natural resources associated with the soil, hydropower,and other aspects of the physical environment. These include, for example,agricuftural land, lakes and watercourses which are also of interest fortourism and recreation, and conservation ofthe cultural (i.e. man-modified)landscape. effort is to be made to achieve multifaceted use of theseresources wherever possible. The Natural Resources Act contains stipulationsas to how priorities are to be decided when there are conflicts of interestbetween preservation and exploitation. Our are among ourmost vital natural resources, as they form the basis of a large proportion ofSweden's industrial production and exports. The long-term production capacityofthe is, however, under threat from acidification and excessfertilization.