Ruth Noden - 19-Jun-2007
- Peter Kelly, Environment Manager for the
Environment Agency in Hampshire has been
awarded an MBE for his services to the Environment
Agency and to the community in Hampshire
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Peter Kelly has worked in the environmental
field for 35 years in Hampshire at the Environment
Agency and its predecessor, Hampshire County
Council. In his time working to protect
the environment, Peter Kelly has seen several
changes and introduced many environmental
improvements. Among his biggest achievements
have been successfully introducing improved
control of wastes within Hampshire, acting
as Area Manager and he is currently director
of the Environment Centre in Southampton.
Alongside his environmental commitments
Peter has also been heavily involved with
the Scout movement. He has held a series
of key positions, including Assistant District
Commissioner, Secretary of the District
Scout Fellowship, leader of the Chief Scout
Challenge team and, most recently, Group
Scout Leader of the 15th Chandler’s Ford,
Allbrook and Otterbourne Scout Group. Throughout
this involvement, Peter has been instrumental
in establishing strong scout troops, revitalising
some which might otherwise have closed.
He has committed time and effort to numerous
troop camps, weekend activities and fund-raising
events, encouraging and enthusing other
leaders and young people.
On receiving the prestigious award, Peter
Kelly said:
“I am immensely proud to receive the MBE
and that I have been able to give this commitment
to the environment and the wider community
in Hampshire. I feel that it also represents
the hard work of all of the Environment
Agency employees in Hampshire. I have a
team of specialists in all aspects of the
environment working with me and we will
continue to strive for environmental improvements
in Hampshire.”
Mr Kelly lives in Chandlers Ford, near
Southampton in Hampshire.
+ More
Environment Agency fisheries team gets
tunnel vision
Alexandra Wales - 20-Jun-2007 - Photo opportunity:
Saturday June 23rd at 10.30am. Environment
Agency fisheries officers will do an electrofishing
survey under the dark arches in Leeds
Environment Agency fisheries officers will
need torches this weekend when they do a
fish survey under the dark arches in Leeds.
Officers will be donning their waders on
Saturday to check on chub and dace populations
on the River Aire.
They will do this by carrying out an electrofishing
survey at the entrance to the dark arches
and work through the tunnels to the small
weir at the top.
An electric current is passed through the
water, drawing fish in, and allowing them
to be netted, identified and released unharmed
back into the river.
It is important to measure the numbers
of fish where there is an obstruction like
a weir. Weirs form a barrier and can stop
fish from migrating up the river to breed.
Fisheries team leader Pat O'Brien said:
"We have seen massive shoals of fish
downstream of the dark arches so we need
to assess whether the tunnels and the upstream
weir are a deterrent to these migrating
fish.
"We have never surveyed this part
of the river before, so it could be really
exciting."
The numbers of fish found in the survey
may also support the case for improving
fish passage projects on the river.
Ends
Notes to editors
The survey on Saturday will be subject
to weather conditions. Journalists wishing
to attend should call the press office (0113
231 2381) on Friday to confirm details.
+ More
Winning the War on Waste Environment Agency
Advises Polish Colleagues On Waste Reduction
Ruth Noden - 20-Jun-2007 - A group of Polish
waste professionals are visiting Portsmouth
today to see and hear about the work being
done to reduce, recycle and incinerate waste
in the South East.
The Environment Agency, with support from
the South East of England Regional Assembly
and Hampshire County Council, has invited
the group to show them how we manage waste.
They will see some of the methods of reducing
and managing waste, including a kerbside
collection of household waste for recycling
and a visit to the Veolia Energy from Waste
(Incineration) plant in Portsmouth.
Recycling rates in Poland are currently
as low as 3% in some areas and the country
is looking for help in implementing waste
plans. The Environment Agency and the Assembly
offered the trip to show them how the South
East region has moved from a low recycling
position to a nation that now recycles at
least 30% of its waste.
John Gower of the Environment Agency and
organiser of the event said,
"We are very happy to welcome our
Polish colleagues. It is great that we can
help other countries to tackle the international
problem of waste.
“We are recycling more and we are sending
less waste to landfill. However, we still
need to improve our reuse and recycling
of waste and not produce so much in the
first place. We are on track to meeting
the South East Plan targets of recycling
55% of municipal waste by 2020, but this
will only be met if everyone continues to
make an effort. We still need to do more
to reduce our dependence on landfills and
make much wiser use of our resources."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Visitors are from the Kielce and Krakow
Regional Governments of Poland and the Polish
Academy of Sciences and are involved with
Waste Planning and Implementation.
Waste collection in Poland is a mix of
Local Authority and private with each household
having its own yearly contract with a waste
collector.
