Tag: SEPA

Swimming safely in Scotland

Our bathing waters start 2021 season with 94% achieving strict environmental standards

  • 94% of Scotland’s designated bathing waters have been rated sufficient or better by SEPA for the 2021 season.
  • More bathing waters (34%) have been rated as ‘excellent’ since tighter standards first came into force in 2015.
  • Half as many bathing waters rated as ‘poor’ than in 2019.
  • Partnership projects are currently underway to maintain progress and further improve bathing waters including the 5 rated as ‘poor.’

Scotland’s bathing water season officially began yesterday (1 June) in what is shaping up to be a busy year for the country’s beautiful beaches.

With 2021 the year of the staycation more people will be visiting our shorelines, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is encouraging everyone to know where they can find information on their favourite bathing location – and what they can do to help protect our water environment while they are there.

This season Scotland has more bathing waters rated as excellent, good or sufficient than at any point since tighter standards first came into force in 2015 – with 94% achieving one of the three grades. There are also half as many bathing waters rated poor as there were in 2019 – down to five from the 10 two years ago.

Scotland currently has 85 designated bathing waters, where SEPA monitors water quality during the season, which runs until 15 September. Sampling results are published online, and SEPA also has daily water quality predictions for 28 beaches which are available on its website by 10am daily. This enables visitors to decide whether their activities will include bathing, or if they will just enjoy on-shore activities.

One of the biggest impacts on the water quality at bathing waters is the weather, especially heavy rain. Because of this swimming is not advised at any bathing water during, or one to two days after, heavy rainfall as there is always a risk that water pollution may occur. This can be as a result of urban and agricultural run-off and sewerage sources. 

Due to SEPA’s ongoing recovery from a complex and sophisticated cyber-attack in December 2020, the agency’s network of 29 electronic beach signs will not be fully operational for the start of season. Work is ongoing to re-introduce these over the next few weeks, and the same information is currently available on SEPA’s website.

Samples taken across the season are also used to calculate the general water quality classification for display at the start of the following season. Classifications are excellent, good, sufficient and poor, and are based on four years of monitoring data.

Due to a shortened bathing water season in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was not possible to collect the required number of samples to provide a classification. As a result each bathing water will retain the classification set at the end of 2019 – 29 Excellent; 31 good; 20 sufficient; 5 poor.

Terry A’Hearn, SEPA Chief Executive, said: “Protecting and improving our bathing waters is crucial for our environment, local economies and communities.

“We hope Scotland’s weather will enable both residents and visitors to enjoy our seaside resorts and beaches over the summer months, and with 94% of our beaches already meeting strict environmental standards, it’s great to see that there has been a continued general improvement in Scotland’s classifications over the last few years.

“While this is good progress, we understand that some local communities will be disappointed, as we are, that there are five bathing waters which have been rated as poor. Although it is important to remember that a ‘poor’ classification does not mean that water quality is poor every day – and these are still fantastic beaches to visit – SEPA is committed to the challenge of building on the progress Scotland has made and bringing all of our bathing waters up to ‘sufficient’ or better. We encourage you to look at our daily bathing water predictions.

“We continue to work with Scottish Government and our key partner organisations to help all of Scotland’s bathing waters improve in future years. Work is progressing through further investment and infrastructure improvements, along with managing pressures from rural and diffuse pollution and by engaging with communities.”

Improving water quality

All across Scotland, SEPA seeks to protect watercourses through licensing, inspection and regulation of discharges, advice and guidance to the public, industry, developers and local authorities, and pollution incident response.

SEPA officers have undertaken a series of pre-season inspections at key assets and locations across the country and will continue to monitor key locations throughout the season.

Unfortunately wet weather can have a negative impact on bathing waters. This is due to combined sewer overflows (CSOs) – which are designed to discharge diluted but minimally treated sewage to watercourses and coastal waters to prevent flooding – and run off from rural and urban environments (known as diffuse pollution). As a result SEPA advises against bathing for up to two days after heavy rain due to the risk of poor water quality.

SEPA continues to work closely with Scottish Government and Scottish Water to ensure that planned capital investment programmes aimed at upgrading sewerage infrastructure throughout the country are prioritised to maximise environmental benefits.

In addition, partnership with NFUS and Farming and Water Scotland allows us to work closely with farmers and land managers to provide advice and guidance so they can continue to minimise the impact land run-off can have on the rivers that flow into our bathing waters.

Help improve our beaches and coastlines

Visitors to Scotland’s beaches can also help to protect our water environment. SEPA supports Keep Scotland Beautiful’s (KSB) My Beach, Your Beach campaign.

Waste from animals or litter isn’t just unsightly but can have a negative impact on the water quality so we encourage the public to follow KSB’s advice to take litter home, to clean up after their dogs and to avoid feeding the gulls, ensuring a good beach experience for everyone who visits.

Find out more at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach

It’s also important that people understand the impacts what they flush away can have on the environment. Blockages can be caused by inappropriate items being flushed down toilets and poured down sinks – including fats, oils, greases and wipes. Whether you’re at home or on holiday, Scottish Water provides advice on how to protect the internal sewer network and Scotland’s water environment at www.scottishwater.co.uk/cycle.

More work underway

While there has been a positive upwards trend in Scotland’s bathing water quality due to focussed improvement plans and strong partnership working, there are a small number of beaches where poor water quality has been an issue for several years.

We have seen before how improvement projects have had a positive impact at beaches with historically poor classifications being rated as excellent, good or sufficient for the first time since 2015:

  • 2019: Heads of Ayr (2021 excellent), Sandyhills (2021 good), Kinghorn (Harbour) (2021 sufficient) and Cruden Bay (2021 good)
  • 2018: Portobello (West) (2021 sufficient)
  • 2017: Nairn (East) (2021 sufficient) Nairn (Central) (2021 good)

Fisherrow Sands

As in 2020, Fisherrow Sands is not a designated bathing water this season. Despite making progress in the area to improve bathing water quality, Fisherrow Sands ended the 2019 bathing water season with a fifth ‘poor’ water quality classification.

Whilst this does not mean the beach is closed, it does mean general advice against bathing still applies at this location. Beach users may continue to make their own decisions as to whether they wish to swim.

SEPA will continue to engage with local community representatives about our monitoring work and all other actions focussing on improving the water quality in this location so that the advice against bathing may be withdrawn in future.

Ayr (South Beach)

Ayr (South Beach) currently has four poor classifications. If a poor classification is given after the 2021 season it would not be listed as a designated Bathing Water in 2022 and would have general advice against bathing displayed at the beach.

Work is currently ongoing to improve water quality and all partners are making every effort to ensure that Ayr (South Beach) meets the standard in 2021.

Since 2019, SEPA has had a targeted priority improvement plan in place at Ayr (South Beach), working with partners and regulated operators to focus efforts to protect and improve the bathing water status. Our combined resources and actions with key partners are designed to tackle all the issues which contribute to poor bathing water quality and ensure that the identified improvements are delivered and de-designation is not required.

Poorer water quality is mainly driven by rainfall and so water quality is often good – particularly during dry sunny periods. Although Ayr (South Beach) was classified ‘Poor’ overall in 2019, over 60% of the sample days showed acceptable levels. 

2020/2021 results in full

 2020/2021
Highland and Islands – 8 excellent, 6 good, 2 sufficient, 0 poor
Achmelvich        Excellent
Dores   Good
Dornoch                Excellent
DunnetExcellent
Ettrick Bay          Good
Findhorn               Excellent
Gairloch Beach Excellent
Ganavan               Excellent
Loch Morlich     Excellent
Lossiemouth (East)Sufficient
Machrihanish    Good
Nairn (Central) Good
Nairn (East)       Sufficient
Rosemarkie       Good
Sand Beach        Excellent
Thurso Good
Lothian, mid Scotland and Fife – 6 excellent, 5 good, 5 sufficient, 0 poor
Aberdour (Silversands) Good
Aberdour Harbour (Black Sands)Sufficient
Anstruther (Billow   Ness)                Excellent
Burntisland        Good
Crail (Roome   Bay)           Excellent
Elie (Harbour) and EarlsferryExcellent
Elie (Ruby Bay)Excellent
Kinghorn (Harbour Beach)Sufficient
Kinghorn (Pettycur)       Good
Kingsbarns         Excellent
Kirkcaldy (Seafield)Good
Leven   Sufficient
Portobello (Central)       Sufficient
Portobello   (West)           Sufficient
St Andrews (East Sands)Good
St Andrews (West Sands)Excellent
North East Scotland – 7 excellent, 9 good, 1 sufficient, 0 poor
Aberdeen          Good
Arbroath (West Links)   Good
Balmedie              Excellent
Broughty Ferry Excellent
Carnoustie         Good
Collieston             Good
Cruden Bay        Good
Cullen Bay            Good
Fraserburgh (Philorth)  Excellent
Fraserburgh (Tiger Hill)  Good
Inverboyndie    Sufficient
Lunan Bay          Excellent
Monifieth             Good
Montrose             Excellent
Peterhead   (Lido)               Excellent
Rosehearty        Excellent
Stonehaven      Good
Solway – 0 excellent, 3 good, 1 sufficient, 3 poor
Brighouse BayPoor
CarrickSufficient
Dhoon BayPoor
MossyardGood
RockcliffePoor
SandyhillsGood
SouthernessGood
South East Scotland – 7 excellent, 4 good, 4 sufficient, 0 poor
Broad Sands      Good
Coldingham       Excellent
Dunbar (Belhaven)         Good
Dunbar (East)   Excellent
Eyemouth          Sufficient
GullaneExcellent
Longniddry        Good
North Berwick (Milsey Bay)         Sufficient
North Berwick (West)   Sufficient
Pease Bay           Excellent
SeacliffExcellent
Seton Sands      Sufficient
Thorntonloch    Excellent
Whitesands       Excellent
Yellow Craig       Good
West Scotland – 1 excellent, 3 good, 9 sufficient, 1 poor
Ayr (South Beach)           Poor
CulzeanSufficient
GirvanSufficient
Heads of AyrExcellent
Irvine   Sufficient
Largs (Pencil Beach)       Sufficient
Lunderston BayGood
Luss Bay                Sufficient
MaidensSufficient
Millport Bay      Good
PrestwickGood
Saltcoats/Ardrossan      Sufficient
Seamill Sufficient
Troon (South Beach)Sufficient

SEPA: Flood warnings in force across Scotland

  • 13 Regional Flood Alerts and 22 Local Flood Warnings Now in Force. 
  • From late Sunday across to Tuesday, West, Central, Tayside and Northern Scotland will see persistent, often heavy rain and winds, with significant flooding impacts possible, particularly around the Spey, Forth and Tay and minor impacts possible across the broader areas.
  • Take care when walking or travelling near coastal areas, including the Western Isles and Orkney, due to surge, strong winds and wave overtopping.

Ruth Ellis, Duty Flood Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “From late Sunday across to Tuesday, West, Central, Tayside and Northern Scotland will see persistent, often heavy rain and winds, with significant flooding impacts possible, particularly around the Spey, Forth and Tay and minor impacts possible across the broader areas.

“Take care when walking or travelling near coastal areas, including the Western Isles and Orkney, due to surge, strong winds and wave overtopping.

“13 Regional Flood Alerts and 22 local Flood Warnings are now in place, and people living and working in affected areas are advised to plan their essential journeys and consider the steps they need to take now to be prepared.

“Stay up to date with SEPA’s regional flood alerts and local flood warnings at sepa.org.uk/floodupdates and sign-up for our free Floodline service by calling 0345 988 1188 or by clicking floodlinescotland.org.uk.”

Staying informed

Be prepared and stay safe

  • Check Floodline – visit sepa.org.uk/floodupdates
  • Don’t walk through flood water – 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet and hazards can be hidden under the water.
  • Drive with care, and do not travel through deep fast flowing water. It only takes 30cm of fast flowing water to move an average family sized car.
  • If you’re walking beside rivers be extra careful of wet footpaths and possibly small watercourses in spate.
  • Consider deploying flooding protection products if required.

What’s the difference between a Flood Alert and a Flood Warning?

We use forecast weather information provided by the Met Office combined with our own observation of rainfall and river levels and advanced hydrological modelling to provide advance warning of flooding.

  • Regional Flood Alerts are early advice that flooding is possible across a wider geographical area. The purpose of the Alerts is to make people aware of the risk of flooding and be prepared. We normally issue them 12 to 24 hours in advance of the possibility of flooding.
  • Flood Warnings are more locally specific and are issued for areas where we have gauges on rivers to measure the exact river height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.

Scottish Flood Forecasting Service marks 10th Anniversary

The Scottish Flood Forecasting Service (SFFS) is today marking a decade of supporting the nation’s preparedness and response to flooding.

Staffed around the clock 365 days a year, the service has been combining hydrological and meteorological data to provide strengthened flood forecasting for Scotland over the last 10 years, and is a close partnership between The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Met Office.

Its team of experts across Scotland has delivered more than 3800 national flood guidance statements. These five day forecasts are issued daily to a range of 230 organisations including emergency services and local authorities, helping emergency responders prepare in advance for the impacts of flooding.

Climate change is likely to bring increased risk of coastal, river and surface water flooding. With sea level rise and more extreme weather, including wetter winters, more intense rainfall and thundery weather in summer, the increasing importance of the service to help Scotland prepare and adapt is clear.

The service has played a critical role in forecasting impacts from some of the most significant weather events of the decade, including storms Desmond and Frank in 2015. These saw SEPA issue its first severe Flood Warning since the formation of the SFFS, and its highest number of Flood Warnings in one day (101 warnings) respectively.  

Terry A’Hearn, SEPA CEO, said: “Over the last ten years, the SFFS has proved a vital service to help Scotland prepare in advance for the worst impacts of flooding. Preparation is crucial, as we saw in the last fortnight when towns from Aberdeenshire to the Scottish Borders flooded. 

“The threat from flooding is real and growing. As well as posing a risk to properties, infrastructure and our environment, it can pose a serious threat to life. We and our partners at the Met Office, together with flood management authorities, community responders and communities themselves all have key roles to play as Scotland learns to live safely with flooding.”

Over the last 10 years, the Met Office has made continual improvements to the radar network and other weather technology. This enables the SFFS to issue more detailed daily flood guidance, with ever increasing lead-time and confidence.

Met Office Chief Executive Professor Penny Endersby said: “Climate change is not only resulting in a warming climate but also more intense rainfall which has a crucial bearing on the SFFS’s operations. The risk and impacts of flooding are likely to increase over the coming years, meaning we will need to continue to adapt our services. 

“Forecasting skills are constantly evolving and developing thanks to world leading, cutting-edge science and technology and as we look to the future it is clear that we will need to continue to work together if we are to ensure that Scotland will continue to stay safe and thrive.”

The service was also recognised by the Royal Meteorological Society for its pioneering work to provide the UK’s first operational 24-hour surface water flood risk forecast during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Showing street-level surface water predictions for the first time, the project was the result of joint research with Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters, CREW, and has helped improve understand of flooding that doesn’t arise from rivers or the sea.

The launch of the SFFS in March 2011 was supported by the Scottish Government.

Kenny Wratten, Chair of the Local Authorities Resilience Group Scotland, said: “Getting that five day forecast of flooding every morning from SFFS helps councils plan and deliver flood mitigation and response. 

“The earlier we get an indication of what’s expected and where, the better we and other responders can gear up to make best use of available resource in areas we know are most likely to be affected. 

“For councils this might include extra maintenance in trouble spots, considering road closures, the deployment of flood protection measures, and making arrangements to assist people. More than anything it’s about working together using best knowledge to support our communities.”

Paul Laidlaw, Resilience Manager for the Scottish Flood Forum said: “Services from the SFFS are invaluable to the Scottish Flood Forum (SFF), as they help us to work with communities to build actions that help them prepare for flooding.

“The Flood Guidance Statement in particular helps us and other recognised community responders get enough of a heads-up to prepare where flood recovery resources may need to be deployed, to help those impacted.

“It also provides an excellent learning tool for us to help communities develop flood plans and response exercises, which alongside SEPA Flood Warning messages helps them better avoid, reduce or prevent damages that all too often can leave physical and psychological scars.”

In addition to the five-day flood forecast shared with emergency responders and those with flood-risk management duties, plans are also in progress for a public-facing three-day flood forecasting product, being developed in consultation with the public.

SEPA is Scotland’s national flood forecasting, flood warning and strategic flood risk management authority. As well as working in partnership with the Met Office to forecast for flooding, it operates Floodline in Scotland to warn the public and emergency responders when flooding is likely.

It issues regional Flood Alerts – early advice that flooding is possible – across wide geographical areas covering the length and breadth of Scotland. It also issues local Flood Warnings in areas where it has developed river system monitoring and flood risk impact knowledge. These warnings are issued at shorter notice when it is more certain that a specific area will be affected.

Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Head of Flooding, added: “There are some simple steps you can take to help prepare for flooding, including signing up to Floodline, preparing a flood plan, familiarising yourself with how to shut off energy and water supplies, having key contact numbers to hand and considering the use of flood protection products.

“And when flooding does strike, remember these five important tips;

  1. Do not walk, drive or swim through flood water.
  2. Do avoid any form of direct contact with flood water as it could be contaminated.
  3. Do not use any electrical appliances.
  4. Do move to higher ground and wait for the emergency services to find you.
  5. Do co-operate with emergency services and your local authority who are responsible for co-ordinating relief measures.”

Further advice can be found at floodlinescotland.org.uk.

SEPA’s river level data webpages restored

Members of the public can access river level data from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for the first time since the cyber-attack on 24 December.

The data has remained available to SEPA staff ensuring delivery of nationally important flood forecasting, including Flood Alerts and Warnings, continued throughout. What was not possible was displaying the same information on public web pages.

SEPA’s river gauging network consists of over 350 sites. While between 10 and 15 percent of stations are not displaying data at present, work to bring these back online is progressing and new sites are being added every day. The page is available at sepa.org.uk/waterlevels.

Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Head of Hydrology, said: “We appreciate how valuable our river level data is, from those planning leisure activities to people looking for additional information during flooding.

“Flood Alerts and Warnings are always the most up-to-date information, but when river levels are very high and warnings are out we know residents use the site to see whether levels upstream are continuing to rise or have started to fall.

“Since the cyber-attack on Christmas Eve our staff have worked as quickly as possible to restore public access, and this is an important step in the restoration of information that we know people use.”

The river level service will still be subject to intermittent interruptions as additional work continues in the background but these will be kept to a minimum as much as possible.

The data download facility, rainfall web pages and historical river and rainfall data are not yet available.

SEPA is working to restore these services as quickly as possible and will continue to provide updates through its weekly service status updates published every Friday at at sepa.org.uk/servicestatus.

Revised schedule for City Plan

A report outlining a revised timetable for the City of Edinburgh Council’s City Plan 2030 will be now be considered by councillors on Wednesday, 10 March.

The report, which will be made public on Thursday (4 March), will say that the proposed plan will now be considered by councillors in the summer with the preference being for a committee in August.

The proposed plan was due to be considered by the Planning Committee this month but Scottish Environment Protection Agency was subject to a significant cyber attack just before Christmas which is still affecting its services.

This is having an impact on work on the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment required for the proposed plan as well as many other matters.

The proposed plan was originally due to be considered by councillors in December but disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic has led to some technical reports not being fully completed. 

Cllr Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said: “The proposed plan will be ambitious and will help us build a more sustainable future as the Capital grows in the coming years. When complete, the proposed plan needs to be robust and not open to challenge on the credibility of the flood risk evidence, which is why we need to postpone its completion.

“I have every sympathy with SEPA and the challenges they are experiencing as a result of this incident and appreciate they are rightly focusing at the moment on immediate risks of flooding or significant breaches of the other regulatory responsibilities they have.”

SEPA tackling emerging threat of abandoned waste trailers

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is warning of a new trend in waste crime after two abandoned trailers full of waste appeared in the central belt in recent weeks.

Investigations are being undertaken by SEPA to establish the source of the trailers which could lead to the prosecution of those responsible.

While illegally depositing waste in fields, barns and premises is a known issue SEPA is working to tackle, these finds indicate a new, emerging trend in waste crime in Scotland and follow on from another trailer found towards the end of 2020. Similar instances of waste being placed into trailers and being abandoned at roadsides and industrial locations has been seen in England over recent months.

Working with Police Scotland and other partners through the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, SEPA has been tracking this growing trend across the UK since last year, but three trailers in as many months indicates this may now be a new disposal route for waste criminals in Scotland.

SEPA is reminding landowners to be alert to the risk of  their land or premises being used for illegal waste deposits. Trailer or vehicle owners should also be aware of the risk of theft.

Communities are asked to be vigilant and report any suspicious trailers left by the roadside or in isolated areas as soon as possible. If alerted to it early SEPA has a better opportunity to step in and take action, along with partners like Police Scotland and local authorities. The longer it takes to identify trailers the more chance there is agencies will lose access to essential evidence to help track the perpetrators.

SEPA is also warning the criminals involved that their activities are firmly in the spotlight and compliance with Scotland’s environmental laws is non-negotiable. Illegal waste disposal and fly tipping is a serious offence with significant consequences and those caught risk a criminal conviction and a fine of up to £40,000 and/or imprisonment.

 The distinctive form of illegal waste disposal saves criminals thousands of pounds in waste disposal costs, but the costs to others may be high. Vehicle or landowners are likely to incur the costs of having waste removed and disposed of legally, which can be considerable.

Jennifer Shearer, SEPA’s Head of Enforcement, said: “A high proportion of individuals or companies that are involved in waste crime are also associated with other criminality and this activity has continued during the pandemic.

“SEPA continues to work closely with partners, often through joint initiatives such as the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, to ensure we can maximise our collaborative efforts to have the greatest impact and ultimately stop this type of highly adaptive and lucrative waste crime.

“In addition to causing serious pollution putting communities at risk, and placing further stress on legitimate operators – as well as on the public services that have to deal with it, waste crime impacts investment and economic growth. Serious and organised waste crime is estimated to cost the UK economy at least £600 million a year.

“That is why we are appealing to anyone who may have any information about these lorry trailers, no matter how significant it may seem, to get in touch with SEPA as soon as possible.

“Similarly, if they see any suspicious trailers left by the roadside or in isolated areas they should report it to our 24 hour pollution line using the online form at sepa.org.uk/report or by calling 0800 80 70 60.”

As well as reporting suspicious activity, members of the public can help tackle waste crime by refusing to engage the services of people who are not authorised.

“Remember, services that sound too good to be true often are, and could lead to your waste being illegally fly-tipped or disposed of by other illegitimate means,” Shearer explains.

“Anyone offering to take your waste away should be able to provide a waste carrier registration number and tell you the named facility they will take the waste to – if they can’t provide this information, don’t allow them to take your waste.

“Now more than ever, we all need to play our part in correctly managing our waste. You have the responsibility to take care of your waste and if we trace it back to you we can take enforcement action against you too. We don’t want people to be put in that situation so make sure that anyone who takes your waste for disposal is properly accredited.”

Andrew McPherson, Head of Regulatory Services and Waste Solutions at North Lanarkshire Council, said: “The costs incurred in removing these two trailers and disposing of the resulting waste has cost the local authority many thousands of pounds.

“This is money which has had to be diverted away from key critical front line services such as social care and education. If people think that this type of incident doesn’t cause harm or does not affect anyone, then they should think again and we will continue to work closely with our colleagues within SEPA and Police Scotland to identify those responsible.”

Stephen Freeland, Policy Advisor for the Scottish Environmental Services Association (SESA), said: “This worrying new trend demonstrates the lengths determined criminals in our sector are prepared to go to for monetary gain and highlights the continued need for well-resourced and collaborative enforcement that can adapt to new criminal behaviours.

“It also serves as a reminder that waste producers must exercise their duty of care to stop waste material from falling into the wrong hands.”

Top three Dos and Don’ts of Household Waste Disposal

  1. DO use common sense. If you are approached out of the blue with an offer to dispose of your waste so quickly and cheaply is sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  2. DON’T entrust your waste with someone if they are unable to tell you basic information like their waste carrier registration number and the named site they are taking the waste to.
  3. DO take responsibility for who you give waste to – if illegally disposed of waste is traced back to you then you could face enforcement action too.

Amber weather warning for snow

The transport network is expected to face a further period of disruption following an upgraded amber warning for snow in central Scotland.

The Met Office has issued an upgraded amber warning for parts of Central, Tayside and Fife, as well as West Lothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, and North Lanarkshire. It runs from 3am on Tuesday morning until 9pm tonight.

A yellow warning for snow remains in place for parts of central and eastern Scotland until midnight on Wednesday.

The current COVID restrictions mean that people should not be making journeys unless they are for an essential purpose.

Potential impacts of the amber warning include long delays and cancellations on bus and rail travel. Roads may be affected by deep snow, particularly over higher routes, and some rural communities might be cut off. Interruptions to power supplies and telephone networks could also occur.

Our operating companies are continuing to closely monitor the trunk road network, pre-deploying resources and carrying out dedicated patrols and treatments, as well as providing assistance to motorists where necessary.

Specialist snow plans have been activated for key routes, such as the M8 and M80, and the Multi Agency Response Team will be operational throughout the warning period.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: “We’re being warned that parts of Scotland are expected to face another period of  challenging weather, with the Met Office issuing an amber snow warning for Tuesday.

“The current COVID restrictions mean you should only be leaving your home for an essential purpose, so please consider if your journey is absolutely necessary before setting off. The forecast conditions will likely cause difficult driving conditions and disruption to the wider transport network.

 “If you do have to make an essential journey, then the advice remains the same as it has throughout this winter – plan your route in advance, drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland travel advice. There may be disruption on other modes of transport, so you should check with your operators before setting off.

“Motorists can check with Traffic Scotland to make sure that their route is available. The Traffic Scotland mobile website – my.trafficscotland.org – lets people get the latest information on the move and the Traffic Scotland twitter page is also updated regularly.”

Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock said: “Government restrictions on only travelling if your journey is essential remains in place and so with an Amber warning for snow, please consider if your journey really is essential and whether you can delay it until the weather improves.

“If you deem your journey really is essential, plan ahead and make sure you and your vehicle are suitably prepared by having sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food, water and charge in your mobile phone in the event you require assistance.

“The Met Office, Traffic Scotland and SEPA websites and social media channels have valuable information about weather disruptions and we would encourage people to check these sites before setting off on their journey.”

SEPA: Cyber Attack update

  • SEPA issues further update on cyber-attack, data theft, service delivery and recovery.
  • Ransomware attack remains ongoing as SEPA reiterates it will not engage with criminals intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.
  • Data likely to be stolen by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups has been illegally published online.
  • SEPA working to recover and analyse data then contact and support affected organisations and individuals over coming days and weeks as quickly as identifications confirmed.
  • Dedicated data loss support website, Police Scotland guidance, enquiry form and support line available for regulated business and supply chain partners.
  • Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services continuing to adapt and operate.
  • Broader update on service delivery and recovery to be confirmed early next week.
  • SEPA continuing to work with Scottish Government, Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre and cyber-security specialists to respond to what remains complex and sophisticated criminality. Subject of a live criminal investigation.
  • The latest information on the cyber-attack, limited data loss and how to contact the agency is available at sepa.org.uk/cyberattack

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has provided a further update on the ongoing ransomware cyber-attack which has significantly impacted the organisation since Christmas Eve. 

The organisation reiterated that it will not engage with criminals intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.

As part of a broad update on data theft, service delivery and recovery, the environmental regulator confirmed that data stolen by what was likely to be international serious and organised cyber-crime groups has now been illegally published online.

In a previous update on 14 January (one of a series since the attack on Christmas Eve), SEPA confirmed the theft of circa 1.2 GB of data across four broad categories.  To provide some context, by comparison the theft was the equivalent to a fraction of the contents of an average laptop hard drive.  Nevertheless, it still means that at least 4,000 files may have been stolen by criminals. 

“Supported by Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre, we continue to respond to what remains a significant and sophisticated cyber-attack and a serious crime against SEPA” said SEPA Chief Executive, Terry A’Hearn. 

“We’ve been clear that we won’t use public finance to pay serious and organised criminals intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds”, he added.

“We have made our legal obligations and duty of care on the sensitive handling of data a high priority and, following Police Scotland advice, are confirming that data stolen has been illegally published online.  We’re working quickly with multi-agency partners to recover and analyse data then, as identifications are confirmed, contact and support affected organisations and individuals.”

The agency reiterated that whilst stolen data had now been illegally published and work was underway to analyse the data set, it does not yet know, and may never know the full detail of the 1.2 GB of information stolen. 

Some of the information stolen will have been publicly available, whilst some will not have been.  It confirmed that staff had been contacted based on the information available, were being supported and that a dedicated data loss support website, Police Scotland guidance, enquiry form and support line was available for regulated business and supply chain partners.

The agency also confirmed that priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services were continuing to adapt and operate and that a broader update on service delivery and recovery would be confirmed next week.

Mr. A’Hearn added: “Sadly we’re not the first and won’t be the last national organisation targeted by likely international crime groups.  We’ve said that whilst for the time being we’ve lost access to most of our systems, including things as basic as our email system, what we haven’t lost is our 1,200 expert staff. 

“Through their knowledge, skills and experience we’ve adapted and since day one continued to provide priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services.  Whilst some systems and services may be badly affected for some time, step-by-step we’re working to assess and consider how we recover. 

“We’ll issue a broader update on service delivery and recovery early next week, with weekly updates to be clear on what those we work with can expect and how we’ll prioritise progress.”

The agency stressed firm Police Scotland advice that organisations and individuals should not seek to search for the stolen information, as accessing the host site may place organisations, individuals and their computer infrastructure at risk.

Detective Inspector Michael McCullagh of Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Investigations Unit said: “This remains an ongoing investigation. Police Scotland are working closely with SEPA and our partners at Scottish Government and the wider UK law enforcement community to investigate and provide support in response to this incident.

“Enquiries remain at an early stage and continue to progress including deployment of specialist cybercrime resources to support this response.

“It would be inappropriate to provide more specific detail of investigations at this time.”

Jude McCorry, Chief Executive of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, added: “There are many ways including ransomware a business can experience a cyber security incident, with varying levels of complexity and disruption. Cyber incidents can occur through deliberate targeting like we have seen with SEPA, or even human error, the end result is the same, a disruptive effect on business operations.

“At SBRC we are working in partnership with Police Scotland and Scottish government running the UK’s first collaborative cyber incident response helpline for organisations in Scotland.

“If you feel that you are a victim of a cyber attack your first call should be to Police Scotland on 101 to report the crime (whilst respecting your IT systems as a crime scene) and our incident response helpline on 01786 437472, we will assist you with immediate support and expert guidance,  and ensure you are speaking to the correct agencies and organisations to help you feel supported and get you back in operation securely.”

SEPA will provide further updates as quickly as possible at www.sepa.org.uk/cyberattack as more information becomes available.

Whilst the agency continues to work hard to understand and resolve the issues, members of the public, regulated businesses and suppliers can find additional information and contact options via:

SEPA confirms ongoing ransomware attack likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups

1.2 GB of data theft confirmed

  • SEPA confirms ongoing ransomware attack likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.
  • Cyber security specialists have identified the theft of circa 1.2 GB of data (equivalent to a small fraction of the contents of an average laptop hard drive).
  • Dedicated data loss support website, enquiry form and support line available for regulated business and supply chain partners.
  • SEPA working with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to what is complex and sophisticated criminality. Subject of a live criminal investigation.
  • What is now clear is that with infected systems isolated, recovery may take a significant period.  
  • A number of SEPA systems (including email) will remain badly affected for some time, with new systems required.
  • Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate.
  • The latest information on the cyber-attack, limited data loss and how to contact the agency is available at sepa.org.uk/cyberattack

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has confirmed it is continuing to respond to an ongoing ransomware attack likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups. 

The agency also confirmed the theft of 1.2 GB of data and the support available to staff and affected partners, whilst reassuring the public that priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate. 

The matter is subject to a live criminal investigation and the duty of confidence is embedded in law. The agency confirmed last week that following the attack at 00:01 Hrs on Christmas Eve, business continuity arrangements were immediately enacted and the agency’s Emergency Management Team was working with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to what is complex and sophisticated criminality. 

SEPA’s approach continues to be to take the best professional advice from the multi-agency partners, including Police Scotland and cyber security experts, to support its response.

The agency advised that, for the time being, it needed to protect the criminal investigation and its systems . Consequently some internal systems and external data products will remain offline in the short term.

Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate. 

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “Whilst having moved quickly to isolate our systems, cyber security specialists, working with SEPA, Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre have now confirmed the significance of the ongoing incident.

“Partners have confirmed that SEPA remains subject to an ongoing ransomware attack likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.” 

What is now clear is that with infected systems isolated, recovery may take a significant period. A number of SEPA systems will remain badly affected for some time, with new systems required. 

Email systems remain impacted and offline. 

Information submitted to SEPA by email since Christmas Eve is not currently accessible and whilst online pollution and enquiry reporting has now been restored, information submitted in the early stages of the attack is currently not accessible. 

Limited data loss 

Despite systems being certified to UK Government security standards, cyber security specialists have also identified the loss of circa 1.2 GB of data.

Whilst, by comparison, this is the equivalent to a small fraction of the contents of an average laptop hard drive, indications suggest that at least four thousand files may have been accessed and stolen by criminals. 

“We have prioritised our legal obligations and duty of care on the sensitive handling of data very seriously” said Chief Executive, Terry A’Hearn “which is why we have worked closely with Police Scotland, Scottish Government, the National Cyber Security Centre and specialist cyber security professionals day and night since Christmas Eve.” 

“Work continues by cyber security specialists to seek to identify what the stolen data was.  Whilst we don’t know and may never know the full detail of the 1.2 GB of information stolen, what we know is that early indications suggest that the theft of information related to a number of business areas.  Some of the information stolen will have been publicly available, whilst some will not have been” said Mr. A’Hearn. 

Information included:

  • Business information: Information such as, but perhaps not restricted to, publicly available regulated site permits, authorisations and enforcement notices.  Some information related to SEPA corporate plans, priorities and change programmes.
  • Procurement information: Information such as, but perhaps not restricted to, publicly available procurement awards.
  • Project information: Information related to our commercial work with international partners.
  • Staff information: Personal information relating to SEPA staff.

“Staff members affected to date have been notified, are being supported and are being given access to specialist advice and services. Support, including specialist advice from Police Scotland and mitigation services, is also being offered to staff across the organisation.” 

Working with cyber security experts, a dedicated team has been established to identify the detail of business or partner information loss and, where identified, direct contact will be made as quickly as possible with affected organisations.

This will happen across the coming days and weeks as and when more direct evidence of data loss specific to individual businesses and partners becomes apparent. Cyber security advice and guidance for businesses is available from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Links to this advice, along with the latest information on the cyber attack and limited data loss is available at sepa.org.uk/cyberattack 

The site contains information on the scope of data thought to have been accessed, guidance from Police Scotland, a contact form and details of a dedicated data loss support line now available for regulated business and supply chain partners. The support line will not have additional information on affected organisations at this time.

Ongoing response

In addition to working to identify as much of the detail as possible in relation to the 1.2 GB of stolen data, the multi-agency response is focused on eradication, remediation and recovery.

  • Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate.
  • Delivery of nationally important flood forecasting and warning products has continued, with flood alerts and warnings being issued with 24 hours of the attack on 24 December.
  • Contact centre and web self-help services are being slowly restored, including SEPA’s Floodline, 24 Hour Pollution Hotline and environmental event online reporting.
  • Regulatory teams continue to prioritise the most significant environmental events, high hazard sites and sites of community concern.
  • Teams are quickly working on interim ways to authorise regulated site activity, prioritising nationally important sectors such as food and drink, energy and waste.

That said, the agency confirmed that email, staff schedules, a number of specialist reporting tools, systems and databases remain unavailable with the potential for access to a series of systems and tools to be unavailable for a protracted period. The multi-agency response is working to five clear priorities:

  • Incident response;
  • Supporting staff;
  • Protecting priority services;
  • Protecting Scotland’s environment;
  • Protecting communities.

Regulatory Approach 

In addition to ensuring the continued delivery of priority flood forecasting and warning services, SEPA’s regulatory approach will continue to prioritise supporting Scottish businesses, Scotland’s recovery, environmental events, high hazard sites and sites of community concern. 

The agency will help businesses meet their environmental obligations and prioritise authorising economic activity and will continue its risk based approach to regulation, focusing the most effort on sites or sectors which require oversight or where there is a risk of criminality or organisations seeking to take advantage of the ongoing cyber-attack. 

Mr. A’Hearn said: “Whilst the actions of serious and organised criminals means that for the moment we’ve lost access to our systems and had information stolen, what we’ve not lost is the expertise of over 1,200 staff who day in, day out work tirelessly to protect Scotland’s environment. 

“Sadly we’re not the first and won’t be the last national organisation targeted by likely international criminals.  Cyber-crime is a growing trend.  Our focus is on supporting our people, our partners, protecting Scotland’s environment and, in time, following a review, sharing any learnings with wider public, private and voluntary sector partners.” 

Further information 

SEPA will provide further updates as quickly as possible at www.sepa.org.uk/cyberattack as more information becomes available. 

Whilst the agency continues to work hard to understand and resolve the issues member of the public, regulated businesses and suppliers can find additional information and contact options via:

Find the latest information on how we’re responding to the cyber attack at sepa.org.uk/cyberattack 

For other enquiries, contact us via sepa.org.uk/contact/contact-us-by-email, noting there may be a delay in responding. 

Detective Inspector Michael McCullagh of Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Investigations Unit said: “This remains an ongoing investigation. Police Scotland are working closely with SEPA and our partners at Scottish Government and the wider UK law enforcement community to investigate and provide support in response to this incident.

“Enquiries remain at an early stage and continue to progress including deployment of specialist cybercrime resources to support this response. 

“It would be inappropriate to provide more specific detail of investigations at this time.”

SEPA responding to significant cyber attack

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) confirmed that it is responding to a significant cyber attack affecting its contact centre and internal systems.

Whilst core regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services continue, communication into and across the organisation is significantly impacted.

David Pirie, Executive Director, said: “At one minute past midnight on Christmas Eve, SEPA systems were subject to a significant and ongoing cyber-attack. The attack is impacting our contact centre, internal systems, processes and internal communications.

“We immediately enacted our robust business continuity arrangements, with our core regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services adapting and continuing to operate.

“Our Emergency Management Team is working with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to what appears to be complex and sophisticated criminality.

“Whilst we continue to liaise closely with resilience partners, we’re asking for those who wish to contact us right now  to do so through our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter (@ScottishEPA).”

Further updates will be provided at sepa.org.uk as more information becomes available.

Whilst we work hard to understand and resolve the issues, the public can:

  • Report urgent pollution via facebook and twitter (@ScottishEPA) or call 07917 883 455
  • Check latest flooding information at floodline.sepa.org.uk

Campaigners seek Bathing Water Quality Monitoring at Wardie Bay

‘This is about protecting both people and wild places’

Wild swimmers and environmental campaigners are leading an appeal, which includes a campaign film, song and petition, for Wardie Beach to be included in Scotland’s list of designated bathing waters.

In 2019, the Wardie Bay Wild Ones and Wardie Bay Beachwatch came together to make an application to SEPA for designated Bathing Water status for north Edinburgh’s much-loved and increasingly popular bathing site, Wardie Beach, situated between Granton and Newhaven Harbours.

Evidence of over 150 beach users across the bathing season, from 1st June to 15th September, was provided. The decision not to designate was made, not by the review panel, but by the Scottish Government. Feedback cited issues relating to a lack of appropriate infrastructure and facilities.

On 28th August 2020, SEPA offered the group the opportunity to appeal the decision, and the #WardieBay4BathingWater campaign was born.

A petition launched on 25th September received over 1000 signatures in four days. The appeal document was submitted on Friday 30th October. The review panel meets to confirm 2021 Bathing Waters in December, and a decision will be made by the government early next year.

Karen Bates, volunteer organiser of Wardie Bay Beachwatch said: “The community works so hard to look after Wardie Beach, which receives marine litter and sewage related debris on every tide.

“We don’t believe we should be penalised for a lack of existing infrastructure and protection from these harms. We believe people need water quality monitoring and deserve the same safety protections in Granton that other similar local beaches are afforded.

“Large numbers of people come to Wardie Bay anyway, because of the semi-wild nature of this place not despite it. We saw a huge rise in the number of bathers in 2020 due to the pandemic. We don’t want the unintended consequence that Wardie Bay loses its special character and precious wildlife because of a perceived need to develop it.”

The group’s campaign film, shot by Carlos Hernan in recent weeks, includes interviews with swimmers, swim safety coach Colin Campbell, health and ecotoxicology experts Kate Swaine and Professor Alex Ford, and illustrator Alice Melvin who recently published her ‘Book of Swims’. Alice Caldwell also created a beautiful song for the campaign.

You’ll find the film HERE: https://vimeo.com/476234839

Kate Swaine, local wild swimmer and nutritionist, said: “One of my big concerns, when I’m swimming all the time is, what exactly is in the water? We know that when there’s been lots of rainfall, there will be an increase in the number of parasites, viruses, bacteria that can get into the water through sewage, and some of these have the potential to cause sometimes severe symptoms …

“I would like for Wardie Bay to be monitored as other beaches are in Scotland, so that the swimmers who choose to swim here, the paddleboarders and other people that use the water, have an idea of whether the water quality is rated poor, average, good.

“That would be really useful for people so that we can just enjoy being in the water and getting all the benefits from it: the mental health benefits, the physical benefits and just knowing that we’re not possibly putting ourselves at any risk.”

 A spokesperson for the Wardie Bay Wild Ones said: “It is a frequent occurrence that swimmers will ask one another in the group for advice or thoughts on water quality, either generally, or on a given day. At present the only thing anyone can do is guess.

“Even people who’ve been in the water that day have no way of actually knowing what the water quality is like, and how safe it is to swim. Having some kind of testing, or even informed estimates of water quality available publicly would make a huge difference to swimmers.”

Karen added: “There is remarkable biodiversity and natural history at Wardie Bay, especially for such a city location.

“Environmental monitoring isn’t just for the many children and adults that use the water for swimming or playing, vital though that is. It is also an indicator of the environmental harm that untreated sewage does to our coastal ecology.”

Dr Alex Ford, Professor of marine biology, ecotoxicology and parasitology at the University of Portsmouth, who took his PhD at Napier University, said, “The general public have been very good at adjusting their behaviours to how damaging plastic pollution can be.

“But one of the problems we have with the chemicals coming out through our storm water overflows is that they can’t be seen and they don’t need to be there in very high concentrations to damage wildlife and the many species we use for food.

“Within that effluent, you’ve got fertilisers, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals as well as the organic matter from faeces. With that pollution comes disease but also abnormalities in those coastal organisms’ development. There are also suggestions that us humans are suffering as well.

“During Covid-19, there’s been an extraordinary number of people to have taken up water sports which is absolutely fantastic for health and wellbeing, but that combined with this increase in sewage going into the water; it may have detrimental effects on our health as well.”

A designated bathing water profile would be a holistic investment for both our environment and society. It would result in Wardie Beach visitors receiving water quality monitoring across the bathing season, daily water quality predictions, information on the potential pollution sources and risks to water quality as well as feedback on the measures being taken to improve water quality at the site.

Karen added: “If the issue is under-resourcing of our Environmental Protection Agencies, we must emphasise that we need them now more than ever. Rainfall is going to intensify with climate change and consequently, damage to our oceans due to infrastructure that is increasingly unfit for purpose.

“Unless we monitor, record and report on environmental issues we can’t do anything to protect ourselves and perhaps more importantly, marine habitats.”

“What we are looking for is environmental protection, not just for swimmers, but for everything else that lives in these waters and might be affected by pollutants”, says swimmer Vicky Allan, member of the Wild Ones, and co-author of Taking the Plunge.

“Many of us swimmers love this bay not just for its access to water, but for its wildlife. This is about protecting both people and wild places.”

PICTURES: Karen Bates, Dr Mark Hartl, Carlos Hernan