Covid-19: Sewage testing for virus spikes extended in NI
Published
image captionIt is hoped testing wastewater samples for Covid-19 could help develop an early warning system
Plans are being developed to increase sewage wastewater testing to identify coronavirus spikes in Northern Ireland.
Scientists established last year that the virus s genetic material could be identified in human waste.
Testing is currently being carried out on samples from wastewater sites at Ballynacor (Craigavon) and Dunmurry.
That will be scaled up to help develop a Covid-19 early warning system under Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) plans.
Under the plans, a number of additional sites will be added between April and June, with further sites covering all of NI s population added in the second half of 2021.
A new body, the Interim Environmental Governance Secretariat (IEGS), has been established on a temporary basis now that the European Commission no longer has an environmental oversight role.
Its key role in Northern Ireland will be the management of complaints.
It will operate until later in the year when the proposed Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is expected to be established.
“Our environment is valuable in its own right but it also sustains economic growth and facilitates social wellbeing, so its protection and enhancement are top priorities for me,” said Minister Lyons.
“As we await the introduction of the OEP, this new system means everyone can be reassured that environmental oversight will not simply be ignored
Environment Minister Gordon Lyons has reminded farmers and landowners that they’ve only a few weeks left to apply for funding to plant native woodlands.
February 17, 2021 7:13 pm
Environment Minister Gordon Lyons today encouraged industry stakeholders to take an active role in shaping Northern Ireland’s approach to environmental plans, principles and governance.
A discussion paper, highlighting three specific elements of the UK Government’s Environment Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, was launched by the then Environment Minister Edwin Poots on December 10, 2020.
The document will remain open for comment until February 26, 2021.
Encouraging people to register their views on the document before time runs out, Minister Lyons said: “Environmental principles are at the core of international environmental law and, following the end of the EU withdrawal transition period, I am keen to ensure that Northern Ireland continues to benefit from the application of these important principles during the policy-making process.”