Acid rain 'no longer an environmental concern'

The problem of acid rain is no longer as big as it used to be after environmental legislation was put in place to reduce the pollution.

According to a recent report published by the Acid Waters Monitoring Network for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the policies that were established in the 1980s have successfully reduced the amount of acidifying pollution in the atmosphere that resulted in the dangerous downpour.

Restrictions on emissions, set up in by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, have also resulted in the improvement of air quality in Europe as well as the UK.

As acid rain is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the release of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, the reduction of these emissions has improved the quality of rain that falls.

Environment minister Lord Henley said: "This report shows the impact of 20 years of Defra policies to tackle acid rain and the environmental damage it causes."

He added that the report could help establish forthcoming international environmental legislation to improve the state of rivers and lakes even further.

Posted by Claire Manning