Following the introduction of the Water Resources (Wales) Regulations 2021, what studies has the Government undertaken into the environmental impact of building slurry storage stores and tanks on each farm?
The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations) (Wales) 2021 amalgamate slurry storage requirements, which have been a regulatory requirement since 1991, reducing regulatory complexity and providing greater certainty. Slurry storage is not required on all farms and many already exceed the requirements of the regulations.
As contaminated rainfall must be stored and usually constitutes a significant proportion of the slurry a farm produces, in many cases storage shortfalls can be addressed through improved clean and dirty water separation and yard management.
The Regulatory Impact Assessment of the regulations assessed the potential impact on the environment and indicates benefits to the environment from reduced losses of nitrate, phosphorus, ammonia and nitrous oxide. Reducing losses of these pollutants to the environment is essential to address our climate and nature emergencies.