• A catalogue of soil monitoring schemes in the UK (LQ09)
  
• Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership: Vision (SCCIP)
  
• Assessment of environmental legislative and associated guidance requirements for the protection of human health (UKCC02)
  
• The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 and Qualified Experts (UKRSR10)
  
• Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership Research Project (CC06)

• SNIFFER and European Research (URBAN-NET)
  
• Investigating Research Needs and the Development of the First Joint Call within IWRM-Net
  
• New methodology for allocating site relevant critical loads to assess the impact of industrial emissions on European protected sites (AQ02)
  
• Successful flood risk management seminar held in Scotland (FRM05)
  
• Successful flood risk management conference  held in Scotland (FRM07)
  
• URBAN-NET: defining urban sustainability 
  
• New methodology for undertaking broad scale ecosystem assessment (FRM02)
  
• Flood risk management service: key achievements 2004-2006
  
• New methodology for capturing information and data after a flood event in Scotland (FRM07)
  
• A changing climate in Northen Ireland (UKCC13)

Publication of literature reviews of the environmental, ecological and human health impacts of sewage sludge spreading

The Scotland & Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER), on behalf of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland), the Scottish Executive and the Forestry Commission commissioned Macaulay Research Consultancy Services Ltd (MRCS) to undertake the above project in June 2006. Further information on the project is available by searching under SNIFFER project code 'UKLQ09' at www.sniffer.org.uk/search.asp.

One of the initial tasks within the research was to carry out a literature review of the ‘environmental and ecological impacts’ and ‘human health impacts’ of sewage sludge spreading on non-agricultural land.  This review is now complete - click on the links for separate reports on the environment and ecological, and human health impacts. 

The final outputs from the study will be published in the public domain on SNIFFER’s website at www.sniffer.org.uk/search.asp (search under SNIFFER Code UKLQ09) once the project is complete early in 2008.

• ‘Applying the precautionary principle – an overview’  which describes the international and legal context for adoption of the precautionary principle and presents initial thinking by the partnership on its application by environmental and health regulators in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
  
• ‘Practical guidance on applying the precautionary principle’ which provides generic and practical guidance on the application of the precautionary principle, primarily in the field of environmental and health regulation. The guidance applies to new developments or activities and to existing ones, where changes are proposed or new information is available that is relevant to a prior decision. 

Electronic copies of the two SNIFFER guidance documents are available to download from our website at www.sniffer.org.uk/search.asp (search on 'SNIFFER code' UKCC05).  These documents should be read in conjunction with each other.

Printed copies of the ‘Practical guidance on applying the precautionary principle’ (which has a CD attached with electronic versions of the overview and practical guidance) are available from fiona@sniffer.org.uk or by calling 0131 524 9741.

The partnership comprised representatives from the following organisations:

• 
  
  Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
  
  
• 
  
  Environment and Heritage Service.
  
  
• 
  
  Environment Agency (for England and Wales).
  
  
• 
  
  Scottish Natural Heritage.
  
  
• 
  
  NHS Health Scotland.
  
  
• 
  
  Health Protection Scotland.
  
  
• 
  
  Food Standards Agency Scotland.

It should be noted that the outputs have been published (September 2006) as soley as SNIFFER guidance as these documents have not yet been adopted or endorsed by senior management in the SNIFFER partnership organisations.

On 15th May 2006 SNIFFER, on behalf of our members and the Scottish Climate Impacts Partnership (SCCIP), held an event in Edinburgh with 2 purposes

1.  To launch a new handbook of Scottish climate trends, designed to aid adaptive strategies in response to the impacts of climate change

- A downloadable pdf of A Handbook of Climate Trends across Scotland can be found here. Please see the 'Breaking News' item opposite for further information.

2.  To provide a forum for the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) to run a workshop giving Scottish stakeholders a chance to communicate their requirements from the UKCIPnext climate change scenarios package

- The findings from the Edinburgh UKCIPnext Scenarios workshop an be found here
- The link to the online UKCIPnext Scenarios consultation can be accessed here
- We hope to be able to provide links to the presentations from speakers at the event here soon

An introduction to the Scottish Climate Impacts Partnership (SCCIP) can be found in a downloadable flyer here.  Further information about SCCIP's 2006/07 work programme and the 'Handbook of Climate Trends across Scotland' can be obtained by contacting Emily Postan at emily@sniffer.org.uk

• produce information on the climate change adaptation and mitigation activities of the 32 Scottish Local Authorities
  
• to investigate support for a Scottish Local Government Network on Climate Change

• Develop knowledge, understanding and awareness of flood risk management research programmes and initiatives in the UK and EU;
  
• Develop a flood risk management research agenda for Scotland;
  
• Ensure that Scotland’s research agenda and priorities are represented within UK and EU research programmes and initiatives through communication with key research funders;
  
• Provide a knowledge management service with a policy focus;
  
• Commission and effectively manage flood risk management research; and
  
• Interpret, disseminate and communicate flood risk management research findings to the Scottish Executive and within Scotland.

• monitoring at nine additional sites across Northern Ireland, plus sampling the potential local-variability of concentrations near two of the existing NAMN sites.
  
• An indicative assessment of nitrogen deposition at sensitive sites based on the measured concentrations, allowing a preliminary assessment of whether critical loads will be exceeded at the study sites.
  
• A very simple comparison with estimates from the UK-scale FRAME model

• Provides a comprehensive source of information on air pollution.
  
• Provides details of different air pollutants and their impact on habitats and species.
  
• Provides a support tool to work out the potential effects of air-borne pollutants on habitats and species.
  
• Encourages a consistent approach to air pollution assessment across the UK.
  
• Comes with in-built instructions

• Visit http://www.apis.ac.uk
  
• Copy of the APIS flyer - provides further detail on the information you can access at www.apis.ac.uk
  
• Copy of the press release for the launch

• Executive summary
  
• Research report
  
• Good practice guidance document

• adds clarity through changing some of the terminology and formatting used;
  
• ensures that the framework is compatiable with UK policy, in particular the defaults and assumptions underpinning the Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) model; and
  
• makes validated electronic worksheets which the support the method available on-line.

The report also includes a sensitivity analysis of the method which was previously available as separate report in SEPA's website.

The executive summary, full report (5.47 MB PDF file), electronic excel worksheets (for metals and organics (revised version)) are available as a free download by clicking the relevant link. 

Please note these downloads are working.  Any problems you encounter are likely to be down to the speed of your internet connection.  

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the method.  Please note SNIFFER (the organisation) cannot provide technical support to users of the method.  However, we will endeavour, with assistance from LQM Ltd, to answer queries from users wherever possible.

Hard copies of the report and worksheets, priced £50, are available from FWR.  Please e-mail office@fwr.org.uk or telephone (01628) 891589 to order a copy quoting ref. LQ01.

• European Urban Research Project Manager (URBAN-NET): fixed term contract to August 2010: to manage and coordinate a large multi-partner European Research Area on urban sustainability. Applicants should have excellent project management, facilitation and communications skills and a working knowledge of urban/sustainable places in UK and Europe.  Click here for full job description.