Tallinn Bay study finds speed boats erode coast A study that was being conducted in February by the Estonian Ministry of the Environment confirmed that ships and speed boats in Tallinn Bay leave environmental destruction and angry fishermen in their wake, according to a report on the ministry's web site. Once the study is completed, it is likely to lead to recommendations for speed limits in the Bay, the report said. "The structure of waves generated by high speed crafts is similar to that of solitons - solitary waves that have a specific structure and can spread for many kilometres with a practically unchanged shape and height, and whose impact on the coastal slope and bottom sediments is much stronger than that of equally high natural waves," the web report said..   SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE UNEP finds low-level DU waste in Serbia, Montenegro A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study of six sites in Serbia and Montenegro that were struck with weapons tipped with depleted uranium (DU)confirmed wide-spread, but low level, DU contamination at five of the sites, according to a March 27 UNEP press release. The studies, conducted in October and November, concluded that the DU contamination did not "present immediate radioactive or toxic risks for the environment or human health, " according to the press release. The findings are consistent with an earlier study of DU - contaminated sites in Kosovo. "The most important concern is the potential for future groundwater contamination by corroding penetrators (ammunition tips made out of DU). The penetrators recovered by the UNEP team had decreased in mass by 10-15 percent due to corrosion. This rapid corrosion speed underlines the importance of monitoring the water quality at the DU sites on an annual basis, " the press release said. "A new finding of particular interest was the detection through modern air sampling techniques of airborne DU particles at two of the sites, " the press release said. "While the detected levels were still below international safety limits, these results have implications for site decontamination and construction work, activities that could potentially stir up DU dust from the ground surface. In addition, the results indicate that DU dust was widely dispersed into the environment following the explosion of DU rounds. " The report is available at: http://postconflict.unep.ch/. NGO:New assessment needed for Romanian forest project The CEE Bankwatch Network in March announced the publication of a report pointing out deficiencies in the environmental assessment of Romania 's Forestry Development Program (FDP). Based on the report 's findings, Bankwatch is calling for a new environmental assessment of the FDP, which receives funding from the World Bank, according to a press release. The press release said: "Although the Project Information Document states that the main aims of the project are institutional strengthening and capacity building, both of which are badly needed in the Romanian forestry sector, 69 percent of the proposed lending is for forestry road construction, which would lead to increased logging activities. However, the impacts of increased forest harvesting as a consequence of the implementation of the FDP is not discussed at all, either at the strategic or project level. Without forest harvesting estimates for different alternatives, it is impossible to make any sound environmental impact level and significant prediction, or to compare program alternatives." The press release also said the environmental assessment was flawed because the public was not adequately involved in the process. Report:Danish give EUR 4m for SEE environment The Danish Environmental support scheme has a new appropriation, totalling a little more than EUR 4 million, which will be spent for environmental improvement of the South Eastern European region, according to a March report in the Danish Environment Newsletter. The funds will be spent on bringing national legislation in line with European Union directives and international conventions, as well as clean-up projects, development of wastewater and solid waste management systems and other areas, the report said.   ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS Events database online Find environmental events on the web site of the Regional environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe: http://www.rec.org/REC/Databases/Events/EventsFind.html.   ELSEWHERE AROUND THE CEE REGION EU to co-finance waste projects in southern Lithuania The European Union signed a March 13 agreement with Lithuania 's government to co-finance a project to improve waste management in the Alytus region in southern Lithuania, according to a report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The project has an estimated cost of EUR 7.8 million and involves improving collection and transportation of waste from the southern cities of Alytus, Druskininkai and Birstonas, the report said. Alytus's current dump site is to be closed and a new one opened, according to the report. The EU is to provide EUR 3.9 million for the project, through their Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession.   Report finds too many nutrients remain in the Baltic A new report finds that, even though the "transitional countries " along the Baltic Sea have done a good job of reducing their nutrient output, none of the countries in the region have achieved the 50 percent reduction envisioned in 1988, and, as a result, the Baltic Sea is still burdened by an overly high level of nutrients, according to a Feb.8 press release. According to the report, municipalities and industries in the nine Baltic Sea countries should be technically capable of reaching the 50 percent reduction target for phosphorus and nitrogen emissions from point sources by 2005. The reduction target was set in 1988 at a conference of environment ministers.   Bulgaria may build new nuke plant Bulgaria announced April 9 that it may replace energy it will lose by from closing down the Kozloduy nuclear plant by restarting construction at the Belene plant, a project that was abandoned in 1990 due to environmental protests and a lack of cash, according to reports. Construction could cost USD 2 billion, the reports said. Sofia agreed to close Kozloduy 's two oldest reactors by 2003 as a condition for starting European Union membership talks in 1999, but Bulgaria wants to be a net energy exporter. An April Gallup poll, cited by Agence France Presse, found that 78 percent of Bulgarians have doubts about EU 's call to close Kozloduy.   WWF blasts plans to dredge, straighten Danube New plans to facilitate shipping on the Danube River are ecologically unsound and should be stopped, according to a recent report released by the WWF environmental organisation. In a Jan.31 press release, WWF said their report shows: "Various plans that are being proposed for shipping and navigation along the Danube will damage vital wetland ecosystems all along the river." The current plan is meant to facilitate commercial river traffic and revive Danube shipping that was blocked by bombing of bridges in Yugoslavia during the 1999 NATO campaign. The plan was developed through cooperation of the European Commission, the Danube Commission and other organisations. The WWF report maintains that, thanks to modern shipping technology and communication systems, there is no need for the kind of extensive work to dredge or straighten parts of the river that the proposal includes. The WWF report is online at: http://www.panda.org/livingwaters

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