Environment in the City of Ljubljana European Green Capital 2016 Green Capital of Europe 2016 1 Published by City of Ljubljana City Administration Department for Environmental Protection Zarnikova 3, Ljubljana November 2015 The Department for Environmental Protection is headed by Nataša Jazbinšek Seršen, Head of Department Authors Zala Strojin Božič MSc, editor Helena Regina MSc Gorazd Maslo Marjana Jankovič Andrej Piltaver Svetlana Čermelj in cooperation with Public company Snaga Public company Vodovod - Kanalizacija (Brigita Jamnik, Ph.D.) Photographs B. Čeak, Public company Snaga, N. Rovan, Public company Vodovod - Kanalizacija, D. Wedam, V. Kontić, O. Dolenc, A. Piltaver, K. Goljat, Archive of the Department for Environmental Protection, Archive Turizem Ljubljana, Anita Šimec Mav Layout Rdeči oblak Number of copies printed: 1,500 CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 504.5(497.4Ljubljana)(047) ENVIRONMENT in the City of Ljubljana : European green capital 2016 / [authors Zala Strojin Božič ... [et al.] ; photographs B. Čeak ... et al.]. - Ljubljana : City of Ljubljana, City Administration, Department for Environmental Protection, 2015 ISBN 978-961-6449-62-5 1. Strojin Božič, Zala 281783808 2 Green Capital of Europe 2016 Air Quality 4 Air Quality Measures 10 Contents Water Quality 12 Drinking Water 12 Ground Water 14 Surface Waters 16 Waste Water 17 Water Quality Measures 19 Soil 20 Agricultural soil 20 Urban soil 23 Forest soil 24 Soil Quality Measures 25 Waste Treatment 26 Municipal waste 26 Illegal waste disposal sites 27 Waste Treatment Measures 28 Nature 30 Biodiversity 30 Invasive alien plant species 32 Nature Conservation Measures 34 Noise 36 Noise Reduction Measures 38 Environmental Action Programme 2014–2020 40 Green Capital of Europe 2016 3 1968 Establishment of Toplarna Ljubljana (Ljubljana CHP Air Quality plant). 1972 Start of operation of Šiška CHP plant. 1975 Adoption of the Air Quality Management Act. 1981 Adoption of the Ordinance on Air Quality Management in the Ljubljana Region. References to Ljubljana's air quality appear as 1991 First in a series of calls for early as the seventeenth century (in the top- tenders for the connection of ographical works of Merian and Valvasor). existing residential buildings Ljubljana's position in a basin results in poor to the district heating system. air circulation, which is reflected in the city's 1996 Adoption of the Order Prohibiting the Burning air quality. In the past this led to serious air of Zasavje coal at pollution, particularly during long winter in- Termoelektrarna Toplarna versions. Air quality management was therefore Ljubljana. one of the first major environmental issues to be 1999 Adoption of European addressed in Ljubljana. Council Directive 1999/30/ EC relating to limit values Air pollution levels in Ljubljana have been for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen measured continuously since 1968, when the dioxide and oxides of first monitoring station was set up in the city nitrogen, particulate matter centre to measure sulphur dioxide and smoke and lead in ambient air, levels. The start of measurements in the middle signalling the start of a new of 1967 more or less coincides with the start approach to the reduction of of operation of the combined heat and power air pollution. plant in Moste, which began delivering the first 2002 Adoption of the Decree on megawatts of electricity generated by cogenera- Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen tion to the network at the end of 1966. Moni- Oxides, Particulate Matter toring took place subsequently in a nearby park, and Lead in Ambient Air, at one of the stations belonging to the national introducing stricter norms automatic air pollution monitoring network regarding air pollution and (ANAS). transposing the content of the European Directive in its In September 2001 the City of Ljubljana entirety. temporarily set up its own air pollution moni- 2005 Start of regular toring station on the pedestrian plaza in front measurements of PM 10 of Figovec (a historic city-centre restaurant), as particles at Ljubljana Center part of the "Car-Free Day" initiative. Monitor- monitoring station. ing continued in this location until October 2008 Adoption of the 2009, at which point the station was moved to Environmental Action a permanent location at the junction of Tivolska Programme for the City of Cesta and Vošnjakova Ulica, where it has been Ljubljana (2007–2013), where measuring air pollution as the Ljubljana Center the improvement of air quality monitoring station since November 2009. serves as one of the city’s strategic objectives. Today this monitoring station is used to mon- 2008 Start of the Civitas Elan itor air pollution caused by traffic in the city project. centre, while also measuring noise and meteoro- 2014 Adoption of the Ordinance on logical parameters. There is another monitoring Air Quality Plan for the City of site in Bežigrad, which is located outside the Ljubljana. 2015 Adoption of the detailed impact of major local pollution sources and acts programme of measures as benchmark for the situation in the broader under the Ordinance on the city environment (Ljubljana Bežigrad monitor- Air Quality Plan for the City of ing station). Ljubljana 2014–2016. 4 Green Capital of Europe 2016 electricity and heat production in Ljubljana, sul inLjubljana, electricity andheatproduction for Although coalisstillthemainenergysource of coalandliquidfuelscontainingsulphur. thecombustion by isproduced dioxide Sulphur Sulphur dioxide for PM dataset pollutionanda9-year dioxide nitrogen datasetfor pollution,an11-year phur dioxide data setforsul a46-year have we Ljubljana In Average annualsulphurdioxidelevelsinLjubljana(µg/m 1968 1969 1970 1971 10 1972 citycentre. pollutioninLjubljana 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 3 - 1989 ) 1990 - 1991 phur, which continues to be used today. whichcontinuestobeusedtoday. phur, usingcoalcontaininglesssul air pollutionby sulphurdioxide toexcessive farewell definitive bida individual solid-fuelfurnaces.Ljubljana burning coalandfueloil,theabolitionof ofindividuallocalboilerhouses replacement the the districtheatingsystemandgasnetwork, This islargelyduetothegradualtransition pollutionisnolongeraproblem. phur dioxide 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 - 2014 a problem. pollution isnolonger Sulphur dioxide „ 5 Green Capital of Europe 2016 Nitrogen oxides and nitrogen dioxide in urban areas are traffic, individual furnaces and Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are generated in thermal power plants. No instances of excessive high-temperature combustion processes through hourly concentrations of nitrogen dioxide have the creation of nitrogen–oxygen bonds. Exhaust been recorded at the Ljubljana Center monitor- gases contain a high level of nitrogen monox- ing station for several years. At the annual level ide (NO), which rapidly oxidises into nitrogen we succeeded in bringing concentrations below 3 dioxide (NO2) in the atmosphere. The oxidation the limit value of 40 µg/m for the first time in rate of nitrogen monoxide from traffic into 2014. The levels of nitrogen oxide pollution at higher oxides increases with the distance from the Ljubljana Bežigrad monitoring station are the source. The main sources of nitrogen oxides well below the limit value. Average nitrogen dioxide levels (Ljubljana Bežigrad, µg/m3) 40 35 30 25 20 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Average nitrogen dioxide levels (Ljubljana Center, µg/m3) 80 70 60 50 40 30 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 6 Green Capital of Europe 2016 Monitoring station in the centre of the city intended for monitoring traffic pollution. PM10 particles (resuspension). We have been regularly meas- Air pollution is not only the result of harmful uring PM10 particulates at the Ljubljana Center gases, it is also caused by airborne particulate monitoring station since the end of 2005. matter, which can affect human health. The The annual permitted concentration of PM10 3 finest particles, less than 10 µm (PM10, PM2.5) in particles is 40 µg/m , while the daily permit- size, are the most problematic. The smaller they ted concentration is 50 µg/m3. The number of are, the more damage they cause to our health. instances where both daily levels and the average Levels of particulate pollution are affected both annual level are exceeded is decreasing. In 2014 by emissions and by weather conditions. It is the annual concentration of particulates at the rainfall in particular that helps reduce partic- Ljubljana Center monitoring station fell below ulate pollution by washing particles out of the the permitted level for the first time. We also air and onto the ground, where they mix with achieved the lowest number of daily exceedances surface dust. If streets are not regularly cleaned, since measurements began, although the num- however, this dust can be lifted into the air ber of exceedances of daily levels is still above again by the wind, causing additional pollution the permitted level. 3 Average PM10 level and annual permitted daily exceedances (Ljubljana Center, µg/m ) 180 Exceedances Average 140 120 80 40 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 3 Average PM10 level and annual permitted daily exceedances (Ljubljana Bežigrad, µg/m ) 70 Exceedances 60 Average 50 40 30 20 10 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Green Capital of Europe 2016 7 Ozone chemically active