TALLINN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY TO 2030

TALLINN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY TO 2030

Tallinn 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

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1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE TALLINN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY TO 2010 AND STARTING POINTS FOR THE TALLINN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY 2030

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2. INITIAL SITUATION, MAIN PROBLEMS AND DIRECTIONS

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2.1. NATIONAL DIVERSITY 2.2. LANDSCAPING 2.3. WATER 2.3.1. Water supplies 2.3.1.1. Internal water bodies 2.3.1.2. Groundwater 2.3.1.3. Coastal waters 2.3.2. Rain water 2.4. AIR 2.4.1. Ambient air quality 2.4.2. Environmental noise 2.4.3. Indoor air - radon 2.5. WASTE 2.6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2.6.1. Environmental education 2.6.2. Planning city space

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3. VISION FOR 2030

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4. OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES

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4.1. NATURAL DIVERSITY 4.2. LANDSCAPING 4.3. WATER 4.3.1. Surface water 4.3.2. Groundwater 4.3.3. Coastal water 4.3.4. Rain water 4.4. AIR 4.4.1. Ambient air 4.4.2. Environmental noise pollution 4.4.3. Radon 4.5. WASTE 4.6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 4.6.1. Environmental education 4.6.2. Planning city space

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5. RISKS AND RISK MANAGEMENT

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6. MONITORING

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CONCLUSION

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REFERENCES

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INTRODUCTION Tallinn Environmental Strategy is a conceptual source document that plans the long-term future of development for the city environment, determining the vision for the sustainable development of the city, the strategic objectives with the highest priority, and any necessary courses of action in order to ensure a living environment that satisfies people, as well as ensuring the resources necessary for economic development without significantly damaging the natural environment and while also preserving natural diversity.

Tallinn City Council initiated the preparation of the Tallinn Environmental Strategy to 2030 and set out the terms of reference with Decision No. 303, taken on 16 December 2010. According to § 3 (2) of Tallinn City Council Regulation No. 13, dated 25 February 2010: “The procedure for proceeding of Tallinn development documents”, the Tallinn Environmental Strategy is the city’s strategic development document, which should be added alongside the Tallinn Development Strategy and the comprehensive plan for Tallinn.

Tallinn Environmental Strategy 2030 (hereinafter ‘Tallinn Environmental Strategy’) is an environmental development strategy for integrated planning of environmental measures in Tallinn. The Tallinn Environmental Strategy is prepared according to the procedure for processing strategic development documents in Tallinn and is in line with those documents, such as the “Tallinn 2030” strategy, Development Plan of Tallinn, and also with the principles and targets specified in the Estonian Environmental Strategy 2030.

The main objective in developing the Tallinn Environmental Strategy is to achieve a good condition of the natural and living environments in the city, and to ensure sustainable use of natural resources by establishing long-term development directions. The Environmental Strategy should facilitate reduction of negative environmental impacts, improvement of environmental conditions and raising general environmental awareness.

Since it has an important impact on people’s health and well-being, ensuring good environmental conditions also ensures a healthy living environment for people. In order to achieve this, the Environmental Strategy determines the visions, objectives and courses of action for sustainable development in various subjects including, among others, natural diversity, landscaping, the quality of ambient air, the water supply, waste management, and the management of the environment, including environmental education.

The Environmental Strategy is to be taken as a guide when planning and implementing both environmental issues and other fields of activities in regard to the city. On one hand, the Environmental Strategy supplies the principles and tasks for the city itself, that is to say, for the city’s government authority in organising the life of the city, while on the other hand, it also supplies principles and tasks for undertakings, citizens, public authorities, neighbouring local government authorities, organisations and any others that may have an impact on Tallinn’s environment with their activities.

The first section of the Tallinn Environmental Strategy 2030 includes an overview of the initial situation in regard to the environment and an analysis of the problems and the reasons for such problems where these form a basis for the preparation of the next section of the Environmental Strategy. The second section of the Environmental Strategy consists of the vision that is being aimed at with the implementation of the document, ie. the desired environmental situation for the city, as well as objectives that determine what is to be achieved. In order to implement this vision and achieve the objectives, courses of action are detailed in the strategic document. In addition, the Environmental Strategy highlights the possible risks involved in achieving the objectives that have been set out in the strategy, as well as the options for managing these risks, and the procedure for monitoring and amending the Environmental Strategy document.

The Tallinn Environmental Strategy is prepared by and the process managed by Tallinn City Environment Department, which is also responsible for the overall project. The process of developing the environmental strategy began with the formation of a working group and agreement of the process to be used. The environmental strategy process consisted of a thorough analysis of the current situation and the mapping out of any problem areas, one part of which was finding and analysing the causes of any problems, along with their consequences and the connections between them. This was followed up by setting out a vision for the 4

period between now and 2030, agreeing upon the principles of development, the strategic objectives, and the courses of action to be undertaken.

The preparation of the Tallinn Environmental Strategy was undertaken by employees from various divisions of the Tallinn City Environment Department (along with field specialists from the environmental management, landscaping, and waste management divisions). The so-called stakeholders, that is to say, specialists from various fields who were drawn from the offices of the city’s government authority, the state authorities, and various other undertakings and organisations, were also involved in the process.

Suggestions by these stakeholders have been taken into account in the preparation of the Environmental Strategy document. By means of disclosure, the wider public and the inhabitants of Tallinn have also been involved in the process. The Environmental Strategy will be published in April 2011, at which point a public display and discussion will be held.

The Tallinn Environmental Strategy will be implemented through the Tallinn Environmental Action Plan 2018, establishing concrete measures, executors and funding sources for achievement of strategic objectives. The Tallinn Environmental Strategy serves as a source document for any environmental development and action plans, which will have to be based on the principles established in the Environmental Strategy. The Tallinn Environmental Strategy creates a framework for integrated decision-making and sustainable development of the city is one of the main objectives of the Strategy.

The monitoring, amending and complementing of the Tallinn Environmental Strategy takes place according to requirements, but this happens at least once every five years.

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1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE TALLINN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY TO 2010 AND STARTING POINTS FOR THE TALLINN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY TO 2030

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The Tallinn Environmental Strategy to 2010 was accepted by Tallinn City Council by means of Regulation No. 5, dated 22 January 1998, and this was valid until 2010. Below, the accuracy of the presumptions that were made in the Tallinn Environmental Strategy to 2010 (hereafter The Environmental Strategy 2010) has been analysed, as has the implementation of the general principles. The implementation of the previous environmental strategy by topics has been evaluated in the chapter that covers the initial situation.

The Environmental Strategy 2010 stated that environmental protection should be seen as one of the main bases of city development, something to be held to be equally as important as the economy, because the city is first and foremost a living environment for people and the environment and people have a mutual impact on each other. The protection and improvement of the city’s environment is a necessity and also a direct obligation since the social and economic development of society depends on it. Current and future generations deserve to live in an environment that promotes physical, mental and social development.

The Environmental Strategy is based on the same principles, according to which environmental protection should be handled under the same principles as the other fields of city management, and in an integrated manner.

The Environmental Strategy 2010 was based on the presumption that the population total for Tallinn would shrink in forthcoming years and stabilise around the turn of the century, and that the population of Harju County which abuts Tallinn will increase on account of the population shift from Tallinn, wherefore the development of these areas should be viewed in the context of the development of Tallinn. The towns of Saue, Paldiski and Maardu, together with the Port of Muuga, were considered to have a significant impact on this development.

While the 1990s were marked by a significant reduction in the population of Tallinn, during the 2000s the population has remained more or less stable and has even started to increase.1 At the same time, the population of Tallinn has mainly been reduced by the urban sprawl that was created in the middle of the first decade of the twenty-first century.2 Tallinn’s area of influence has first and foremost expanded into the neighbouring local government authority districts in Harju County (Viimsi, Rae, Kiili, Saku, Saue and Harku rural municipalities). Although, due to the general economic recession, the pace of urban sprawl had been slowed down by 2010, property development may again rise in the next few years as a result of economic growth, and emigration to the areas neighbouring Tallinn will continue. If the impact of urban sprawl cannot be reduced, the population count may fall by up to 360,000 by 2025 according to the prognosis.3 The “Tallinn 2030” strategy considers potential decrease in the number of inhabitants, outward migration and structural changes as a risk, which could be managed by densification of city space and increasing the variety of residence types, incl. increasing the share of family residences, row houses, small houses and other similar types of housing suitable for families with children, in addition to apartment buildings.

Providing inhabitants with a safe and green living environment is a precondition for slowing the rate of urban sprawl.

In the course of the land reform at the beginning of the 1990s, large areas of unimproved city territories and plots adjoining the city borders, incl. green areas, were restituted to former owners, significantly changing previous ownership relations. A comprehensive plan for Tallinn was adopted in 2001, based on the principles listed in the Environmental Strategy, establishing the land use patterns and city development directions for the coming decades. These circumstances shaped the land and property market, creating preconditions for turning most of natural areas on the restituted land into prospective building areas.

The Environmental Strategy 2010 sought to prevent this by promoting construction activities on brown field sites. Several areas around the so-called ‘railway circle’, in Lasnamäe and on former military and industrial territories (e.g., Rotermann Quarter, the area around Kristiine Shopping Centre, the areas of the former cellulose plant, Dvigatel factory, the veneer and furniture factory, Sikupilly Shopping Cenrtre, Tallinn Development Plan 2009–2027; approved by 19.06.2008 decision No. 129 of Tallinn city council.

Strategy „Tallinn 2030“, approved by 04.11.2010 decision No. 255 of Tallinn city council.

3 Strategy „Tallinn 2030“, approved by 04.11.2010 decision No. 255 of Tallinn city council.

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Ilmarise Quarter, brown field site next to Mustakivi road in Lasnamäe and other locations) have been developed according to the comprehensive plan for Tallinn. The use of near-city areas, incl. partial use of verdant areas, e.g., in Kakumäe, Pirita, etc., was necessary for developing low-density family residence and terraced house zones, as the share of this type of housing was disproportionately low (5-6%) in the city as a whole. This limited available housing options and facilitated the undesirable urban sprawl towards areas around the city, incl. former recreational areas and summer residence districts.

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We should continue to operate on the assumption that the wish for building on privately-owned green areas will continue and in order to avoid this, we need to continue to operate on the principle of the preservation of city landscaping and biological diversity in landscape planning.

The Environmental Strategy 2010 prescribed that in order to preserve the ecological balance and to serve recreational purposes, the scheme which ensures that the areas that are necessary for these will be developed and that recreational options, including opportunities for physical training, will increase.

Recreational areas have been developed in Tallinn, including bathing areas, while leisure and recreational sport options have increased, in terms of the creation of cycle paths and lit running and skiing tracks. The network of cycling paths has also been developed, although not sufficiently. The Environmental Strategy prescribed being able to ride a bicycle everywhere in the city, including the city centre, but currently no convenient conditions have been created to ensure this across the entire city.

The development of light traffic roads and recreational areas must be one of the city’s priorities. The principle of connecting the forests, green areas, beaches, recreational areas and recreational sport facilities into one citywide network is still considered to be important.

In the field of transportation, most of the principles of the Environmental Strategy 2010 have not been carried out. The express routes that lead by the city centre that were put forward in the Environmental Strategy 2010 and which were planned for in the comprehensive plan for Tallinn, as well as the planned grade-separated junctions, have not been built due to a lack both of means and agreements, although the planning and designing of them has taken place at several levels. Currently, Ülemiste traffic junction is being built as part of the Southern Motorway (Lõunaväil). After completion, it will reduce the traffic load on the city centre and improve connections between eastern and western areas.

However, options have been somewhat improved by the rebuilding of roads and conditions have been established that supply public transport with an advantage in traffic.

Although driving to the city centre in a car is still costly and inconvenient, no significant changes in this matter can be seen if the street network continues to exist in its current form and without taking radical organisational measures. The use of electric vehicles has not increased and the use of diesel buses has not reduced. However, to alleviate parking problems, multi-storey car parks have been built, as well as “Park and Ride” car parks. It is important to restrict car use in the city as a whole, not just in the city centre, although traffic problems are at their most pressing there.

The current situation has been taken as a basis in the compilation of the Tallinn Environmental Strategy to 2030, with daily heavy traffic loads between various areas of the city which have different functions, such as city centre and the city’s regional urban districts, but also areas around the city, and the increase in the number of cars has made the capacity of the roads and junctions problematic. In order to reduce the negative impact of an increasing use of cars and due to the limitations of city space, more attention should be turned to public transportation and light traffic when organising the ability of people to move around the city. In addition to the development of public transport, the light traffic infrastructure, and organisational changes, a constant changing of the population’s values and behavioural patterns is required in terms of sustainability and environmental protection.

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2. INITIAL SITUATION, MAIN PROBLEMS AND DIRECTIONS

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The chapter covering the initial situation first presents an estimation on the performance of the Environmental Strategy 2010 for each topic, followed by an overview of the current situation, the background, the condition and how it has changed. First and foremost, the initial situation describes the origins and causes of the problems. On the basis of this, the main problems that require solutions, together with detailed explanations of these problems, are highlighted separately. In addition, tendencies are stated in order to highlight the current direction that processes will take if environmental strategy objectives are not set out that will deliver change in the situation and which will solve the perceived problems, and if development is not guided in a favourable direction. For these main areas of concern, the Environmental Strategy presents all of the important issues that require solutions and these are prioritised. Due to this, the strategic selections and trends are expressed in the Environmental Strategy objectives.

2.1. NATIONAL DIVERSITY The Environmental Strategy 2010 sets out the following: • As one of the few northern European cities, Tallinn can preserve its biological diversity thanks to its diverse landscape. This is the principle that is taken as a basis in landscape planning and the preservation of city landscaping. Forests, green areas, beaches, natural areas, as well as recreational facilities and recreational sports facilities, will be connected to a uniform citywide network.

• A layout for areas that are necessary for the preservation of the ecological balance and for recreation will be developed.

• The Environmental Board is an equal partner of the Department of City Planning when it comes to the preparation of the new comprehensive plan, but also where issues that threaten landscape diversity are concerned, along with issues that are related to protected areas, the coast and coastal waters, landscaping, and individual natural objects in the course of land and ownership reform.

• The preservation of parks that are under nature protection orders, as well as all other parks, shall be ensured.

• Natural objects and the habitats of plant species that are under protection shall be preserved (the lists will be specified and improved, and protection will be organised).

The Environmental Strategy 2010 also considered the risk of increased pressure for turning green areas into building land, incl. land for residential construction. It predicted that recreational and natural areas in attractive locations for commercial and residential use would tend to be transformed into building areas. To prevent this, it was important to promote movement of capital to unprepared brown field sites.

In retrospective, it must be admitted that: • Due to the pressure of building registered immovables in private ownership, the share of landscaping has compared with the end of 1980.-s decreased across the city and many areas that have been natural so far have been turned into building areas. The green network has not preserved in its entirety, and neither has it been developed, but the principles of ensuring the green network are taken into consideration in the comprehensive plans for the city’s districts. Non-restitutable verdant areas in city or state ownership (including protected areas) have been preserved as green areas.

• The overview of natural diversity in the city is not sufficient due to insufficient research.

• At the start of the validity period of the Environmental Strategy 2010, the Tallinn Environmental Board was liquidated and was not restored until 2005.

• Natural diversity or the environmental field as a whole has not been valued sufficiently.

Initial situation On one hand, Tallinn’s natural areas are dominated by three relatively large landscape protection areas (the Pirita River Valley, and the Aegna and Nõmme-Mustamäe landscape protection areas which, either partially or entirely, belong to Natura 2000, a European network of protected areas), the Paljassaare special conservation area which was established for the protection of birds (the Natura 2000 bird area), and dozens of parks and other more or less natural green areas. Due to the lack of research, it is difficult to give an exact evaluation on the ecological condition of protected areas and other green areas. Doubtlessly 10

there are ecosystems that are in good condition, but because of the large burden and changed land use, the number of these that are in a constantly worsening condition is certainly higher. Nevertheless, there are well-preserved valuable areas that should be protected by the establishment of additional national and local protection areas that are already under consideration or which should be under consideration in the future.

On the other hand, however, the lack of cohesion between green areas is clearly visible in Tallinn’s natural spaces. The statistical percentage of green areas in land use may seem promising from the viewpoint of natural diversity due to the presence of large protected areas (especially on the island of Aegna), but if these areas are not ecologically connected to each other, natural diversity in the city is heading towards depletion. The seclusion of habitats for plants and animals, as well as their small size is one of the main reasons for species extinction.

On the basis of earlier research, while the habitats of registered species that are under protection looks promising, Tallinn’s natural areas could be called quite rich, but this is not the result of conscious nature conservational activity but a characteristic that is due to the location of and natural diversity in Tallinn. It is true that in the last decade (which was the most active period of construction) no thorough research on biota has been carried out in the city and there is no actual overview of the current levels of biological diversity in the city. Nature cannot be protected without knowing it well.

However, some biota studies have been started up again quite lately. The situation is better in regard to non-living nature - valuable natural items (such as springs, outcrops, boulders and boulder fields) were placed under national protection before the beginning of the recent period of rapid construction work and even though they may not be in their most presentable state today, they are still there and their condition can be improved in the future.

Establishing a National Park of the Capital has been discussed as an option for preserving valuable areas in Tallinn, but not enough justification has been found for the idea so far. However, creation of the National Park of the Capital, incl. for the protection of specific sites, could be considered in the future if there is an opportunity.

Main problems • Treating nature-related values as a restriction that hinders development rather than a resource that creates a basis for a better quality of life. Even if nature-related values are considered as a resource, then it is the cheapest of resources, and one that is normally the first to be sacrificed when it comes to constructing new roads, utility works, or areas that are to be covered in buildings. The ecosystem services that are offered by nature-related values and their cost are not yet being systematically taken into consideration when it comes to taking decisions. Instead this is happening on a rather random basis.

This is a conflict of values, exhibiting a lack of environmental knowledge and the general attitude that is prevalent in today’s society.

• The overview of Tallinn’s nature-related values, mainly in terms of biological diversity, is incomplete.

Due to a situation that favours the fast-tracking of plans, inventories are superficial - only trees are evaluated when it comes to completing an inventory for natural items to be retained for landscaping, but even they are not always granted sufficient protection.

• Merely formal protection of natural values, only based on the Nature Conservation Act, as well as its insufficient monitoring • The loss of biological diversity due to the decrease in green areas, the large load placed on such areas, and changes in land use. A decrease in biological diversity serves to lower the quality of the living environment such as, for example, in terms of air and water quality and the city’s climate. As a result, people move to the neighbouring rural municipalities which have a larger degree of biological diversity, thereby contributing to urban sprawl.

• The degradation of the green network, which is again brought about by changes in land ownership and the increasing levels of density in the city space. The disintegration of the green network means the destruction of sites and habitats, causing a worsening of the living environment due to the loss of biological diversity. In addition, the destruction of habitats may also have a direct impact on the city’s environment such as, for example, in contributing to floods and causing water contamination.

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Tendencies

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• An insufficient appreciation of nature-related values that causes a decrease in natural diversity and therefore delivers a worsening of the living environment.

• Seemingly emphasising the importance of the environmental field, but in reality, environmental protection is still considered as being a field that hinders development, and nature-related values are seen as a cheap resource, and one that is normally the first to be sacrificed when it comes to constructing new roads, utility works, or areas that are to be covered in buildings.

• The continual degradation of the green network, the fragmentation and decrease of core areas, and the abolishment of green corridors, while at the same time using the ‘green corridor’ label for street landscaping.

• A decrease in biological diversity, in green areas for example, often justified by the need to decrease maintenance costs or to provide increased security; or in building renovation, where the habitats of birds and bats are not taken into consideration.

• The densification of the city space , with development often taking place at the expense of landscaping around a registered immovable. In planning, separate recreational areas are preferred, thereby increasing the burden on them. A moderate amount of landscaping is planned in areas that are undergoing development, which does not allow for any increase in biological diversity. A clean (high-quality and healthy) environment for relaxation is sought outside the city. The same tendency prevails in the choice of living environment, which is one of the causes of urban sprawl.

• Valuing natural biotic communities first and foremost as recreational areas; due to the visitor load in such areas, a recreational value is also becoming prevalent for protected areas. It is not understood that an impoverishment of natural biotic communities due to an increase in recreational load eventually causes a decrease in the recreational value of these areas. Exceeding the load capacity of protected areas.

2.2. LANDSCAPING The Environmental Strategy 2010 set out the main development criteria for landscaping and visions for the development of city landscaping in the period between 1998-2010. The prognosis that the pressure for turning natural areas into building land (including their use for the construction of residential buildings), would increase proved to be true as a result of land reform. A large number of green areas were either built over when private ownership was restored, or they are currently viewed as sites which could be built over, especially in the districts of Pirita, Haabersti and Nõmme. Nevertheless, recreational and natural areas with a favourable location for business and living have been turned into construction areas to a smaller extent. At the same time, the comprehensive plan for Tallinn has preserved non-restitutable areas of land, ie. verdant areas owned by the state or the city have been preserved as green areas.

The Environmental Strategy 2010 anticipated connecting green areas into a citywide green network, but in many areas, overwhelming problems have occurred in changing land ownership or the intended purpose of use for land. Due to areas of land being under private ownership, the complete presence of the green network cannot be ensured in all areas.

However, Tallinn has gained a lot of new landscaping. Additional city landscaping has been established, especially in the districts of Lasnamäe and Kesklinn. Numerous existing green areas have been refurbished in the latter district and new ones built in Lasnamäe. In Northern Tallinn, former cemeteries have been redeveloped as parks (Kopli and Kalamaja cemetery parks) and a new park, Karjamaa, has been built.

However, the development of city landscaping has not been systematic enough because the Tallinn Landscape Development Plan has not foreseen a sufficiently integrated system.

The Environmental Strategy 2010 considered the establishment of the optimal need for landscaping and its structure to be important. The process of evaluating city landscaping by districts has not yet been completed, but it is already possible to determine the optimal landscaping structure of districts now. The basis for evaluating the landscaping structure so far has been mainly aesthetics. The city government authority has 12

attached a level of importance to immediate landscaping around housing, using different programmes for this purpose (eg. “Hoovid korda”). Professionals have been included in landscape development and projects must pass through various stages of harmonisation and control.

Emphasising the importance of forests in the city’s environment,t as The Environmental Strategy 2010 considered, has not proved successful because the share of forests that is under municipal ownership is low and most of the forests in Tallinn are located on unreformed state land, and there therefore sort of frozen.

This does not ensure sufficient protection and leaves the maintenance issues unresolved.

In summary, it can be said that the Environmental Strategy 2010 has highlighted problems that have not changed over time. It is difficult to provide a more specific evaluation because the previous Environmental Strategy did not set out measurable criteria for landscaping. A timeline for finding a solution for many of the problems could not be formulated and therefore these problems have remained unsolved right up to the present day. However, enough has been done to improve the condition of city landscaping, but it has become clear by now that the lack of resources prevents any complete success. The issues that are related to forests can be considered to be a failure since any changes in this field can hardly be seen at all. In other fields, significant success has been achieved and the situation has improved.

Initial situation Verdant areas make up 27% of Tallinn’s total land area, amounting to 43.3km2 or almost 100m2 per person.

This includes forests, green wastelands, parks, parkways, coastal areas and other areas. Verdant areas are unevenly distributed across the city. If we say that to enable short-term relaxation, a park (public verdant area) should be located within 300 m of any residential building (evaluation criteria for the European Green Capital award), then the largest number of green areas are in Nõmme and Pirita, while the smallest number are in the Kristiine district.

The city’s large area of biomass is ensured through the existence of extensive and undivided forest areas in Haabersti, Nõmme and Pirita. Most of the biomass in parks is provided by the Kesklinn district, while the Lasnamäe district provides a large number of open grass areas, and the Nõmme district holds the greatest concentration of privately owned yards and gardens. Out of the total vegetable biomass for Tallinn, 57.7% is formed by forested areas (forests and parks), 22% by areas not occupied by buildings, and 6.6% by yard and garden areas.

From the landscape architectural point of view, the most valuable greenery complexes are located around the Old Town and near the Narva and Pirita roads. The general condition of Tallinn’s forested areas can be ranked as being satisfactory. Below, hierarchical sections of Tallinn’s landscaping have been described.

Central greenery systems in the city The comprehensive plan for Tallinn determines the central greenery system that is made up of three green radials (I, II and III), a meridian green corridor, and the green belt surrounding the Old Town. The green system is the main ensurer of the good condition of Tallinn’s city environment, as well as its balancer.

Forests and natural areas Forests and natural green areas make up most of the city landscaping and are the most important part of the city’s central green system. The largest forested areas are located on the island of Aegna, in Nõmme district (the Nõmme-Mustamäe landscape protection area, and Pääsküla bog), around Lake Ülemiste, in Pirita (the Pirita River Valley landscape protection area, including Kloostrimets), in Haabersti (Rocca al Mare, Õismäe bog, and Kakumäe forest), and the Northern Tallinn area (Merimets). A total of 4% of forest land is under the municipal ownership of the city of Tallinn (approximately 84 hectares).

Green areas in large residential districts Green areas in residential districts are a connecting link between the central green system, and parks and green areas that are under private ownership. Landscaped areas around large residential buildings are relatively monotonous, plain and chaotic. The green areas in residential districts are in a satisfactory 13

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condition, especially in districts with better growth conditions. The condition of these green areas depends mainly on post-construction care, mechanical injuries, trampling, growth conditions (eg. unsuitable soil, strong winds) and its make-up by species.

Parks Most of the parks are located in the Kesklinna district - Kadriorg Park and the green belt surrounding the Old Town are the most presentable green areas in the city. Parks do not form a large part of the citywide landscaping system, but are one of the most important recreational areas for the population and one of the most important areas from the point of view of the provision of natural spaces. Parks need constant care and protection.

Street-side green areas Green areas alongside the city’s streets are important in terms of providing colour to the street area as the most active part of the city space, and these areas also have great value as the accumulators of direct traffic pollution. Therefore, green areas on or beside streets are affected by the largest levels of negative human impact. Green areas alongside Tallinn’s streets have a different structural, age, and species-specific composition. Landscaping along the streets in new residential districts is in good shape because the trees are still young and have not yet been damaged. In addition, street landscaping in residential districts has been developed with the human impact taken into consideration. However, historic street landscaping is in a poor situation because the growth of negative human impact exceeds the capacity of greenery to resist such an impact and the maintenance of green areas has also been insufficient.

A decrease in street landscaping, especially at the expense of trees on streets, has been significantly exceeding the establishment of new street landscaping for years. In the framework of replacement planting, the renewal of the old parkways has begun, as has the establishment of new parkways. Population diversity and quality has been increased in the course of planting.

Cemeteries Cemeteries are an important part of the city’s green system, having a social, cultural and ecological value.

Cemeteries cannot be compared to other green areas that are under public use, nor can they be treated as public recreational areas or recreational sport areas; however, a specific and limited recreational use that does not disturb the peace of the cemetery is possible. The preservation of a protected zone for cemeteries (what could be termed a peace zone) is important in ensuring the functioning of the green corridor system. The condition of cemeteries within the borders of Tallinn is good.

The preservation of green areas has to be one of the priorities of the Tallinn City Government. Due to a lack of relevant legislation, the Tallinn City Government has created a system of regulations to protect green areas and to emphasise their importance. The need for green areas of certain size, as determined in comprehensive plans depending on the intended purpose of land use, should be underlined in the planning of land use.

The transfer of the position of the city landscape architect from the Tallinn City Planning Department to Tallinn City Environment Department established a precondition for creating a centre for methodical coordination of the development of green areas at the Tallinn City Environment Department, which is already responsibly for the issues of cutting permits and replacement planting and incorporates specialists for dealing with landscaping matters. In order to strengthen the centre, continuous activities have to be planned for the future.

Main problems • A lack of value in terms of landscaping in city space and a reduction of the importance of the existing mature vegetation and green areas in relation to development activities. The cause of the problem is the aim of developers to use their property as profitably as possible. Development activity, in turn, has been brought about by land reform acts that returned previously vacant city land to its former owners. In the comprehensive plan for Tallinn of 2001, the principal development directions in terms of land use and

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city planning were put in place and those areas of land that had been returned to former owners were established as perspective residential areas (eg. in Haabersti and Pirita). o A wish to build on forested areas and other green areas has increased. By today, most of those registered immovables that were returned to former owners have had their initial intended purpose changed through planning and have become residential land. The largest number of changes in the last decade have taken place in the Pirita district (the area between Mähe and Merivälja, Lepiku, Laiaküla) and Haabersti district (Kakumäe and Astangu). There are also intentions to drain bogs and subsequently build on these areas, especially on the outskirts of the Pääsküla and Õismäe bogs. At the same time, the local government authority lacks the capacity to purchase large amounts of forested land. The value of landscaped land is also higher than that of land that has not been landscaped. o New landscaping which occurs as a result of development activities is not equal in its ecological function to landscaping that has been destroyed. The new landscaping does not sufficiently encompass the principles of naturalness and does not provide enough of a habitat. o An increase in the recreational usage load for forests. Forests are important recreational areas for people living in cities, but if the movement of people through these areas is not regulated or guided, the load on forested areas will increase.

• The insufficient coherence and functioning of the green network. Links between the city’s green areas are insufficient both in terms of city centre parks and green areas in neighbouring local government authority areas. The green network does not correspond to the already-established structure of the city and restituted land, while private ownership of land prevents uniform distribution of the green network over all areas. Points of convergence between the green network and the transportation system are the main sources of discrepancy. o Limited opportunities for the city’s population to use the green areas. The green network is fragmented, light traffic green areas is impeded, and the green areas are not sufficiently available near places of residence.

• The maintenance and refurbishment of parks (and ponds in there) and green areas is underfunded and maintenance work for parks is not carried out as required. Where limited resources are involved, the local government authority lacks sufficient means to maintain the existing landscaping. There is no overview of the size of the optimum levels of landscaping around the city in terms of economic, environmental protection, recreational and other aspects. o When planning roads, mature vegetation and integral parkways are not planned for sufficiently or are not planned at all. There is not enough room for landscaping in the city space near buildings and landscaping. Too few integral solutions are implemented. o Planting that is carried out is not sufficient to replace landscaping that has been destroyed. Many structures have come about or have been established on a random basis and the system of utility networks has not been thought through. o The resources to ensure forest maintenance are underfinanced. There is a level of underfinancing in maintenance and the existence of poor management. o Within the city’s boundaries, only a very small part of the forest is under municipal ownership. A local government cannot manage the land that it does not own. The Tallinn City Property Department has submitted repeated requests to the Harju County Governor for transferring the land of former city forests into municipal property (16 requests in 2010 and 2011 for a total area of 317 ha). The Harju County Government has returned the requests and stated that the Ministry of the Environment intends to keep the city forests in state ownership.

Tendencies • Land owners express a wish to build on forested areas, grasslands, bogs and other natural areas, and green areas have been given over to private ownership and have been turned into building sites.

Additional construction on green areas continues.

• There is a prevailing attitude that we have enough greenery and where there is a wish to spend some time surrounded by nature, we can always drive out of the city.

• Green areas are not close enough or available enough for the city’s population, and people drive out of town to visit natural areas.

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• The central green systems in the city are cut through by building areas and transport terminals.

Transport breakthroughs are wide and do not contain landscaping.

• An inevitable change in natural biotic communities is taking place in the city’s forests, especially in pine forests where pines are being replaced by broadleaf trees. Forests are not maintained and are overexploited.

• Parks and green areas are aged and despite the increase in natural values, their aesthetic appearance is not modern.

• Landscaping is not valued enough. Trees on streets are cut down and the plots in which they used to grow are covered in pavement or grass. New green areas are not established as they are not considered relevant and it is considered that the city has enough such areas.

2.3. WATER 2.3.1. WATER SUPPLIES 2.3.1.1. Internal water bodies Several activities that are stated in the Environmental Strategy 2010 have been implemented in terms of the protection of the Lake Ülemiste and the city’s surface water intake. The project to create a sanitary protection zone for the water intake of Lake Ülemiste has been prepared and a new sanitary protection zone has been established around Lake Ülemiste. The construction of the Lake Ülemiste shore protection scheme and the erection of a fence around the sanitary protection zone for the lake has been started.

Improvement of the so-called internal load on Lake Harku with biomanipulation and regeneration work has not been carried out. The improvement of the lake’s water quality by reducing the impact of point sources and diffuse sources of pollution that are located within the basin area (the outer load) does not depend solely on the city of Tallinn.

The water monitoring system has been improved. Water consumption has been reduced and the quality of rough water in Tallinn’s surface water intake has improved somewhat.

Initial situation Watercourses As at 01.01.2011, sixteen watercourses (including a river, streams, main ditches and other ditches) with a total length of 325.4km which are located in Tallinn have been entered into the National Environmental Register. In public use are the Pirita (partially) and Pääsküla rivers, and the Tiskre, Harku and Kurna streams (excluding those that fall into the Lake Ülemiste sanitary zone).

While longer watercourses with a larger catchment area (in Pirita, Pääsküla, and Harku) collect most of their water from Tallinn’s neighbouring rural municipalities, the catchment areas of smaller water bodies remain within the city’s boundaries and feed on the springs of the klint slope and precipitation that falls within the city. It is also characteristic that several watercourses in Tallinn have mainly been redirected into pipes. The most pronounced examples of this are the River Mustjõgi and the Soone stream.

Based on the results of national monitoring in 2004-2008, the ecological condition of Tallinn’s watercourses is as follows: • River Pirita on its lower course - poor; • Kurna stream - poor; • River Pääsküla - bad; • Harku stream - poor; • Tiskre stream - poor.

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Taking these results into account, the condition of the Pääsküla has been assessed as very bad in the Harju water management plan, the main cause of which is the residual pollution from Pääsküla landfill site. At the moment of preparation of the water management plan, the closing down of that landfill site had not yet been completed. The main reason for the poor condition of the River Pirita is diffuse pollution from rural areas and insufficient work on the water treatment plants in small settlements and farms in the catchment area. The condition of the Harku stream is worsened by Harku limestone quarry and an increase in the pollution load in relation to property development in Harku rural municipality.

Under the initiative of Tallinn’s city environment department, the water quality in the Lake Harku catchment area and the River Mustjõgi has been monitored since the beginning of the 1990s. A total of 85% of the pollution load for Lake Harku comes from Harku stream. The water in the Harku stream is mostly characterised by the increased content of phosphorus. Nevertheless, the water quality has improved somewhat in the last couple of decades.

The water quality of the River Mustjõgi has been studied under the monitoring of Tallinn’s rain water outlets, since most of the River Mustjõgi’s water balance is made up of rain water. For that reason, the River Mustjõgi is classified as a heavily-modified water body and the ecological condition of the River Mustjõgi should be considered bad. The main reason is the excessive content of oil products in the water.

Stagnant water bodies As at 01.01.2011, a total of twenty-one stagnant water bodies (natural lakes, artificial lakes and ponds) have been entered into the National environmental registry. The largest of these are Lake Ülemiste (940.9 ha), Lake Raku (196.9 ha), Lake Harku (163.3 ha), Lake Männiku (105.3 ha), and Lake Männiku Väikejärv (18.8 ha). The rest of the lakes have a surface area of less than ten hectares. Lakes Männiku and Harku are on the list of publicly used water bodies.

Of these lakes, Ülemiste, Harku and Männiku Väikejärv, as well as two unnamed lakes on the Paljassaare peninsula, are of natural origin. The rest of them are mostly quarry lakes that have come into being as a result of the extraction of mineral resources (Raku, Männiku, Tooma, Lasnamäe) or smaller ponds that have been dug (Snelli, Väike-Õismäe).

Approximately 85% of the water needed is taken from Lake Ülemiste (Tallinn’s surface water intake), making up 62,000-64,000m3 per day. Drawing water from this lake has been stable in recent years, but in 1996-1997 the use of surface water was up in the range of 125,000-130,000m3 per day.

Tallinn’s surface water intake consists of Lake Ülemiste and the water intake systems that have been built on the Pirita, Jägala and Soodla rivers in order to direct water into Lake Ülemiste.

Considering Tallinn’s water needs, which amounts to 25,550,000m3 per year, it may be estimated that at the current rates of water use, the water supply from the surface water intake in an arid water management year (95%) is sufficient. In any year which experiences medium water output levels, approximately 50% of the system’s potential water supply is used.

The total length of water pipelines in the main service area of Tallinn is about 900 km. The length of pipelines built before 1960 is 235 km. Most of the older pipelines are located in Central Tallinn and Nõmme.

Water for the supply systems in the main service area is extracted from surface water and ground water.

Over 90% of the inhabitants of Tallinn (Central Tallinn, Lasnamäe, Mustamäe, Northern Tallinn, Kristiine, Haabersti) are supplied with drinking water by the Ülemiste water treatment plant, while the rest are supplied from bore wells.

Lakes Ülemiste and Harku belong to the national monitoring programme of small lakes. In addition, the monitoring of Lake Ülemiste and Tallinn’s surface water intake is carried out by AS Tallinna Vesi. The monitoring of Lake Harku is part of the monitoring of the Lake Harku catchment area by Tallinn’s city environment department.

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The situation regarding Lake Ülemiste is poor. The main problem for the lake as Tallinn’s drinking water reservoir is the high biomass levels for phytoplankton and the high levels of organic matter that raises the cost of water purification. The quality of water leaving Tallinn sewage plant is in accordance with all requirements for drinking water.

The situation regarding Lake Harku is bad. The reason for the bad quality of the lake’s water is eutrophication, ie. the excessive content of plant nutrients. Nutrients get into the water from water bodies that flow into the lake (especially from the Harku stream) and from mud that has settled at the bottom of the lake over the course of the years. Drainage work that has been carried out in the lake’s catchment area during the process of city planning, thanks to which the water collected in drainage is directed around the lake, have also had a negative impact.

There is also an official bathing area at Lake Harku, but the conformity of the bathing water to established norms fluctuated. The main problem is the proliferation of blue-green algae from time to time (in three tests in 2010 and two tests in 2009) that may cause health problems. One analysis taken in 2010 revealed that the lake’s bathing water is not in conformity with the requirements - in addition to blue-green algae, faecal streptococci were also found. Where this is the case, entering the water is prohibited.

Of the city’s springs, Aiataguse springs, Glehn Park springs (including Rõõmuallikas), Kasetuka springs and Varsaallika springs have all been entered onto the environmental register. All of these springs have been placed under nature protection orders and have been entered into the Estonian Book of Primeval Nature.

Another spring worth mentioning are the Lepistiku (Lepasalu) springs, also under protection and also entered into the Book of Primeval Nature. There are also smaller springs in Löwenruh Park, at Parditiigi pond, and in the slope that forms part of Toompea.

Main problems • The ecological and physical-chemical condition of the largest of Tallinn’s water bodies is poor or bad.

This is caused by nutrients (nitrogen, phosphor) entering into the water bodies, resulting from the salting of roads, the entry of waste water (mostly illegal) into storm water systems and water bodies, agricultural diffuse pollution from rural areas, and insufficient work by water treatment plants in the small settlements and farms in the catchment areas, as well as by the Harku and Väo limestone quarries.

• There are no action plans for the improvement of the condition of water bodies. The main reason for this is first and foremost the lack of financial means and no desire to use these means for such a purpose, as well as insufficient initiative and the abundance of concerned parties.

• The development of a policy of uniform protection for Lake Ülemiste and the Raku-Männiku sand area surface water bodies and the related Quaternary groundwater, as well as the preparation of a uniform water protection plan itself, is something that is yet to be properly addressed, mostly due to the lack of financial means.

• The disappearance of several natural flow beds in the city’s watercourses due to construction activity (the water flows via underground pipes) and the drainage of catchment areas.

• Due to development activity that has not been thought through properly (mostly caused by a desire to make a fast profit, but also by a lack of knowledge), the percentage of areas with non-pervious soils has increased significantly, as has the discharge of rain water via utility networks. Since the regulating volume that accompanies rain water impregnating the soil has been reduced, this has increased the risk of flooding in watercourses and has made their drainage more unstable. For example, one of the problem areas is an area at the mouth of the River Mustjõgi where floods and drainage for rain water are interconnected.

• Even though the quality of water in Tallinn has improved significantly in recent years, old pipes still cause problems throughout the administrative area of Tallinn, reducing organoleptic characteristics of water and raising the suspended solids content above a level acceptable for consumers.

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Tendencies • The ecological condition of surface water bodies is slowly improving, but the EU Water Framework Directive requirement for achieving an ecological condition 4 for water bodies which is at least rated as good by 2015 will not be fulfilled.

• The quality of rough water in Lake Ülemiste as Tallinn’s surface water intake is improving somewhat thanks to the measures that have been taken (the decrease of the pollution load in the catchment area of the surface water intake system, and an improvement in the lake’s condition by means of biomanipulation, etc).

• The consumption of surface water in Tallinn has stabilised after the downward trend and will possibly increase a little over the next few decades (around 10-20% compared to current usage levels) in relation to the growth of everyday water consumption by the population.

• An increase in the threat of flooding in water bodies in relation to an increase in non-pervious areas.

• The quality of bathing water in Lake Harku will improve somewhat, but will nevertheless remain problematic (due to the presence of blue-green algae).

2.3.1.2. Groundwater Thanks to the activities of the Environmental Strategy 2010, the preservation of high-quality groundwater for the population has been completed, limiting its use for industrial purposes. The protection of groundwater has been improved, including restrictions in soaking waste water into the soil, the implementation of limitations on planning facilities for areas of unprotected or insufficiently protected groundwater and groundwater feeding areas, and a correspondence of groundwater consumption with the approved reserves has been followed.

The plan for eliminating water source-related emergency situations and supplying the population with drinking water under special circumstances has not been put into practice. The requirement for using the existing bore wells more expediently and avoiding the risk of the pollution of groundwater by building new wells has also not been fulfilled. There are a large number of unplugged wells which do not have an owner.

Initial situation There are three bodies of groundwater in Tallinn that have a relevance to the water supply: bodies of groundwater that have been connected to the Quarternar, the Ordovician-Cambrian and Cambrian-Vendi water bodies.

From the point of view of the water supply, groundwater in the glacial river sediments of buried valleys is of interest in the case of the Quarternar water body (in the Männiku-Pelguranna area). The Quaternary water complex is not naturally protected from contamination. The exceptions are buried valleys where the water found in quaternary deposits can be used as a water supply.

The Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater supply, located under the Silurian-Ordovician aquitard, consists of fine-grain sandstone and mudstone of the Lower Ordovician Pakerord deposit in the Kallavere formation and the Lower-Cambrian Tiskre formation.The body of groundwater is well protected from contamination, except in the area where water is not pressurised and is unprotected by the natural surroundings.

A groundwater consumption supply of 4,750m3 per day has been set for two calculation areas: for Nõmme 3,500m3 per day; and for Lasnamäe 1,000m3 per day. About 1,800m3 per day is actively used from the groundwater supplies of quarry areas. It must be taken into consideration that the Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater supply for those local government authorities that are adjacent to Tallinn has already been appropriated to its maximum amount. If Tallinn does not use its reserve it is possible that more will be given on account of this to Rae, Saku and Saue rural municipalities. This would be extremely inadvisable since city development requires more extensive use of the Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater supply.

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Status of a surface water body, classified according to Annex V of the EU Water Framework Directive.

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The calculation area of Nõmme quarry is in Nõmme district. In most of the bore wells or pumping stations, water from Ordovician-Cambrian bore wells is mixed with water from Cambrian-Vendi water complex bore wells in a drinking water container before it is sent into the water supply network. The groundwater from Ordovician-Cambrian bore wells that is used in the public water supply belongs to drinking water quality Class I in Nõmme, if the lower limit of the fluoride content standard is not taken into consideration.

The body of groundwater in Tallinn is characterised by an HCO3-Ca-Mg-type groundwater with very good quality levels, little hardness, and with a mineral content of 0.2-0.3g per litre.

The Lasnamäe calculation area falls entirely within the Lasnamäe district. Currently, the resource is registered as a production water consumption resource. Almost all bore wells belong to industrial undertakings and are not connected to the city’s water supply. In the Lasnamäe areas, the chemical composition of water reveals somewhat the impact of technogeneous pollution.

The Cambrian-Vendi body of groundwater is the most widely used in the public water supply and extends throughout almost the entirety of the city. The groundwater consumption reserve has been approved in Tallinn at a volume of 44,500m3 per day, and this has been distributed between eleven calculation areas. Water extraction in Tallinn from the Cambrian-Vendi layer is 8,700m3 per day. Nõmme, Merivälja, Kloostrimetsa, Mähe and Kakumäe-Tiskre residential area, as well as the Raku-Raudalu area, are supplied by groundwater.

In terms of natural protection, the Cambrian-Vendi water body is well protected by a layer of Lontova clay which is between 40-60m thick. The penetration of contamination into the water complex is possible only from buried valleys and from out-of-order bore wells.

The approved consumption reserve of Harju County is currently three times higher than the actual consumption rate, and the mass of fresh water in the water layer is very extensive. Therefore, the infiltration of salt water from the sea into the Cambrian-Vendi water layer will not be a problem in the next few decades.

The Cambrian-Vendi groundwater belongs mainly to the drinking water quality Class II-III and usually needs processing. The most problematic components are the high content of Fe2+, Mn2+ and NH44”, which are characteristic of an anaerobic environment.

Radionuclides in drinking water Natural radionuclides in groundwater come mostly from the crystalline layers of the basement; therefore Cambrian-Vendi groundwater has preconditions for a high content of radionuclides since the groundwater body lies on a basement. According to the risk assessment, organised by the Health Board and prepared by the Environmental Board, incidental health damage from radionuclide content in the water from Cambrian-Vendi bore wells is unlikely. However, tests indicate that drinking water extracted in Tallinn from groundwater often exceeds the limits established by the regulation of the Minister for Social Affairs.

Therefore, final clarification of the issue of radionuclides is required.

The share of groundwater in Tallinn’s water supply in recent years has amounted to between 15-20%.

Where there is a choice, the public water supply prefers to use groundwater as the best tasting and safest option when it comes to external influences.

Main problems • There are many unused and unplugged bore wells that pose a direct threat in terms of contaminating groundwater. The reason is that many registered immovables are yet to be privatised or the owner does not care about the condition of unused bore well-pump stations.

• The preparation of an action plan for switching all of Tallinn to a groundwater supply in case of an emergency has not been completed because the hydraulic model for the city-wide water network has not been made. In addition, the final selection of emergency reserve wells and the need for establishing new reserve groundwater intakes have also not been carried out.

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• High-quality Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater is used too infrequently in the city’s drinking water supply because previously the problem of water quality, including the issue of radionuclides, was not emphasised as much as it is today.

• There is a risk that the Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater supply reserve for the city will be reduced.

• A reduction of the Männiku sand area groundwater supply is possible in relation to the expansion of sandpits due to pressure from quarrying companies.

Tendencies • The use of groundwater has been stabilised after the downward trend and may even increase somewhat due to an increase in general water consumption.

• Tallinn has sufficient groundwater supplies and there is no risk of over-consumption and the accompanying negative impacts.

• There will no longer be significant changes in the share of groundwater consumption when compared to water consumption rates for the whole of Tallinn.

• The use of groundwater is preferred in those areas that have already based their water usage on the groundwater supply, thereby avoiding an increase in its consumption at the expense of surface water.

• The use of the Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater layer will increase in comparison with the use of other water layers.

• The city of Tallinn will use the entire allocated water supply for the development of the city and its preparedness for supplying the population with drinking water in case of an emergency.

2.3.1.3. Coastal waters The aim of the Environmental Strategy 2010 was to restore the ecological balance of the sea’s environment and ensure natural diversity, as well as to achieve the necessary water quality in recreational areas. The status of coastal waters has generally improved over the years and water quality of bathing areas conforms to requirements, but achieving ecological balance is a much longer process.

Initial situation The condition of coastal waters depends on the general condition of the Baltic Sea which is influenced by the activities of all those countries that border the sea, as well as on pollution events in the sea and in harbours, and the pollution loads directed into sea from the mainland.

The coastal water area close to the city of Tallinn is undoubtedly one of the most human-influenced water ecosystems in Estonian coastal waters. The Bay of Tallinn has the highest nutrient load of the sea area in the Harju sub-basin. The characteristic changes to the coastal area due to eutrophication are in the bloom of algae, the accumulation of organic substances on the sea floor, a deficit of oxygen in the lowest layers, and the accompanying anaerobic processes, a reduction of water clarity and changes in the structure of the sea bed’s community.

Tallinn City Environment Department has been a pioneer in evaluating the condition of coastal waters on the basis of biological indicators. The first assessment of Tallinn’s coastal waters based on an analysis of communities was made as far back as 1993. The main component of the monitoring programme is in evaluating the impact of human activity on the Baltic Sea’s environment and in marine biota. In 2009, after a break, Tallinn’s coastal waters were monitored again and the results were compared to those of previous years.

Drawing 1 presents an evaluation of the long-term changes in Tallinn’s various sea areas to the ecological condition. A good ecological condition indicates that the water environment is at a low level of eutrophication without traces of pollution and the ecosystem is balanced and well-functioning.

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1993

1994

1995

1999

2002

Stroomi

oligo-/mesosaprobic

mesosaprobic

mesosaprobic

moderate

moderate

bad

Merirahu

mesosaprobic

mesosaprobic

oligosaprobic

high

moderate

poor

Kalaranna-Russalka

oligosaprobic

oligo-/mesosaprobic

mesosaprobic

high

high

bad

Paljassaare

mesosaprobic

mesosaprobic

mesosaprobic

high

moderate/high

poor

Pirita

mesosaprobic

oligosaprobic

oligosaprobic

moderate

moderate

poor

Scale of saprobes

Scale of troficity level

According to the EU VPRD

catarobic or clean

low level of troficity

good/very good

oligosaprobic or moderately polluted

moderate level of troficity

poor

mesosaprobic or polluted environment high level of troficity Ecological condition

2009

bad/very bad

GOOD SATISFACTORY

MARGINAL

NON-SATISFACTORY

Drawing 1. An evaluation of the long-term changes in Tallinn and Kopli bays. Any red areas reveals an unsatisfactory ecological condition of those areas in the given year, yellow shows satisfactory results, orange is marginal, but rather bad, and green is good.5 It is clearly visible that Kalaranna-Russalka is the area that is in the worst condition both now and sixteen years ago. Presumably this area is considerably influenced by harbours, heavy shipping traffic and rain water sewers from several locations, the water quality of which is impacted by waste water that is guided into the system, and by the quality of street cleaning.

The Kalaranna-Russalka sea area has had the largest observed eutrophication load throughout the years, which ahs lately been causing inconvenience to the citizens of Tallinn in the summer because of the unpleasant smell it discharges. Information from monitoring in 2008 and 2009 revealed that on the day in summer in which measuring was carried out, the source of the smell by the sea was a decomposing wall of algae on the shore. The wall was made up mainly of grass kelp. The thriving of this grass kelp was due to excessive levels of biogenes in the sea water. Most of the biogenes or fertilising substances enters the Gulf of Finland through waste water from towns and settlements. Anaerobic processes in water cause the concentration of dihydrogen sulphate to rise.

In the water management plan for the Western-Estonian hydrographic basin, the condition of the MuugaTallinna-Kakumäe bay coastal waters is stated as poor.

According to the monitoring of rain water outlets in 2009, which was carried out by the Estonian Environmental Research Centre on the order of the Tallinn City Environment Department, the largest sea polluters from rain water sewers according to most of the indicators are the River Mustjõgi and the Rocca al Mare outlet in the Bay of Kopli. There are currently also uncanalised areas in the basin of these outlets, but canalisation of the catchment area should significantly improve the water quality. Mustjõgi’s catchment area includes the Mustamäe, Järve and Lilleküla areas. The Mustjõgi is a natural stream that flows from the sea to Marja Street. For the most part, the Mustjõgi has been redirected via a pipeline into which rain and drainage water from a large area is also being routed. The bad quality of the Mustjõgi’s water is due to its large catchment area, which includes expansive highways as well as residential districts. Thanks to its being rerouted through pipes, no self-cleaning processes are functioning in the water body. The Mustjõgi’s flow bed needs a periodical cleaning of sediments in order to avoid the water rising on the flow bed and therefore causing excessive humidity in the surrounding area. Rain water is directed into the Bay of Kopli via the Rocca al Mare outlet, via Õismäe, and partially via Mustamäe. Pollution ends up entering the water from the tarmac surfaces of car parks and streets.

Out of all of the outlets that enter the Bay of Tallinn, the Russalka sewage outlet stands out thanks to the heavy nitrogen pollution it releases. This is the place at which the overflow from the Lasnamäe sewer Evaluation of the condition of Tallinn’s coastal waters on the basis of biological indicators in accordance with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive, Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu. Tallinn 2009. Ordered by: Tallinn City Environment Department.

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collector exits into the sea, also carrying with it Suur-Sõjamäe waste water from the Suur-Sõjamäe common flow collector. The cause of pollution that ends up in sea water from rain water sewers is therefore also waste water that has been drained off by rain water systems, not only rain water itself. The situation should change thanks to the canalisation of the city and by changing common flow areas into separated flow areas.

Ecological condition of Tallinn’s coastal waters poor bad

Paljassaare Pirita

Kalaranna-Russalka

Merirahu

Stroomi

Drawing 2. Conditions of water areas in Tallinn’s coastal waters.6 The results of the work carried out indicate that three coastal water areas adjacent to Tallinn are classified as “poor” in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive standards on ecological condition, these being the areas of Miiduranna, Paljassaare and Pirita. The ecological classification of two coastal water areas is “bad” (Drawing 2). None of the areas achieved “very good”, “good” or “very bad” in terms of the classification of their ecological condition, but the indicators of some parameters vary. This refers to the fact that eutrophication is different in different areas since water exchange is limited in certain areas. So, for example, the level of nutrients is higher near harbours and in relatively hidden places (the KalarannaRussalka and Stroomi areas). This proves that the biogeners that influence the condition of sea water mostly end up in the sea when they come from harbours, ships and from rain water sewers.

Hazardous loads at sea and keeping and storing environmentally dangerous substances in harbours is an environmental risk to the entire Baltic Sea, including Tallinn’s coastal waters. Large levels of oil pollution at sea may damage the ecosystems of the entire coast and deep water areas. The elimination of pollution at sea is the state’s task; if contamination has been carried to the shore, lighter contamination must be eliminated by the local government authority concerned and in cases where there is more extensive pollution, local government authorities should work in cooperation with national structures.

Waste water from the city of Tallinn and its neighbourhood is treated in Paljassaare sewage plant which treats waste water. Mechanical, chemical and biological technology is used for the treatment of waste Evaluation of the condition of Tallinn coastal waters on the basis of biological indicators in accordance with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive. Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu.

Tallinn 2009. Ordered by: Tallinn City Environment Department.

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water. The projected Paljassaare biological treatment capacity of the sewage plant in its treatment of waste water is 350,000m3 per day, while its actual capacity is 123,000m3 per day. Cleaned water will be directed into the sea at a point three kilometres from the coast via a pipeline at the end of which the depth of the sea is 26 metres.

The wastewater treatment plant of Tallinn was renovated in 2004-2006. Currently, the pollution load directed to the wastewater treatment plant exceeds the design specifications with regard to some primary indicators (total nitrogen, total phosphorus).

Waves caused by fast ferries are a potential hydromorphological pressure factor in the sea areas of the Harju sub-basin. The pressure is at its most intense in the area of the Bay of Tallinn, since this is an ecologically sensitive closed bay in which sudden and artificial changes in condition have a strong impact on the ecosystem.

Significant risk areas in relation to the risk of flooding in Tallinn are in Tiskre, Pelgurand, Pirita and Paljassaare.

A flood is a watercourse that rises over its banks mainly due to precipitation (from rain or melting snow water), or a rise in the sea’s water level. Rises in sea level and floods cannot be influenced but need to be taken into consideration in city planning, during the construction of sea water systems, and in the managing of safety risks for the population.

Residual pollution. In Tallinn’s coastal waters in Pirita, contaminated deposits from Tallinn’s former paper and zellulose factory and the former Soviet naval ports have been deposited on the sea floor in a so-called sleeping mode, especially in Tallinn’s Mine Harbour. In building towards the sea in these areas, possible accompanying environmental risks must be taken into consideration.

Bathing areas. Tallinn’s public bathing areas are the beaches of Pirita, Kakumäe, Lake Harku, Stroomi, and Pikakari. The monitoring of bathing water is carried out by the Health Board. Water in the bathing areas along Tallinn’s coastline was of a very good quality in 2010. In summary, it can be concluded that rain water outlets do not cause significant contamination in coastal waters or bathing areas.

Building into the sea, on the coast and on the island has become topical. Work of this nature is currently solved at the level of detailed planning. In relation to a significant increase in the city’s building activity there is a risk that coastal areas that have been in public use until now will be covered in buildings and will lose their function as a public city space. At the same time, there are several business-owned closed areas in Kopli and Paljassaare where free access to the sea is prevented.

Main problems • The poor condition of Tallinn’s coastal waters was due to the high nutrient content and accompanying eutrophication. This problem is common for the Baltic Sea as a whole. The Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region7 also emphasises nutrient input (mainly nitrates and phosphates), which causes expansion of algal bloom areas, as the main problem associated with the marine environment. In the Bay of Tallinn, the source of problems is rain water outlets.

• International cooperation for the protection of the Baltic Sea is not at a sufficient level.

• The risk of oil and environmental contamination from sea transport and harbours.

• The negative impact of fast ferries on Tallinn’s coastal waters and coast.

• The risk of flooding and related risks for the coastal area of Tallinn.

• There is no strategy or development plan that regulates building in Tallinn’s coastal waters, along its beaches, shoreline, and coastal areas.

• There is no strategy or plan for the protection of coastal areas from flooding.

7

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions concerning the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Brussels, COM(2009) 248/3 24

Tendencies • General tendencies in the Baltic Sea have an impact on the coastal waters of Tallinn. The increase in nutrient content is an overall tendency that is seen throughout the entire Baltic Sea. • As the requirements for phosphorus removal from the water discharged from the wastewater treatment plant are about to be tightened, renovation of the plant in the near future will be inevitable.

• The contents of nutrients that cause the eutrophication of coastal waters (nitrogen and phosphorous compounds) in rain water that is directed into the sea from the city of Tallinn have increased.

• In relation to an increase in the transit of petroleum products across the Baltic Sea, the risk of oil pollution from the sea has increased, possibly having an impact on the coastal waters of Tallinn.

• The overall condition of Tallinn’s coastal waters is improving. Directing organic pollution and petroleum products into the sea via Tallinn’s rain water outlets has decreased.

2.3.2. RAIN WATER The Environmental Strategy to 2010 envisaged the use and establishment of opportunities for impregnating clean rain water on green surfaces. In the course of the rapid construction activity of the past few years, an opposite process has taken place; the percentage of hard surfaces and roofs has increased, while at the same time decreasing the share of green areas and pregnable surfaces. Therefore the residence times for rain water at its place of origination have shortened and loads on rain water drainage systems have increased.

One of the main objectives of the Environmental Strategy was to establish a public sewerage system in the city of Tallinn, since in 1998 several districts lacked a sewage system. Today, almost all water of the entire city has been canalised, significantly reducing the direction of waste water into rain water systems and making rain water cleaner.

The solutions for the drainage and treatment of rain water have been left unconsidered, although the rebuilding of the rain water sewerage system was also envisaged, carrying out the necessary studies and implementing local cleaning or other methods with the purpose of reducing diffuse pollution within the city itself. In order to reduce oil pollution, local oil separators have been installed around car parks and petrol stations.

Initial situation In 2006, Tallinn prepared an action plan for the drainage of Tallinn’s rain water (“Tallinna sademevee ärajuhtimise tegevuskava”) on the order of the Public Utilities Department, stating the principles and necessary activities for the better organisation of rain water drainage. These principles have also been stated in the Tallinn Public Water Supply and Sewerage Network Development Plan for 2010-2021 (“Tallinna ühisveevärgi ja -kanalisatsiooni arendamise kavas 2010-2021”).

Rain water drainage systems are made up of rain water pipes, common sewerage pipes, and natural streams and ditches. Historically, in private residential areas on the current and former outskirts of the city (Kristiine, Kakumäe, Mähe, and parts of Nõmme) ditches have been used for the drainage of rain and excess water.

Natural bodies of water are the River Pirita, the River Pääsküla, the Harku stream, Soone stream, Järveotsa stream, Tiskre stream, Mähe stream, Kloostrimetsa stream, Varsaallika stream, Hundikuristiku stream, and the River Mustjõgi.

Common pipelines for rain water and waste water were installed in the city until 1950. Tallinn’s current rain water system consists of 21 separated and seven common flow catchment areas. The impact of a common flow rain water sewerage system on the performance of a water treatment plant is negative. The less rain water is directed towards a water treatment plant, the better the treatment device works and the less further expenditure is needed.

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The bodies of water in Tallinn that act as receptacles are the sea, the soil and the city’s water bodies, the Harku and Ülemiste lakes, the Pirita and Pääsküla rivers, and the wetlands, the Pääsküla and Männiku bogs.

Rain water outlets are owned mostly by businesses. The largest of these are AS Tallinna Vesi and AS Tallinna Sadam. There are eighteen rain water outlets that are under the management of AS Tallinna Vesi in Tallinn (three which exit into the Bay of Kopli, nine which exit into the Bay of Tallinn, and six which exit into Männiku-Pääsküla bog). Monitoring of the water quality at rain water outlets is carried out by the HarjuJärva-Rapla region of the Environmental Board, the Tallinn City Environment Department, and AS Tallinna Vesi in accordance with the permit issued for the special use of water.

City development and construction activity has surpassed the development of rain water drainage systems.

The existing rain water systems have depreciated in some places, ditches have often been replaced by pipelines without authorisation and without the dimensioning of the entire rain and excess water system based on the catchment area. This has caused regional floods during peak periods of rainfall. The need for impregnating or gathering rain water is not taken into consideration in planning, not enough pregnable surfaces or natural gathering areas are prescribed that would enable the flow rates of rain water to be levelled out and for the water to be purified.

Not enough attention has been turned to the preservation of springs and ditches and their related maintenance issues, wherefore their share has decreased. Different parts of existing ditches belong to different owners, making the maintenance of ditch systems difficult to organise.

Taxation issues in terms of rain water have not been solved. Currently, there is no fee for developers and land owners for the drainage of rain water, making it impossible to implement tax incentives on the treatment of rain water on one’s own territory, which would encouraging land owners to use that opportunity. Developers are not under any obligation to build rain water systems all the way to areas into which such water can be emptied.

The snowy winters of the last few years have caused problems in relation to storing snow. The storage locations in Tallinn are temporary and are not determined beforehand in official planning. Whether and under what conditions snow can be stored at sea has not been ascertained. The storage locations must be environmentally and logistically suitable. Contaminated snow may not be allowed to damage the environment; at the same time, places for the storage of snow must be located in different areas of the city in order to avoid problems related to the transportation of snow.

Monitoring rain water outlets In order to find out the impact that rain water outlets have on bodies of water, throughout the years Tallinn City Environment Department has carried out monitoring on rain water outlets and the bodies of water into which such rain water is emptied, this being the coastal waters and Lake Harku (see the chapters on Coastal Water and Surface Water).

A total of 98% of the population of Tallinn has been connected to the public sewerage system. Canalisation has reduced the direction of pollutants into rain water systems and the quality of rain water has improved significantly.

Most commonly, Tallinn’s rain water exceeds the norms when it comes to suspended solids. The limiting concentration of petroleum products has not been exceeded in the last six years, and no norms have been broken when it comes to heavy metals. Throughout the years, the contents of organic pollutants (BHT) in outlets have reduced (thanks mainly to the canalisation of the city), and content of petroleum products that comes from the significant improvement of the quality of the means of transportation. The same cannot be said of nitrogen and phosphorus content that, as biogenous elements, advance the eutrophication of water bodies and the proliferation of algae (Drawing 3).

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Saare tee

20

Lauluväljak

18

Russalka polder

16

Rocca ar Mare

Total nitrogen mg N/l

14

Mustoja

12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1990

1995

2000

20052

010

Aasta 1,0

Saare tee Lauluväljak Russalka

Total phosphorus mg P/l

0,8

polder Rocca ar Mare Mustoja

0,6

0,4

0,2

0,0 1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

Aasta

Drawing 3. Changes in the average nitrogen and phosphorus content levels of Tallinn’s rain water since 1985.8 Risk of flooding According to the work carried out upon the order of the Ministry of the Environment9, the important flood risk areas in Tallinn include the area reaching from the Bay of Kakumäe in Tiskre to Rannamõisa Road, the area between the Bay of Kopli to the Paldiski highway and the Stroomi beach area, the northern part of Paljassaare peninsula, and Pirita yacht harbour with its closed-in surroundings.

The monitoring of Tallinn’s rain water outlets. OÜ Estonian Environmental Research Centre. Tallinn 2009.

Ordered by: Tallinn City Environment Department.

9 Initial evaluation of the risks related to the danger of flooding. Work No. 10046. AS Maves. 2010.

8

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The flood risk factors are natural rises in sea water levels and factors caused by human activity. The latter are related to the problems of draining rain and excess water in the city. In relation to the increased amount of precipitation in recent years and an increase in areas with hard surfaces in the city, the flow rates have increased to such an extent in some places that the current system is not able to drain off the water and floods occur.

In the risk analysis for Tallinn’s fire and rescue work, the extreme volumes of precipitation had been described as an inception that may cause a possible flooding of the city (rated as a major incident). Another threat is a city-wide 72-hour blackout that causes floods because the sewerage pumping stations are no longer active.

A risk of flood may occur when the water level at Lake Ülemiste rises above the critical level, which is 37.05 metres above sea level. Such a situation may occur in the event of heavy rainfall that lasts for more than ten days in Harju County, when the inflow into the lake will start to significantly exceed the output.

Main problems • The lack of a rain water strategy for Tallinn, which has not enabled integral rain water systems to be devised or developed. Consequently, important factors and an order of implementation has not been established in the planning of rain water drainage and the resulting solution is inadequate for the desired goal and is not sustainable (also due to lack of funds, interests of the developer, etc.). The lack of plan for handling and using rain water as a natural resource.

• An increase in the share of surfaces that need rain water drainage (hard surfaces and roofs) due to development and construction activity in the city, and the resultant overload of the existing rain water drainage systems.

• There is no concept for rain water drainage and planning restrictions for flooded areas have not been established.

• Land use has been restricted and there are increasingly fewer areas for the establishment of rain water accumulation, levelling and treatment facilities.

• The creation of additional opportunities for the impregnation of clean rain water on green surfaces has been insufficient.

• The quality of rain water and the lack of water purification stations prevents the performance of the environmental objectives that have been set out, in terms of achieving the good condition of the receiving bodies for rain water.

• The lack of a taxation system for rain water drainage services does not motivate the accrual treatment of rain water and serves to increase the time in which such water resides in place.

• Regional floods due to peak volumetric flow rates of rain water.

• There is no required balance between the relaying and rebuilding of roads and the construction of rain water pipelines with a decrease in the share of open drainage systems and the reservation of new areas for rain water treatment needed in plans.

• A constant decrease in the share of ditches and streams. Maintenance issues in relation to ditches have not been solved.

• Excessive drainage of wetlands - bogs and marshes undergoing development.

• Directing rain water into common flow sewage systems creates additional loads on a water treatment plant. Overflows of rain water deliver an additional load on coastal waters.

• There is no concept on the storage of snow, and nor are there locations for such storage that have been established under an official plan.

Tendencies • Rapid development creates areas in which the covering of natural soil with buildings and pavements results in the need to establish a rain water sewerage and drainage system for the drainage of excess rain and snow meltwater. Due to this, the options for rain water impregnation and natural cleaning are reduced in that location.

• Increasing the volume and occurrence of the peak volumetric flow rates of rain water.

• An increase in the risk of flooding in relation to the lack of integral solutions for rain water drainage.

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• An improvement of rain water quality control in terms of organic pollution and the content of petroleum products.

• A persistence of the content of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous compounds) in rain water and the resultant eutrophication of the bodies of water that receive them.

2.4. AIR 2.4.1. AMBIENT AIR QUALITY The Environmental Strategy 2010 covered several important issues in the field of ambient air. Today, the situation has improved somewhat in terms of several of the problems that were stated in the document - traffic and parking organisation in the city centre has been improved, as well as the quality of public means of transport, the movement of lorries has been restricted, air is constantly monitored, etc. Higherquality petrol and diesel fuel is used, as well as catalyst converters on cars. Stricter emissions norms on means of transport have been enforced, and the system for emissions control has been implemented.

However, several objectives still require solutions, including closing down small boiler plants which should be continued, air emissions should be limited, public transportation system should be developed, joining of citizens with the district heating network must continue.

The initial situation in Tallinn is that measurements are taken under the national air monitoring programme in three automatic continuous monitoring stations: in the city centre at Liivalaia Street, in Northern Tallinn at Kopli Street, and in the Haabersti district at Õismäe Road (Table 1). In addition to continuous monitoring, the Õismäe and Liivalaia monitoring stations collect particles in filters, enabling a determination to be made of their content in terms of heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

Table 1. Information from air monitoring in 200910.

Pollutant

SO2

Monitoring station City centre Õismäe NorthernTallinn

NO2

City centre Õismäe NorthernTallinn

PM10

City centre Õismäe NorthernTallinn

PM 2,5

Õismäe

CO

City centre Õismäe NorthernTallinn

O3

City centre Õismäe NorthernTallinn

Sub-program of the National Environment Monitoring Program. Ambient air monitoring in cities 2010 (2011). Estonian Environmental Research Centre OÜ.

10

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Previously, the main problem in Tallinn has been sulphur dioxide, thanks to the high sulphur content of fuels, and nitrogen dioxide that was caused by one-stem catalysts in means of transport. In later years, concentrations of these pollutants in ambient air have been brought under control and more attention has been turned to the concentration of fine dust (PM10, PM25, PM1, PM0.1) in ambient air. When in other compounds, there are minimal levels of concentration that pose no risk, and various studies and the opinion of the European Commission indicates that in the case of fine dust, there is no minimum level of pollution that does not bear any risk at all.

The quality of the city’s air is affected mainly by transportation. Concentrations of pollutants that are emitted by burning processes, for example, SO2, CO, NO2 and concentration of fine dust is higher during weekdays and week nights, directly indicating that they originate from traffic.

Another important influencer of ambient air quality is household heating. Since district heating networks do not cover the entirety of Tallinn, both timber and gas heating is used in several areas and several local boiler plants have been established, which require an ambient air pollution permit for a capacity of 300 kW and upwards. In district heating areas, joining the network is compulsory for everyone who owns or uses a consumer installation for providing heat in a building that is under construction or which is being refurbished, except under special circumstances. Persons who did not use district heating at the time at which the district heating area was determined are not under any obligation to join the network.

Industrial pollutants affect mainly regional air quality. The activities of industrial undertakings that emit important pollutants is regulated by ambient air pollution permits.

The location of industrial areas is set out in comprehensive plans (eg. Väo quarry in the Lasnamäe industrial areas, the harbour areas on the Kopli peninsula, etc).

The impact of occasional and diffused sources of pollution, such as fires, construction activity, blasting operations, etc. on ambient air quality levels has not been studied overmuch, thanks to which it is not known what kind of impact these short-term factors could have on its quality.

Tallinn joined an international Covenant of Mayors in February 2009. Due to the obligations imposed by this, the amount of CO2 emitted by burning fuel will be reduced by 369 tons or 23.9% by 2020 due to the wider use of renewable energy. Together with indirect CO2 emissions that also take into consideration electricity and heating that is bought in, CO2 emissions will reduce even more, by 49.7%. Indirect CO2 emissions are significantly impacted by the change in the Estonian electricity production structure towards a wider use of renewable energy. The reduction of CO2 is regulated in Tallinn by the Sustainable Energy Action Plan for 2011--2021. It may be presumed that by 2030, CO2 emissions will reduce by approximately 40%. Wider use of renewable energy requires solutions that, in addition to CO2 emissions, also limit emissions of other pollutants.

Main problems • High concentrations of solid particles in ambient air, exceeding limit values, mainly due to transport and household heating.

• A negative impact on ambient air quality due to the increasing intensity of traffic.

• A negative impact on ambient air quality due to local household heating in areas in which there is an absence of the district heating network.

• Densely packed industrial undertakings in some areas, partially those located near residential areas, causing a negative impact on residents and the ambient air quality.

• Diffused and occasional sources of pollution have not been studied before, thanks to which there is no information on their impact on the quality of ambient air.

• Due to a shortage of residential land, planning for residential buildings near streets and roads which have high traffic intensity levels in areas which suffer from lower ambient air quality levels.

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Tendencies • Ambient air quality levels are monitored and the attempt is made to keep the concentration of pollutants in conformity with the set limit values for pollution. Any concentration of pollutants in ambient air is monitored and attention is turned to pollutants that exceed or may exceed the set limits for pollution levels. More attention is turned to solid particles, the fine dust, that pollutes the air and which is the main problem for the ambient air quality in Tallinn.

• New trolleybuses, buses and trains are used, but the share of means of transport that use alternative fuels (eg. biogas) has not been increased. The share of public transport and light traffic when compared to car use in terms of everyday mobility will not increase. Public transport is still not the most preferable vehicle for everyday errands. The use of alternative vehicles (eg. a bicycle) is promoted mainly for recreational purposes; less attention is turned to connecting the different areas of Tallinn in order to promote everyday cycling and making the city centre more cycle-friendly. An increase in creating cycle parking facilities is required.

• The number of cars has significantly increased in the last ten to fifteen years and will continue to grow.

A larger number of cars and general use on both railways and highways will increase the volumes of emissions caused by transportation.

• The establishment of new urban regions on Tallinn’s borders or in the neighbouring rural municipalities, creating permanent settlements from gardening cooperatives, and the lack of jobs near people’s places of residence causes increasing levels of noise and air pollution around residential buildings and increases those problems that are related to commuting (the increase of the traffic load on main roads, parking problems, traffic jams, etc).

• Due to a shortage of land that is suitable for the construction of residential buildings and a wish to increase the density of the city space, residential areas are more and more often planned for sites that are next to streets and roads which have high traffic levels and lower air quality levels, thereby trying to ensure an environment that is needed for living by means of construction measures.

• In those areas which have local heating, rapidly increasing levels of air pollution during periods in which such heating is used is becoming increasingly important.

2.4.2. ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE Environmental noise was not covered in Environmental Strategy 2010 as a separate area. One important aspect that was covered was the implementation of noise reduction measures next to highways, mainly in residential areas, as well as taking noise standards as a basis in detailed plans. There are not that many noise protection walls that have been erected in Tallinn because they are difficult to fit into the overall appearance of the city and require space. The evaluation of noise levels has become very important when drawing up detailed plans. This environmental strategy turns more attention to environmental noise levels because this subject is becoming more and more topical.

Initial situation The first strategic noise map for the ambient air of Tallinn was prepared in 2008 and the action plan for reducing environmental noise in Tallinn’s ambient air in 2009; the documents are reviewed every five years.

According to the strategic noise map for the ambient air of the city of Tallinn which was prepared in 2008, the share of car traffic out of the total volume of traffic is high and citizens are most affected by the environmental noise caused by car traffic. The share of people out of the total population of Tallinn that are living in the area of traffic-induced noise indicator Lden > 55 dB is approximately 20% (75,146 people) and 9% (36,296 people) are living in the area of noise indicator Lnight > 50 dB. The share of people out of the total population of Tallinn that are living in the area of railway traffic-induced noise indicator Lden > 55 dB is approximately 5% (21,995 people) and 4% (17,404 people) are living in the area of noise indicator Lnight > 50 dB. Tram traffic is significantly lighter than car traffic. At night-time, people living near tram tracks may be bothered by levels of piercing noise that is caused by trams taking tight turns.

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There is no precise information on noise caused by Tallinn’s manufacturing and industrial enterprises.

According to the strategic noise map of the city of Tallinn, which was prepared in 2008, industrial sources of noise do not significantly influence the overall noise picture in Tallinn. The noise that accompanies harbour activities is mostly limited to harbour areas.

In preparation for the strategic noise map for the ambient air that was compiled in 2008, a total of 95% of the total number of flights in 2006 were taken into consideration when modelling for aircraft noise. Aircraft with small propellers and helicopters were omitted. Approximately 0.35% (1,400 people) of Tallinn’s urban population is affected by aircraft noise with an indicator of Lden > 55 dB and 0.001% (47 people) for the noise indicator Lnight > 50 dB. Child care and educational institutions that are located in the area for noise levels of > 65 dB are mostly in the city centre area or in the immediate vicinity of motorways or railways.

In comprehensive and detailed plans for Tallinn, environmental noise is taken into consideration in the areas in which the occurrence of high noise levels is very likely; possible higher noise levels are not taken into consideration in the quieter areas and no alleviating measures are taken there.

There is no systematic and comprehensive plan for controlling the impact of noise, which is why Tallinn has mainly limited itself to solving separate cases of noise problems, mainly in terms of proceedings initiated by complaints and in detailed plans.

Main problems • The high traffic volume along the city’s arteries. People are most affected by the noise from car traffic.

As for the railways, the main factor is the passage of freight trains, especially at night-time. Disturbances that are cause by depot operations can also be considered to be important in certain areas.

• There is no systematic and comprehensive plan for controlling the impact of noise, nor is there a common understanding (by the state or by local government authorities) or a common approach to dealing with it.

• Urban sprawl is accompanied by commuting, which itself creates an additional traffic load.

• Important sources of noise include several pieces of modern equipment, such as ventilation and cooling equipment or transformers, that have been placed on the roofs or walls of the same building or on buildings nearby; or noisy sports-related activities, entertainment events, and shops (transporting goods, the mechanical press on refuse lorries, and technological equipment).

• Covering any noise situation during the process of planning and design only in areas which clearly suffer from higher levels of noise. In designing buildings in smaller areas, the noise problem is not covered and alleviating measures are not implemented.

• Noise from the outdoor environment has an impact on interior spaces in buildings where the design or the construction work has been of a low quality.

Tendencies • More attention is paid to compiling a strategic noise map and an action plan for noise reduction; the usability of the noise map is ensured both domestically and at the European level; and efficient measures for reducing environmental noise will be developed.

• Regardless of the development of public transportation, the number of cars has increased significantly.

The number of people suffering from the effects of transportation-related noise is increasing. A large number of people suffer from noise-related disturbances, including child care and educational institutions which are located in areas which suffer from high levels of noise.

• The rise of new settlements on the border of Tallinn and its neighbouring rural municipalities creates increasingly high levels of noise near residential buildings due to car use.

• The noise from railway traffic spreads over relatively wide areas in certain districts; the situation will improve in relation to the use of new passenger trains.

• At night-time, people living near tram tracks are bothered by certain piercing noises that are caused by trams taking steep curves.

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• Industrial sources of noise have no significant impact on the noise situation in Tallinn, but the widespread production activity that could be seen as economic activities recover may considerably increase the noise levels emitted by industrial areas. The noise accompanying harbour activities is limited mostly to the harbour areas.

• As air traffic grows more dense, the number of people suffering from aircraft noise is increasing.

• Increasingly, technological equipment is becoming an important source of noise (ventilation and cooling equipment or transformers), where these are placed on roofs or walls on the same building or on buildings nearby.

• Only covering the noise situation in the process of planning and design in areas which clearly have higher levels of noise. The main alleviative measures that are implemented are those that have been stated in the EVS 842:2003 standard: “Sound insulation requirements in buildings. Protection against noise”. In designing buildings in smaller areas, noise problem are not covered and alleviation measures are not implemented.

2.4.3. INDOOR AIR - RADON The issue of radon was not covered in the Environmental Strategy 2010, although the problem has always existed. It is now acknowledged and more attention is being turned towards it.

Initial situation Radon is a natural radioactive gas. It gets into houses due to poor construction quality and cracks that occur as buildings age. The risk of contracting lung cancer increases when breathing radon-rich air.

Tallinn has no map of radon content on the city’s surface; the maps that are available are the Harju county one which is based on the risk of radon being present in the soil, and the map on Estonian soil radon-222 content, both of which are too general and imprecise.

The population is unaware of radon in the soil, along with its spread and the risks it poses, and people are not able to take this problem into consideration. Since the problem is not a familiar one, the radon risk is often also not taken into consideration in plans and projects and, due to this, radon prevention measures are not implemented. As buildings age, the increasing possibility exists that radon is able to enter and cause the levels of radon to increase in indoor air.

In most of the comprehensive plans for Tallinn’s districts, the problem of radon has been covered and areas that may have a high radon content in the soil have been highlighted. If the area for a detailed plan is in an area which has a high risk of radon according to the existing maps, radon surveys will be carried out to determine the radon content of the soil and alleviating measures will be prescribed, if necessary.

Solid measures in terms of construction so that the threat of radon can be blocked are presented in the preparation of a design project. When designing of a radon-safe building, the EVS 840:2009 standard: “Designing a radon-safe building”, is taken as a basis.

In buildings that are located on a surface which has high radon levels, where alleviating measures have been used during that building’s construction, no surveillance monitoring is carried out after the building has been completed. Whether the methods that have been used are sufficient to ensure a low and nonhazardous radon level in the building is not something that is checked.

Radon control is easier, less expensive and more efficient in new buildings. The measures developed for existing buildings are less efficient, cost more, and are more difficult to implement.

Main problems • Tallinn does not have a map covering soil radon levels; the existing radon maps on Estonia and Harju County are too general.

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• The population is not especially aware of the radon content in soil, or of possible risks and alleviation measures.

• In detailed plans, radon surveys are carried out only on areas which have a high risk of radon being present, based on the existing Estonian and Harju County radon maps.

• No follow-up checks are carried out on buildings that were built incorporating radon blocking measures.

• In existing buildings that are located on soil that has high or very high levels of radon content, implementing measures for blocking radon without increasing expenditure is complicated; there are no effective measures in place for existing buildings, making it impossible for occupants to protect themselves from possible danger.

• Due to the low quality of buildings and their amortisation, the entry of radon into buildings is easier thereby increasing the risk of the presence of radon in both new and existing buildings.

Tendencies • Since Tallinn does not have a map covering soil radon content, determining the location of such areas is inaccurate, so thanks to this, where detailed plans are concerned, radon surveys may also show a low level in areas which have a high level of risk. In areas with a low or normal radon risk no surveys are required; however, due to the inaccuracy of maps, there may be soils which contain high levels of radon content.

• The population’s awareness of radon and the dangers related to it is incomplete, and interest in this subject is increasing; more and more people would like to be able to measure the radon content in their dwellings.

• In the planning and design of new buildings, the possible radon risk is taken into consideration more often and surveys are carried out to uncover the radon content.

• Increasingly more radon-blocking measures are being taken in buildings that are built on soil which has a high radon content level, but whether the measures are sufficient to ensure the good quality of indoor air and low radon levels in the buildings is something that is not checked.

• The occupants of existing buildings are becoming increasingly aware of radon-related risks, but are not able to effectively protect themselves without incurring large levels of expenditure and construction work.

2.5. WASTE The objectives and activities for and of waste management specified in the Environmental Strategy 2010 have largely been fulfilled.

In the environmental strategy, the main attention was paid on the reduction of waste generation, recycling and the reuse of waste, and the principles of sustainable development, the forward-looking, sustainable use of resources, the responsibility of the waste owner, and “paid by the polluter“ waste.

Since 2006 the City of Tallinn has gradually implemented organised waste disposal. Within its framework, separate collections of waste takes place. The transition to organised waste disposal ensured that as many waste producers as possible would be responsible for and would also pay for the transportation and handling of their waste.

In 2003 Pääsküla landfill site was closed and Tallinn landfill site was opened in Jõelähtme rural municipality, as specified in the environmental strategy. The biogas generated in Pääsküla landfill is used for the production of heat energy for the population of the surrounding area.

A system has been developed for the receipt of waste collected separately from the population, including waste stations and the collection network for hazardous waste. Furthermore, there are the public package points and collection points for electronic waste. In Tallinn, garden and park waste can be deposited in waste stations, Rahumäe composting ground, and at the Tallinn landfill site.

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Major waste handling companies have sorting lines for recoverable waste. Pursuant to the Waste Act, only treated waste can be disposed of in a landfill site.

The population is being educated in the matter of waste management. To reduce the production of waste and facilitate reuse, the information campaign entitled “Prügihunt“ has been organised, while the relevant web site provides information on sorting out waste.

Waste management is regulated by Regulation by Tallinn City Council “Tallinn’s Waste Management Rules “.

Basic situation In Tallinn the volumes of mixed municipal waste that has been disposed of in a landfill site have essentially decreased in recent years (Fig. 4). This has been caused by a general decrease in consumption levels, as well as by an increase in the percentage of waste collected separately in Tallinn. Biowaste, packaging waste and materials with a high reuse value such as plastic, metal, glass, wood, etc, are no longer deposited into landfill sites as there would have been in past years.

192 600 200 000 180 000 160 000 140 000 120 000 100 000 80 000 60 000 40 000 20 000 0

131 800

128 400

112 300

2006

2007

2008

2009

mixed municipal waste disposed of in a landfill site (t) Figure 4. The quantities of mixed municipal waste collected from within the City of Tallinn and disposed of in a landfill site in 2006-2009.11 Mixed municipal waste collected within the administrative territory of the City of Tallinn is handled in the Tallinn Landfill site, which is located within Jõelähtme rural municipality, based on information for the first quarter of 2011. Tallinn Landfill was opened in the summer of 2003 and is the largest landfill site for nonhazardous waste in Estonia. The main fields of activity for this landfill site are the acceptance and disposal of non-hazardous waste, its composting and sorting, and the production of alternative energy.

The landfill site is also operating as a waste station, enabling the transfer of construction waste along with the collection of hazardous waste, park and garden waste, worn-out tyres, paper and cardboard, and electronic waste, all of which is collected separately. Tallinn’s waste is no longer sent in its entirety to landfill sites. Instead, recyclable waste is sorted out first. On the grounds of the landfill site, waste fuel is also being produced to be used in the cement industry as an alternative to natural gas. A reduction of the waste flow that is directed for disposal will ensure the long-term use of the landfill site as a waste handling site.

11

Waste Reporting Information System of the Ministry of the Environment, 2011.

35

2

Major waste handlers operating in Estonia have established sorting stations for recoverable waste in Tallinn.

In addition, waste fuel is produced from packaging waste that is unfit for reuse, and hazardous waste and packaging that has been soiled with such waste is given the same treatment. A mass waste incineration plant for the production of electrical and heating energy in Iru power station, and the heavy-duty handling lines for mixed municipal waste for the production of waste fuel are currently under development. The incineration of waste and the production of waste fuels will result in a decrease in the amount of municipal waste being disposed of (material that is unfit for reuse), extending the useful life of Tallinn Landfill.

A collection centre for hazardous waste and two collection sites for construction waste are operating within the boundaries of the city of Tallinn.

Tallinn has introduced a system of organised waste disposal, which in addition to covering mixed municipal waste also covers biodegradable waste, paper and cardboard waste, and bulky waste. Due to waste disposal being organised in this way, its costs have lowered essentially. As another positive aspect, organised waste disposal has also delivered compulsory subscription by waste holders. The compulsory subscription of waste holders into the organised waste disposal system has also enabled the city to perform a better supervisory role (mainly through the register of waste holders), and this has eased the problems that are related to littering and the illegal handling of waste. Currently the City of Tallinn is divided into thirteen waste disposal districts and, according to estimates, a total of 241,492 members of the city’s population have subscribed.

The amount of separately collected waste has essentially increased, although the 40% reuse rate for municipal waste which was set as a target has not yet been achieved. The volumes of separately collected biodegradable waste that is covered by an organised waste disposal has increased significantly year-on-year.

The average biodegradable waste load in terms of deposited mixed municipal waste that originates from Tallinn’s households is 35.7% in terms of weight. This is also meeting the requirement set in the Waste Act, stating that from 16 July 2010 the percentage of biodegradable waste to be deposited in a landfill site shall not exceed 45 percent of the total amount of municipal waste in terms of weight that is deposited in a landfill site.

Information from national statistics has been supplied in Figure 5. Taking into account the aforementioned figures, the coverage for biodegradable waste collection with an organised waste disposal service has yielded positive results.

In Tallinn an option has been created for the population whereby separately collected waste may be conveniently transported. Tallinn has four waste stations which operate all year round, with another seasonal waste station operating on Aegna Island (between 1 May to 31 October). Those waste stations that are located in the city of Tallinn accept the following waste that is generated in domestic households: unprocessed wood, scrap metal, plastic, construction waste, paper and cardboard, bulky waste, including waste furniture, car tyres, electrical and electronic waste (including refrigerators and TV sets), packaging waste, sheet glass, hazardous waste, and park and garden waste. Recoverable waste is accepted only from domestic households.

The volumes of waste that has been collected through waste stations has essentially increased year-onyear; the amount of waste collected through waste stations in 2009 (3530 t) has tripled when compared to the figures for 2007. Therefore, the waste stations are a very important part of the waste handling system for the city and people use the option to constantly transfer sorted waste more actively.

Tallinn has created a collection network for hazardous waste, including electrical and electronic waste, and the volume of hazardous waste collected from the population through the collection network is constantly increasing. In 2009 the volume of hazardous waste being collected was 120 tons, which is one and-a-half times more than in 2006 (78.8 t).

The options in terms of public packaging waste transfer have been essentially improved throughout the city’s entire administrative area in cooperation with recycling organisations - package containers have been

36

installed near apartment associations and private house owners can order a package bag service. The options for the transfer of packaging waste as specified in the law have been ensured in Tallinn. The volume of packaging waste collected from households has constantly increased (Figure 5).

15775 16000 14000 12000 10000

7868 6504

8000 6000 2950

4000 2000 0

326

849

3379

424

2006

2007 biodegradable waste

2008

2009

packaging waste

Figure 5. Volume of packaging waste and biodegradable waste collected from households.12 Tallinn is constantly providing information in the field of waste. Campaigns have been organised annually in order to raise awareness in the population about waste, including games that improve knowledge, informative lectures and advertising promotions. Publicity campaigns are conducted within the framework of the “Prügihunt“ project in the autumn and the Maintenance Month of the capital in spring. In addition to the campaigns that are organised in order to inform the public, daily information measures also take place, including the publication of articles covering waste in the city’s local newspapers, the production and distribution of waste information materials (leaflets and posters), and waste information lectures held for city residents twice a year (during campaigns).

The Tallinn Waste Management Plan, adopted by the Tallinn City Council and based on the National Waste Management Plan 2008-2013, is the official document that establishes the development directions in waste management for the city of Tallinn. The main objective of the city’s Waste Management Plan is the development and organisation of waste management for the city of Tallinn, incl. promotion of environmentally safer and economically more reasonable waste handling systems.

Main problems • Holding public competitions for the organisation of a waste disposal service is problematic due to the possibility that a different interpretation may be placed on legislation pertaining to the field as well as to the terms and conditions of the competition and the contract. This has caused years of delay with the transfer to an organised waste disposal system throughout the whole of Tallinn and the city has no complete overview of waste holders, waste disposal operators, or the waste flow.

• A decrease in competition from the waste disposal market in Tallinn. Major international companies have a competitive advantage when offering low prices for waste disposal services, by means of crosssubsidising transportation costs thanks to the income they already make from waste handling.

• The low quality of the waste that is collected separately from households, which is caused by the population’s low environmental awareness levels. Insufficient attention is paid to the need to put specific waste into the correct collection container.

• Waste that has a recycling value is not collected separately with sufficient thoroughness in households, because no convenient opportunities have been provided for the population for the transfer of such 12

Environmental Information Centre, 2011 37

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waste. This is related mainly to the collection of various types of waste remaining the responsibility of those organisations that are normally responsible for producing waste.

• Lack of options for final treatment of waste (composting, fuel production, mass incineration in addition to disposal in landfills), because the predominant procedure is disposal in the Tallinn Landfill.

• Insufficient control over waste holders who do not transfer waste regularly to a waste handling company but who are in possession of the sole rights to do so or a waste permit. The reason is the dispersal of supervisory functions between different agencies.

• A decrease of the monetary resources needed for the development of waste management that is normally assigned to the local government authority from pollution charges due to the decrease in waste that is sent for disposal.

• The lack of a complete overview of the sites of residual contamination. The information disclosed in the national survey regarding sites of residual contamination has not been updated.

• Problems are encountered in the mutual cooperation between organisations that are responsible for producing waste as well as in cooperation with the city. The reason is the parallel operation of several accredited organisations that are responsible for producing waste in the same field, which causes a dispersal of responsibility for the collection of waste.

Tendencies • The transition to fully organised waste disposal has been delayed for years in Tallinn, due to which the costs for waste disposal in those areas which are yet to be organised has risen several times.

• In the future perspective, the service prices offered for the population will increase due to the decrease in competition in the waste disposal market.

• If the quality of waste that is collected separately from households does not improve, a good deal of separately collected waste will be sent for disposal instead of reuse (after it has been recycled).

• A lack of efficient supervision will cause littering (including around public packaging containers) and illegal waste handling.

• The volume of resources that have been assigned to the development of waste management for the city is decreasing; there are not enough resources for covering the operational costs for waste stations, the organisation of annual information campaigns, etc.

• The environmental pollution hazard will remain in place due to the lack of an overview of residual contamination sites.

• If the problems with the cooperation between organisations that are responsible for producing waste and the city continue, the separate collection of packages will not increase.

2.6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT The means or measures for environmental management that have been adopted in Tallinn include an increase of environmental awareness through environmental education, the spatial planning of land use, an environmental impact assessment and a strategic environmental assessment, the performance of environmental monitoring and supervision, and the processing of environmental permits. Until now, the environmental management system as a part of the general management system of an organisation has been implemented mainly in industrial companies, while in the public sector interest levels have been low.

Also in public procurements, environmentally sound criteria have not generally been considered to be significant.

The aforementioned means are essential and concern all the topics that are covered in this strategy, while the situation related to environmental education and planning of the city space has been discussed separately, below.

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2.6.1. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Basic situation The organisation of environmental education in Tallinn In order to promote environmental education and awareness, the environmental education concept for Tallinn was drafted in 2006, and the development plan for environmental education in Tallinn for 20082014 specifies the basic financing of a systematic environmental education policy with six measures and 55 activities.

The development plan establishes the following objectives: 1) each age group has an opportunity to receive relevant environmental information through education and to acquire the skills needed for the development of an environmentally aware lifestyle; 2) environmental education in Tallinn is highly valued and of high quality; 3) the role of nature groups in general education schools has increased and sustainability of environmental education in hobby schools and centres is ensured; 4) continuous improvement of environmental knowledge of adults, incl. teachers, and heads of hobby groups and schools is ensured.

The development plan will be implemented by various city departments and their subdivisions - in addition to the environment department and the education department as the main responsible authorities, the culture and heritage department, the municipal engineering services department, and the sports and youth department are also involved.

City Department Education Department

Culture and Heritage Department Municipal Engineering Services Department Environment Department

Institution administered by the department Tallinn Hobby Centre Kullo Tallinn Nõmme Youth House Tallinn Teachers’ House Tallinn Lehola Day Care and Preschool General education schools Vocational education institution Tallinn Zoo Tallinn Folk University Kadriorg Park Tallinn Botanical Gardens

The development plan for environmental education is also implemented by universities and research institutions (Tallinn University, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonian University of Life Sciences), state agencies (the Estonian Museum of Natural History in the government area of the Ministry of the Environment), the private sector, as well as non-profit associations and foundations (e.g., Estonian Fund for Nature, Estonian Forest Youth, Tallinn Bird Club, non-profit association Loodusring, Tallinn Society for Nature Conservation, non-profit association Roheline Rood). Environmental education is mainly developed in the city of Tallinn in educational institutions, such as pre-school establishments, general education schools, and nature houses.

The fulfilment of the development plan for the environmental education of Tallinn for 2008-2014 and its achievements The Environmental Strategy 2010 did not cover the theme of environmental education and awareness. The basis for the promotion of systematic environmental education and awareness in Tallinn was laid down in 2006 in Tallinn’s environment department with the establishment of an environmental education specialist post, and since 2011 the new environmental projects and education division has been created within the structure of the department. Non-profit activities are successfully conducted in Tallinn in the environmental field. There are almost twenty cooperation partners.

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Tallinn has completed the construction of Aegna Nature House (2008) and the Nature House at Tallinn Botanical Garden (2009) as support centres. The environmental education centre at Tallinn Zoo is currently under construction. Aegna Nature House received the Environmental Act of the Year award for its activities in the field of environmental education.

The objective of the expositions for those research centres that are currently operating is to promote interest in nature in target groups. For example, a total of 11,323 students participated from 2007 to 2010 in nature education courses, incl. the Zoo School, offered by the Tallinn Zoo (Table 2). The increasing trend indicates growing interest in nature education.

Table 2. Participation in nature education courses offered by the Tallinn Zoo, 2007-201013 Year

Number of participating students Nature education projects 3314 2667 3717 Project was not organised No. of students

2007 2008 2009 2010

Zoo School

No. of students

146 264 430 785

3460 2931 4147 785

1625

11323

Table 3. Number of participants in nature education workshops in Tallinn Botanical Gardens14 2006* 24

2007 48

2008 68

No. of workshops No. of schools 13 21 25 No. of classes 24 56 70 No. of students 550 1274 1731 * In 2006, workshops were only held in the autumn semester.

2009 77

2010 46

24 73 1847

25 48 1008

Tallinn Botanical Garden was visited by 1,847 students from 73 classes at 24 schools in 2009 (table 3).

Among visitors to the Estonian Museum of Natural History, the percentage of students from Tallinn is almost at 80%. In 2010, the successfully-launched Aegna Nature House was visited by 1,762 people who are interested in nature. At the moment Tallinn Botanical Garden is offering seven themed programmes. The hobby group, “Nature Child“, which is located in Tallinn Botanical Garden, has seen a successful operation in 2010 with the participation of 22 students who are interested in botany. Over 5,000 people participated in 2010 in activity lessons, trips, camps and events that were organised by the Nature House at Nõmme Youth House. The non-profit association Nõmme Nature Centre offers nature education programmes for various target groups from pre-school children to teachers and children with special needs.

The total number of visitors to Tallinn Botanical Garden in 2010 was remarkable - 37,761. As an example, Figure 6 provides an overview of visitors to the various exhibitions in 2010.

13 14

40

Tallinn Zoo, 2011.

Tallinn Botanical Gardens, 2011.

7000 5759

6000 5000 4000 3000

968 1152

Day of dance and mystic (TBG birthday)

Smeel, taste, colour

Cactus exhibition

Autumn in the field and garden

192

Under palms (operning week for greenhouses)

Figure 6. Total number of visitors to Tallinn Botanical Garden in 201015.

711

479

Open door day

122

Science night

594 495

Party of garden friends (end of season)

Rose days

Poisons and drugs from plants

Open door day

372

654

Open door day

588

1599

1158

Open door day

1038

Tulip exhibition

981

Flowering indoor plants

Searching for the signs of spring

Orchid exhibition

Cones, conifers and woods

121

611

Love and magic plants

415

396

0

Outdoor study day

1000

1629

Summer flower exhibition

2000

Tallinn has successfully educated pensioners in apartment associations, people who form the so-called Green Company, as well as the Russian-speaking elderly population (the latter activity received the Environmental Act of the Year 2010 award).

The environmental awareness of the office staff is being improved with the “Ecological support movement“ project, under the international EU ERF Interreg IVA Programme 2007-2013.

Within the framework of the project known as “COBWEB - Communicating to the Baltics“ (2009-2011), again part of the European Regional Development Fund EU ERDF Interreg IVA Programme 2007-2013, study programmes have been developed for nature houses in nursery schools, for the first, second and third levels of basic school, and for upper secondary schools, and the relevant necessary equipment has been purchased. The “Rings in Water“ project within the Central Baltic Interreg IVA programme is increasing environmental awareness in target groups whose access to environmental information has been hindered due to insufficient Estonian language skills and whose improving conduct will have a positive impact on the environmental status of Tallinn.

The outdoor study day for nursery schools which was planned within the framework of the COBWEB (Communicating the Baltic) project was held in 2009 in Tallinn Zoo and in 2010 in Tallinn Botanical Garden, where almost a hundred teachers from Tallinn’s nursery schools participated in both years. Outdoor study activities and the whole environmental education curriculum in Tallinn’s nursery schools is supervised by Lehola Environmental Education Centre.

Main problems • The objectives of the development plan for the environmental education of Tallinn for 2008-2014 have not been achieved due to low financing, and systematic base financing proceeding from the development 15

Tallinn Botanical Gardens, 2011.

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plan for environmental education has not been launched from mainly project-based financing by nonprofit organizations.

• The nature houses on the island of Aegna and in Tallinn Botanical Gardens have been completed and are operational, but other measures (e.g., financing for infrastructure, operating costs and remuneration of supervisors) suffer from lack of funding. In addition, most of the city institutions offering environmental education still do not have official teaching positions.

• Tallinn is lacking a systematic network of environmental education centres and the number of environmental education centres per head of the population is low.

• Infrastructure shortages for environmental education centres are characteristic of the current situation, both in terms of the lack of space as well as in the lack of technical equipment. There is also a lack of teachers who are qualified to teach in natural education and perform cooperation with researchers (e.g.

Lehola Environmental Education Centre, which supports environmental education in nursery schools, is lacking space and has only one employee, so the sustainability of the centre is not guaranteed).

• Natural education is undervalued in terms of hobby education. The number of nature groups for hobby schools and their participants is relatively low and an alarming aspect is the lack of interest in them among the students of upper secondary schools, because a hobby group is too similar to a school lesson and there are too few resources and motivated teachers to organise nature camps, trips and other outdoor study activities.

• The interest of the children and young people of Tallinn in those professions that are related to the knowledge of nature and to nature in general is low and they do not want to deal with (nature and) research,16 while society needs representatives from all professions, including natural researchers, etc.

• Nature groups are not operating in all districts, as environmental education is offered only in some hobby schools.

• The opportunities for the implementation of the central theme of the curricula for state basic schools and upper secondary schools: “The Environment and Sustainable Development“, are insufficient.

Teachers from all fields of study have few opportunities for in-service training in the field of environmental education, while resources are also lacking in terms of ensuring outdoor studies (such as being able to cover transport costs, etc).

• The low environmental awareness of Tallinn’s population. Those former activities that were related to projects that promoted environmental awareness and environmental education have not been efficient enough.

• The complicated availability of environmental information due to the lack of a common database and interest by the media in the distribution of information.

2

Tendencies • In the implementation of the Development Plan for the Environmental Education of Tallinn for 20082014 and in drafting the next plan for 2015-¬2030, an increase in environmental awareness of Tallinn’s population and the value of environmental education will be ensured.

• If the general under-financing of Tallinn’s environmental education continues, the objectives and activities specified in the development plan for environmental education will not be met. If such is the case, environmental education and natural study in educational institutions and among adults will not be promoted, natural and environmental education will not be valued, and environmental awareness will remain low.

• The former financing conditions have enabled the completion of Aegna Nature House and the Nature House at Tallinn Botanical Garden, and the environmental education centre at Tallinn Zoo will be constructed with the resources of the EU structural fund. However, without an increase in the financing specified in the plan no successful development will take place for the Nature House at Nõmme Youth House or for Lehola Environmental Education Centre.

• With the former financing, the provision of environmental education for adults has essentially started to improve in Tallinn due to the support of non-profit activities in the environmental field, but if financing is lacking this cooperation will not be efficient or sustainable.

• Preconditions are created for the improvement of environmental awareness of Tallinn’s population Survey of “Participation of the youth of Tallinn in youth work. Opinions of school students and parents” Tallinn University 2010 16

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through the organisation of environmental campaigns to involve various target and age groups in the population (Prügihunt, Car-Free Day, Maintenance Month, Eco-support Movement, Green Company, information carried by ecosigns, etc), along with training sessions, workshops, seminars, publications and study materials. However, if this is under-financed then the involvement of population will not be sufficient.

• The departments that are responsible for the environmental education of Tallinn participate in various projects within the Central Baltic Interreg IVA Programme, ensuring cooperation with Nordic and Baltic countries as well as other EU member states. However, the under-financing of the plan will also inhibit international cooperation in the future.

2.6.2. PLANNING CITY SPACE The Environmental Strategy 2010 specified that the city’s development plan and investment volume is based on the general plan, together with essential detailed plans by development areas. The general plan for Tallinn has been valid since 2001 and the general plans for districts have been established and are being drafted. Due to essential changes in land ownership relations, the detailed plans have been drafted largely for single registered immovables, instead of larger development areas. However, a principle still exists that the objective of planning is to ensure as comfortable, clean and healthy a living environment as possible in a district, region, quarter and specific building.

The Environmental Strategy 2010 underlined that the Tallinn Environment Department is an equal partner to the Tallinn City Planning Department in issues related to the drafting of a new general plan, as well as the versatility of the landscape, protection zones, the coast and coastal sea area, greenery and the endangering of individual natural features in the course of land and ownership reform. The Environment Department of Tallinn was liquidated at the beginning of the validity period of the environmental strategy and was re-established only in 2005. The environment department is involved in pushing forward the plans and therefore the environmental conditions become constantly more important in the plans.

Basic situation Throughout the planning process, the formation of the principles of spatial development for local government and the direction of land use and building law takes place, with the objective being to improve the living environment. City planning takes place via general and thematic plans as well as with detailed plans.

The general plan for Tallinn has been valid since 2001. Tallinn has established and is currently drafting general plans for the districts, and in various fields it is also drafting theme plans for the planning of streets and green areas, as well as for directing the construction of high-rise buildings and building activities that are of cultural and environmental value. In the mid-2000s the number of pending detailed plans increased in Tallinn due to the rapid development of the economy and the property market.

Tallinn’s general plan has specified residential areas, business areas, industrial areas, mixed areas, green areas and other areas in the city. Furthermore, Tallinn’s general plan has specified several so-called reserve areas for residential construction in the future (such as in Pirita and Haabersti). Depending on the wishes of the landowner, but generally pursuant to the general plan, planning for plots on vacant land or in already built-up areas will take place. Planning by single plots has been dominant but, in those areas that need a more thorough analysis of city space, more integral solutions have been planned, including the drafting of structural plans.

A major trend in Tallinn’s planning activities has been the concentration of city space, planning for new buildings in areas which have space for them or to replace obsolete buildings in the city centre (such as business spaces and apartment buildings with business spaces). The aim of concentrating city space is to prevent the tendency for urban sprawl from gaining hold. While the idea may not entirely fulfil its task, it will depend a good deal on the preferences of people where their choice of residence and their requirements for the surrounding environment are factors. Building-up and concentrating city space will leave less space 43

2

for greenery and green areas, if the need to ensure sufficient public spaces is not taken into account during the planning stage. Around their residences, people like to see greenery in addition to buildings and roads, which is the very reason for their moving out of the city and into neighbouring local government authority areas. Another prevailing trend in Tallinn’s planning activities is the adoption of those areas of the city that have been preserved in a natural and untouched form, which are mainly located on the city’s edges, in order to offer high-quality residential space that is close to the countryside.

Proceeding from the major developments that have already taken place in various city districts (eg. moving general production out of the city, and the more intense use of central areas, etc), which have changed or will soon change the use of plots, the proposals for amendments to the general plan have also been submitted in the form of several detailed plans. Amendments to the general plan requires thorough analysis by the local government authority as well as by the planner.

An important component of the planning process is taking into consideration any environmental aspects that might be involved during the plan’s execution through an analysis of the state of the environment and the setting of environmental conditions. Environmental conditions for the realisation of the plan can be based on various expert opinions and surveys, while in the case of activities which have a potential environmental impact a strategic environmental assessment is required.

In Tallinn, strategic environmental assessments have been drafted mainly for general plans and thematic plans for the districts, but in a couple of recent years these have also been made for several detailed plans and the city’s development strategy. In 2006 the Environment Department of Tallinn started to organise strategic environmental assessments for general and thematic plans that have been drafted by the city.

The areas of detailed plans for which a strategic environmental assessment has been started can be characterised as two types of new development areas. On the one hand, these areas have been almost untouched by human activities and have been preserved as natural forest or grasslands (eg. Astangu, and Paljassaare peninsula). On the other hand, certain areas have already been used for various purposes, but are now being subject to a partially or completely new purpose and land use is sought for them (eg.

Hippodrome, Paljassaare port area, Tondi district, TOP). Detailed plans mainly specify the construction of new centres and residential areas with dwellings, business buildings, and public buildings (nursery school, etc) for future residents.

As a result of the environmental assessments that have been conducted up until now, the environmental aspects have been taken into account in the plan to some extent, but in most cases the solution planned has remained largely the same as that intended by the developer and few efforts have been made to find alternatives. Therefore the purposeful and guiding effect of environmental assessments has been moderate.

An essential part of a strategic environmental assessment is the organisation of relevant public disclosures, and the solutions planned and any related potential impacts are introduced at public presentations and discussions. Any persons who are interested in the plan can participate in a public disclosure and submit their proposals or questions and receive relevant answers. Various detailed plans and environmental assessments also have a different circle of interested parties who may be affected by the plan, and therefore the number of problems that can arise and the objections that can be submitted during the proceedings may vary. In certain cases the opposition from the local population and associations can be strong, only decreasing essentially after a thorough discussion and considering the needs of the people. In addition to the strategic environmental assessments conducted during the assembling of planning documentation, an environmental impact assessment also takes place at the design stage when planning for construction activities that can have a major environmental impact.

Hazardous enterprises As of 1 October 2010, Tallinn had two registered enterprises liable to be affected by class A major accident, six enterprises liable to be affected by class B major accident, and 125 hazardous enterprises17. The THORA 2010 risk analysis of emergency situations in Tallinn. Woking group of the Tallinn crisis committee for preparation and review of documents on crisis management.

17

44

majority of hazardous enterprises are filling stations and boiler plants. The enterprises liable to be affected by major accident are located outside the densely populated central areas. However, the rail and road transport associated with hazardous enterprises passes through densely populated areas of the city. In case of an accident with a train carrying hazardous substances, the zone of extreme danger is 50 m, and the boundary of danger zone is at 300 m.

On the railway, hazardous cargo is transported to Paldiski through the Kopli cargo station. Storage, handling and shunting operations were terminated in the Kopli cargo station as of 1 August 2008. These operations are now carried out in the Ülemiste cargo station.

Tallinn City Government Regulation no. 125 on “Traffic Restrictions in the City of Tallinn for Vehicles Carrying Hazardous Cargo”, of 21 December 2005, establishes traffic restrictions on vehicles transporting hazardous goods (hazardous goods may not be transported from 7:00 to 9:00 and 17:00 to 19:00 on business days). This provision reduces the risk of accidents during peak hours of intense and heavy traffic.

The local government should consider the risks caused by enterprises liable to be affected by major accident when preparing and adopting detailed plans and issuing building permits. Comprehensive and detailed plans should prevent establishment of enterprises liable to be affected by major accident in the vicinity of residential districts, buildings and public areas and, in the case of existing enterprises, should require additional technical measures to prevent increased risks to people.

Main problems • If planning is facilitating the use of cars and is being based on the convenience of car traffic, the concentration of city space will bring with it problems and a negative environmental impact, the removal of greenery, an increasing traffic load and related jams, air pollution and noise. Due to traffic organisation and transport planning both being car-centered (including the requirements for parking places, and planning main roads and crossings for excessive levels and use of car traffic), the city, and especially the city centre, will be too car-centered, because too little attention has been paid to the needs of pedestrians and the functioning of light traffic. The reason for the concentration of city space is the wish to increase the population levels in the city, while simultaneously avoiding urban sprawl and its related problems.

• There is no development plan for transport and mobility that will include an integrated approach to city planning, including the needs for and planning of transport and guidance for land use.

• Urban sprawl, one factor of which has also been the preference for a private residence that is close to the countryside, but this has rather more been something that has been sought from outside the city environment.

• Built-up rural areas. The land reform act wrought major changes in land ownership relations, resulting in the return of large areas of land to former owners. Privately owned registered immovables have been transformed into residential or business land.

• The intent of landowners and developers to sell their property and gain the maximum levels of revenue will deliver a decrease in the percentage of natural areas that are available and the liquidation of vegetation through planning and the occupation of new areas for building activities.

• Poorly planned development activities have essentially increased the amount of water resistant surfaces and the discharge of rain water through utility networks. In some places, flow rates have increased to such an extent that the existing system cannot adequately drain off the water, which causes flooding.

• Detailed plans do not always take a balanced account of environmental aspects and do not cover environmentally sustainable solutions, because it seems to incur additional costs in terms of time and money, or just more trouble.

• Proceeding from the requests of developers, the land use specified in the general plan is altered too often in detailed plans. At the same time, amendments to the general plan has also been caused by the changing of the city space over time, as not all possible development scenarios could be clearly foreseen during the drafting of the general plan.

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• Due to the varying competency levels of experts, the quality of environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments is uneven and the quality of reports is not sufficient.

• Risks associated with hazardous enterprises and enterprises liable to be affected by major accident, which could cause emergency situations in the city.

Tendencies • The concentration and more intense use of city space, in order to use city space as efficiently as possible.

• Where there is an insufficient regulation of land-use, the new development areas (eg. Ülemiste City, the area along Tammsaare Street, etc) support the use of cars across the entire city, while some areas with efficient public transport have become a wasteland (areas near Kopli’s tram line, railway corridors) with unused development potential. This will cause a decrease of the efficiency of public transport and worsen access with public transport.

• Planning residential areas for the construction of new residences in the suburbs, on former green land.

• Although the environmental aspects have been undervalued in the planning process, they are constantly becoming more essential, and relevant awareness is increasing.

• Planning is accompanied by strategic environmental assessment in the case of planned residential or other buildings that are in sensitive, mainly natural areas, such as preserved forested areas, where construction may cause a major environmental impact.

• An environmental impact assessment should be conducted when planning activities which have a major environmental impact (such as when planning new main roads).

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3. VISION FOR 2030

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The environment of Tallinn has been valued and subjected to sustainable use. A resident of Tallinn appreciates a versatile environment and biodiversity on both a local and a global level, understands the relationships between nature and human activities and acts in a responsible manner. People are aware of the need to save resources and keep the environment clean. All age groups can acquire a high-quality environmental education through contemporary environmental education centres and purpose-orientated financing and the development of environmental education has been ensured.

The environment of Tallinn is balanced because the natural environment is considered to be as important as the artificial and constructed environment. The living environment in the city is pleasant and people-centered, whereby nature is valued in the city space, as its existence improves the quality of the living environment for the city’s population. When planning the city’s living and natural environment, consideration being given to environmental aspects has become an equally natural component alongside economic and social aspects.

In the planning and design of new development areas, the core attention is paid to environmental-friendly solutions, energy efficiency, and sustainable mobility. In addition to the quality of buildings, attention is paid to the quality of public spaces and an abundance of greenery. When planning new retail centres and other areas in which people may gather, account is taken of transport schemes in order to ensure that they do not cause any additional environmental problems.

The settlement system is not regulated by the property market or by developers, but by the city itself through the efficient organisation of planning and the involvement of interested groups. The trend towards urban sprawl has stopped, because the city itself includes nature-related values and a high-quality living environment. The land around a place of residence offers a green and natural environment, which means that there is no need to move to areas immediately outside the city in search of a better living environment.

For commuting between work and home, good opportunities have been created for the convenient use of public transport and light traffic and therefore the role the motor car in daily trips has decreased and traffic jams cause no problems. The city centre is car-free, as are town centres in outlying districts and regions, and can be utilised preferably by pedestrians or by light traffic, because transit car traffic has been directed past these town or city centres on bypass roads.

The environment of Tallinn is healthy and versatile. There is no need to leave the city in order to remain in a green and leafy environment. Natural diversity is appreciated as a value in itself, not only as a basis for recreational possibilities. The protection of natural diversity has been ensured through the planning process, whereby generally there is no need for the separate protection of natural objects. There is a good overview of biodiversity in the city. During the drafting of plans, inventories are conducted in order to identify the biodiversity for an area. The plans create the basis for preservation and the improvement of biodiversity. Bases have been created for the restoration of the green network, reserving land for this purpose if necessary.

Greenery has been valued as an essential component of Tallinn’s city environment and city space. When organising city life, which includes planning and construction, greenery is considered as being an element that is equal alongside the artificial elements of the city environment (buildings, roads, utility networks).

Tallinn’s greenery is integral and optimal and the green areas form a common green system. No new areas are being selected for construction activities in green areas. Unused Brownfield sites, or wasteland, will be refurbished and brought into use as green areas. The refurbished areas of the city’s space have been maintained.

The ecological and physical-chemical condition of water bodies has essentially improved in Tallinn. The condition and quality of water in Lake Ülemiste as the source of Tallinn’s surface water intake has improved remarkably. Waste water and rain water collected from hard surface covers has been drained past the lake’s close catchment area. The condition of Lake Harku has been improved in cooperation with Harku rural municipality and the lake has reached an ecologically good condition. The Raku-Männiku recreational and leisure area has been established in cooperation with Saku rural municipality. Facilities have been constructed for the treatment of the water collected in Mustjõe and a diminution of the flood risk, and the River Mustjõgi estuary area has been preserved as a coastal area with an interesting biological community.

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The groundwater consumed by the city’s residents is of a high quality and meets all applicable standards.

The residents of Nõmme, Tiskre, Merivälja and other areas that still draw their water from groundwater sources continue to do just that. The role of groundwater as a source for industrial use has decreased. The role of the Ordovician-Cambrian aquifer in consumption rates has increased. Ownership issues related to bore wells and the land underneath them have been resolved, considering that many bore wells and the respective land are currently without an owner (unreformed state land) or the owner does not need them and is unwilling to maintain them. The majority of such bore wells and the land underneath them is in municipal ownership. Unnecessary bore wells have been liquidated; unused, but perspective bore wells have been preserved. Therefore there is no longer a risk of aquifers being contaminated through wells that have not been repaired. Tallinn has a hydraulic water model for its water distribution network which covers the entire city, reserve groundwater intakes have been established, reserve wells have been selected, and Tallinn is ready for the complete emergency transfer of the whole city to a surface water or groundwater supply. In mining and the re-cultivation of quarries (at Männiku and Väo) a groundwater-saving technology is being applied.

Coastal waters are the visiting card of Tallinn as a seaside city. The Baltic Sea and coastal waters around Tallinn are clean and offer a natural environment for the people who live and visit the area and also for all marine flora and fauna. The condition of the coastal waters around Tallinn is good, achieving as natural a state as possible. The pollution load from the mainland into the sea has decreased, and the eutrophication of coastal waters has stopped. The city’s coastal space is open, and new recreation areas have been established.

The condition of rain water recipients - coastal waters and inland water bodies - is good. Rain water is treated before being discharged to recipients using various rain water treatment facilities. Several natural creeks have been restored, which also have an ecological function in addition to providing drainage and the regulation of rain water, and this helps to enrich the natural environment and ensure the preservation of biodiversity, and is also essential in the city’s environment from an aesthetic aspect. Rain water is a natural resource, one that is accumulated, treated and used in various ways, such as in watering plants, for street maintenance, or in ponds and cascades. The principle of the accrual-based treatment of rain water has been implemented and regional flood hazards and related risks have been managed. During the course of development activities, the role of green areas has essentially increased in order to avoid the infiltration of rain water into the soil and causing floods in artificial recipients or in development areas when it is drained through pipes.

Tallinn’s environment is healthy and enjoyable. The city’s ambient air is of good quality and meets the standards that have been set for it. This will result in a decrease in the frequency of health problems in the population that are caused by the contamination of the ambient air (such as asthma). People prefer public transport and cycling as their fast and convenient daily means for getting to their destination. The number of users of other means of transport, such as bicycles, rental cars and vehicles using energy-saving electrical and biological fuels has essentially increased. Therefore, the number of private vehicles will decrease, reducing the impact of transport on the quality of ambient air. The district heating network will extend across the entire city and residents are ready for their connection to the network. People constantly make more use of environmentally-friendly heating solutions, such as heat pumps and solar panels. Planning for new buildings is based on the concept of creating passive houses, buildings with low energy consumption rates which have become very popular.

In the planning of new industrial areas, care is taken to keep them away from residential areas and the impact of industry on the surrounding area is minimised, using new technological solutions and cleaning equipment to remove pollutants. Industries and manufacturers are increasingly implementing and following the requirements of environmental management systems and the ISO 14001 standard. Surveys are conducted to determine the impact range of as yet unknown factors, and new measures are developed for the improvement of ambient air quality levels.

The noise level in various regions of Tallinn meets the requirements that have been set. People are aware of the impact of noise on health and can protect themselves. During the refurbishment or rebuilding of 49

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property, attention is paid to noise reduction measures. In the design of new buildings noise reduction measures are applied in all areas, in order to ensure that even single, accidental higher noise levels will not harm the quality of life and the health of residents. In residential areas, car traffic has been calmed in order to reduce noise. The number of people suffering from noise-related disorders has decreased, and noisesensitive buildings are well protected from high noise levels. The state and the city have a common noise policy and common objectives to noise reduction .

The population is well aware of issues in regard to radon and knows how to protect itself against potential hazards. Tallinn has a map of radon concentrations in the soil which is based on precise surveys, and serves as the basis for setting conditions for detailed plans and construction designs. Within the framework of detailed plans and construction designs, the radon hazard is taken into account even with soil that has a low or normal radon content, while in areas with a high radon content effective construction measures for radon prevention are specified. New, efficient options have been developed for radon prevention, which can also be implemented on existing buildings without major cost.

Waste management functioning in Tallinn is efficient and environmentally sustainable. The population’s consumption habits have developed towards the prevention and diminution of waste production, preferring goods with less packaging. Convenient options have been ensured for the population in the transfer of sorted waste. People are aware of the need to sort waste and waste is skilfully collected in separate containers in households and companies. The volume of mixed municipal waste that is sent to final handling has consistently decreased. Alternative solutions in energy use have been developed for the disposal of mixed municipal waste, and the production of waste fuel and waste incineration is taking place. Therefore, the amount of waste that is deposited in a landfill site is minimal. Organised waste transportation takes place in an manner that is both optimal and continuous throughout the entirety of Tallinn. Waste transportation is efficient and related costs are minimal. Littering and illegal waste handling and therefore the volume of hazardous substances being discharged into the environment has been minimised. The city of Tallinn is resolving waste problems in cooperation with neighbouring local government authorities.

Based on international agreements, the city has fulfilled several obligations. The amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere has decreased by 40%, energy efficiency and the role of renewable energy in energy being consumed has increased by 40%. Tallinn has achieved the title of “Green Capital“.

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4. OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES

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The general objective of the Tallinn Environmental Strategy to 2030 (hereafter The Tallinn Environmental Strategy) is to achieve good conditions for the environment in the city of Tallinn and to ensure a sustainable use of natural resources. As the state of the environment has an essential impact on human health and welfare, its achievement will also ensure a healthy living environment for people in general. The basic situation, problems and trends, described above, have been used as a basis for establishment of long-term development directions – identifying targets and planning measures – considering the general development trends in Tallinn (see part 1).

The priority environmental objectives for Tallinn, for which the environmental strategy has specified policies that will make these achievable, are as follows: • the preservation of natural diversity and an increase in biodiversity; • the development of integral and optimal greenery; • organising the protection of the aquatic environment and improving its condition; • an improvement of the quality of the ambient air; • minimising the production of waste and ensuring the environmentally safe handling of waste; • improving environmental awareness; • ensuring a sustainable city space and a healthy living environment; • achieving the title of Green Capital by 2018.

4.1. NATURAL DIVERSITY Objective • The preservation of natural diversity and an increase in biodiversity.

Natural diversity is the basis of a healthy and pleasant living environment. Higher biodiversity levels will ensure higher productivity and the stability of communities, and a metaphorically better health for ecosystems, which is the basis of a valuable living environment through the services of the ecosystem.

Therefore, a more efficient use of the city space shall at least be ensured from the need to preserve natural diversity, while in the longer perspective opportunities shall be created to increase natural diversity in densely built-up areas.

Measures • An inventory of biota and the drafting of an overview of existing biodiversity. The city’s environmental research plan will be established in order to ensure the consistency of research and monitoring. An inventory of biota also covers the research conducted within the framework of planning.

• Drafting the policy paper for (the increase of) biodiversity upon the completion of the overview (for example, the development of a grant system supporting natural diversity especially for registered immovable owners).

• During the planning and design stages, account shall be taken of the protection principles of biota.

(For example, the establishment of the conditions for the refurbishment of buildings in order to create habitats for birds and bats.)

• Drafting a maintenance plan for green areas (for example, mowing - where, how extensively and how often; a guide for or limitation of the visiting load).

• Mapping a green network, determining conflict areas in the network, and the development of compensation solutions. If possible, this should be carried out within the framework of the thematic plan for green areas.

• Ensuring systematic environmental supervision (involving the certification of supervision procedures).

Enhancing the supervisory system in order to check the requirements that have been set (for plans and designs).

• Raising the awareness of the population in regard to the importance of biodiversity.

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4.2. LANDSCAPING Objective • The development of integral and optimal vegetation.

Vegetation and green areas have been preserved and green areas are duly maintained. Central green systems in the city are integral and are connected by continuous green corridors. Green areas are sufficiently close and are available for the population. Parks, green areas, forests and other natural areas situated within the limits of the city (valuable grasslands, bogs, reed beds, etc) are appreciated irrespective of their form of ownership as the factors ensuring natural diversity and ecological balance and extension of building activities to these areas will be restricted.

Measures • Conducting research on greenery by districts, studying the condition of, need for, and justification of vegetation, taking account of ecological, aesthetic, economic and other parameters in order to determine the optimal requirements of greenery in Tallinn.

• Mapping a green network, and determining conflict areas in the network and the development of compensation solutions.

• Drafting the policy paper for landscaping work, this being the basis for a systematic organisation of the development of the city’s green areas.

• The precise extent of greenery and its role in the city’s general development documents (in terms of comprehensive plans, partial comprehensive plans, thematic plans, and development plans). An intensification of supervision in terms of comprehensive plans, detailed plans and designs and cooperation with other departments.

• Taking account of the existing green network and the establishment of new green areas when planning land use from the first stage, including ensuring optimal growth conditions for trees. Areas will be reserved for the establishment of new vegetation or the preservation of the existing vegetation (in terms of comprehensive and detailed plans).

• The development and management of a greenery information system, in order to build a detailed overview of public green areas. Issuing passports for green areas, parks and green zones and their entry into the web-based greenery information system.

• Drafting a forest management plan and applications for the transfer of forested areas which are located within the limits of the city into municipal ownership in order to ensure the preservation of their ecological value, public use and development as recreational areas.

• Drafting a reconstruction plan for parks by a city commission that is composed of impartial specialists and ensuring investments on the basis of this plan.

• The intensification of cooperation with regional government authorities for the uniform development of greenery.

• Raising awareness levels in people who deal with refurbishment work and providing information for the population on the importance of greenery as an essential ecological parameter. When organising any aspects of city life, greenery is considered to be an equal element alongside the artificial elements of the city’s environment (buildings, roads, utility networks). Greenery will be preserved to the maximum possible extent, and not depending upon its form of ownership.

• Registering trees in the city’s parks, green zones and streets, in order to ensure that the city’s authorities have an overview of the condition of all trees in the city.

• The planning, building, maintenance and management of greenery on the basis of an updated set of regulations. Updating regulations and requirements, the realisation and implementation of best practice, organising training. Refurbishment work being carried out by specialists with a professional qualification.

An increase in the role, diversity and quality of green areas on streets (e.g., increased use of surface materials permeable to rain water, facilitating the growth of vegetation, incl. in car parks).

• Planning for the establishment of street greenery in the first stage of planning or the refurbishment of streets, as well as during the planning for new development areas (in detailed plans). The renewal of alleys as a result of the research of street-side trees 53

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• Performing replacement planting on the basis of prepared projects with a two-year reserve.

• Ordering and carrying out projects and necessary surveys, training specialists inside and outside the organisation.

• Performing activities that proceed from the statutes of the Tallin’s environment department, the establishment of the post of a registrar who deals with the greenery information system and a database of cutting permits.

• Tallinn’s environment department is a methodological greenery coordination centre.

4.3. WATER 4.3.1. SURFACE WATER Objectives • The improvement of the ecological and physical-chemical condition of major water bodies in Tallinn - with the aim of at least achieving an acceptably good ecological condition. The preservation and improvement of the natural diversity of bodies of surface water.

• The organisation of the more efficient protection against contamination of the catchment area around Lake Ülemiste as Tallinn’s surface water intake system.

• Supplying high-quality drinking water to inhabitants and other users and promoting sustainable water use.

Measures • Drafting activity plans for improvements in the condition of surface water.

• Drafting the plan for the protection and use of water in the catchment area for Tallinn’s surface water intake (in cooperation with other local government authorities), specifying a detailed work schedule for the preservation of the quality of water for use as a source of drinking water and the achievement of a good ecological condition.

• Drafting a common water protection plan for Lake Ülemiste and bodies of surface water in the RakuMänniku area and the related Quaternary groundwater.

• Protecting the close catchment area around Lake Ülemiste from contamination, draining waste water and rain water from the close catchment area past the lake.

• Drafting the activity plan for the improvement of the condition of Lake Harku and the realisation of the activity plan (in cooperation with the Harku rural municipality).

• Ending the unauthorised discharge of waste water into rain water systems and water bodies, and an increase in supervision. The construction of rain water pre-treatment plants.

• Paying more attention to the maintenance of roads, including the more efficient cleaning of roads and streets and a more sustainable and rational de-snowing and de-icing policy.

• Implementing measures for the extension of the time for which rain water is allowed to reside, an increase of the role of accumulation facilities and the surface of seepage areas in order to reduce the load on rain water discharge systems (creeks, ditches, pipes) and the flood hazard for water bodies.

• The development of measures that will minimise the flood risk in the River Mustjõgi estuary area.

• The preservation of natural beds for watercourses during development activities.

• Improving the local water monitoring system.

• Renovating and upgrading the processing facilities and technologies of the Tallinn water treatment plant and water intake area. Proper replacement of old pipelines to reduce water losses.

• Developing cooperation with neighbouring local governments (incl. with local governments and water undertakings located on the catchment area of the Ülemiste surface water intake for improvement of the condition of Lake Ülemiste).

• Raising the population’s awareness in terms of the sustainable use of water and its promotion (eg. through campaigns and other events that introduce the production and consumption of water, along with details on waste water treatment).

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4.3.2. GROUNDWATER Objectives • The preservation of groundwater reserves and ensuring their protection and quality.

• The preference for the use of groundwater in areas that have already based their water usage on a groundwater supply, preventing a decrease of its use on account of the presence of surface water. An increase in the role of the Ordovician-Cambrian aquifer in supplying the population with drinking water (to the extent of groundwater resources that are assigned to the city).

• The creation of a groundwater-based water supply system covering the entire city for critical situations.

Measures • The solution of ownership issues related to bore wells and the liquidation or renovation of environmentally hazardous bore wells. Being able to achieve agreements with the owners for renovation when it is due or the liquidation of non-conforming and/or unused bore wells. Letting or transferring land which is underneath a bore well pumping station into the ownership of the city is to be preferred.

• Drafting an activity plan for the transfer of the whole of Tallinn to a groundwater supply in an emergency situation. Drafting a hydraulic model for the water distribution network covering the entire city and ensuring a selection of reserve wells for final emergencies and a determination of the need for the establishment of new reserve groundwater intakes. Establishing water connections between areas supplied from surface water and ground water to ensure bi-directional water supply in emergency situations: supplying surface water to groundwater supply areas and groundwater to surface water supply areas.

• The construction of new bore well pumping stations which draw water from the Ordovician-Cambrian aquifer. Drafting a hydrogeological survey in order to find the most suitable form of construction and locations for the new bore wells.

• Finding solutions that will allow an increase in the use of groundwater from the Ordovician-Cambrian water complex in the Nõmme region.

• Bringing environmentally hazardous objects (including bore wells) into conformity with environmental requirements or removing such objects from use.

• Removing the sources of residual contamination and conducting treatment activities for the soil and groundwater, if necessary.

• Promoting the reasonable and sustainable use of water, based on the long-term use of available water resources.

• The use of technology that can save groundwater to the highest possible degree during mining and the re-cultivation of quarries.

• The careful planning of mining in the Männiku sand area in order to preserve groundwater reserves, avoiding any activities that might increase losses in the water reserves, such as a diminution of the catchment area and any increase of filtration outside the catchment area of the lakes.

• Holding back high-quality groundwater reserves for the population, and restricting its industrial use.

• Proceeding from the principle of caution, in those areas that use groundwater from the CambrianVendian aquifer which contains radionuclides, more attention should be paid to infants who are fed with artificial formulae. It is recommended that bottled water be used for the preparation of infant formulae.

Final clarification of the issue of safety of groundwater containing radionuclides.

4.3.3. COASTAL WATER Objectives • The achievement of good conditions for Tallinn’s coastal waters, making sure they are as close to natural as possible. A decrease in the pollution load discharged into the sea from the mainland. A decrease of the eutrophication of coastal waters.

• City space near the sea is open.

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Tallinn’s coastal waters form a part of the Baltic ecosystem. Water exchange in the Baltic Sea takes place over an average time span of 25-30 years and as the water exchange between the open sea and coastal waters is good, the condition of coastal waters will depend not only on contamination originating from the mainland, but also the condition of the open sea. This is the reason why the achievement of good conditions by 2015 is not possible for coastal waters. Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area HELCOM has developed recommendations for the achievement of good conditions in the Baltic Sea and has found that if the measures that are currently available are applied, the achievement of good conditions across the entire sea, including coastal waters, is only possible by 2021.

Measures • A decrease in the pollution load (e.g. oil and oil products) of rain water that is discharged into the sea (the implementation of street cleaning methods that improve the quality of rain water - street dry cleaning; installing oil filters in rain water discharge systems for major roads and car parks).

• Decreasing the nutrient content in rain water. Constructing rain water treatment plants which can minimise the content of biogenic elements.

• Increasing treatment capacity of the Paljassaare wastewater treatment plant to respond to changing pollution loads and stricter requirements for treatment.

• Drafting a strategic plan for building activities in coastal waters, along the shore, and in coastal areas, covering the issues of environmental protection, and the planning and construction of utility networks.

Implementing the best architectural solutions and best possible technology. Opening up access to the sea and the reservation of land for new recreation sites.

• The development of international cooperation with all Baltic countries in order to achieve the good condition of the Baltic Sea. • Studying the impact of shuttle ferries on the coastal waters of Tallinn and the development of relevant mitigation measures.

• The development of a plan for the mitigation of flood risks. Mapping flood areas and drafting an activity plan for the regulation and management of floods. A determination of the development options for those areas with a potential flood risk. It is recommended that these areas be left as natural grassland.

Following the planning principles that have been developed for those areas with a potential flood risk during the city planning process.

• Planning oil combative measures in cooperation with the state and with local government authorities.

• An intensification of supervision over companies that have an environmental risk in terms of the prevention of accidents.

4.3.4. RAIN WATER Objectives • An achievement of good ecological conditions in rain water recipients by 2021; namely, the city’s coastal waters and inland water bodies. An improvement in rain water quality.

• The prevention of floods and the mitigation of consequences.

• Treatment of rain water as a natural resource to be accumulated and used in a reasonable manner (primarily accrual-based use of rain water).

Measures • Drafting a rain water strategy, as rain water discharge covers several different fields, from city planning and environmental protection to the construction, maintenance and operation of rain water systems.

The strategy’s objective is to provide measures for the development of the city, taking account of all aspects of rain water and soil water, including the removal and prevention of floods, the preservation of groundwater levels, ensuring drainage for the area where necessary and ensuring drainage prevention in wetlands, minimising the presence of contaminants and biogenic elements in rain water, and the utilisation of rain water as a resource.

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• Improving the rain water activity plan on the basis of the strategy and its realisation.

• Drafting an integral solution for the catchment-based discharge of rain water together with the development of rain water models which will enable a calculation to be made of the impact on the existing system of facilities that have been planned for the catchment area and determine the permissible area of surfaces that can be hard-covered.

• The development of accrual-based solutions for rain water. In the catchment area and rain water formation site the treatment of rain water shall be resolved as much as possible, and the flow rate of rain water shall be regulated in order to reduce the load on rain water discharge systems and minimise the flood risk. For this purpose, new rain water equalising and accumulation facilities shall be constructed, along with the existing ditches and creeks being repaired and refurbished.

• Preserving the role of seepage areas for the immediate discharge of rain water into the soil.

• Halting the decrease in greenery and maximising the role of green areas, extending the residence time of top flow rates in order to avoid the simultaneous discharge of all rain water produced into the discharge systems (pipes, ditches and creeks).

• The completion and maintenance of rain water treatment plants and facilities that are operating as treatment plants - ponds, wetlands, biomarshes, biofilters, and cascades.

• The creation of a taxation system to facilitate the accrual-based treatment of rain water, and the construction and maintenance of rain water systems. This means an extension of the residence time of rain water on the ground, an and an increase of the role of accumulation facilities, ponds, water tanks, surfaces of seepage areas and greenery.

• The preservation and, if possible, recovery of small water bodies and wetlands (creeks, ponds, and bogs), mapping Tallinn’s natural water bodies, and the development of a renovation plan for these.

• The gradual transfer of the catchment areas with combined sewerage systems to separate systems, in order to minimise the volumes of rain water that are discharged into the waste water treatment plant.

• Minimising the pollution load that is discharged into the sea through spillways. The repair and refurbishment of the existing rain water and sewerage systems.

• An intensification of regular cleaning of the city space, streets and gulleys in order to minimise the pollution taken into the environment through rain water (especially in early spring).

• Motivation for owners to have their registered immovables connected to existing public sewerage system. Minimising the local treatment of waste water in the city space.

• The reservation of areas of land for the establishment of locations for the rain water equalising facilities and treatment plants that have been included in the plans.

• The development of the concept of snow storage, and a determination and construction of planned storage sites.

• The development of a local water monitoring programme. Carrying out monitoring and research on the contaminants found in rain water outlets.

4.4. AIR 4.4.1. AMBIENT AIR Objectives • A constant improvement of the quality of ambient air in Tallinn. Ensuring conformity with the limits and target values established for the level of pollution in ambient air.

• Minimising CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 when compared to the figures for 2007.

• The prevention of climate change by means of the improvement of the quality levels of ambient air and the mitigation of their impact.

The quality of ambient air does not only mean establishing conformity to the limit values for pollution levels, but also that the quality shall be achieved for all contaminants; therefore it is not possible to concentrate only on the decrease of certain contaminants. Two major factors influencing the quality of ambient air are transport and municipal heating; therefore it is important to make correct, realistic and quickly applicable decisions and choices in these fields. The measures for the improvement of the quality of ambient air will essentially also facilitate the reduction of impact factors of climate change and a saving in energy.

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Measures

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• The constant monitoring and research of contaminants in ambient air.

• The development of public transport, involving the creation of bus lanes, the introduction of new public transport vehicles, including those operating with alternative fuels, ensuring a high-quality service, and the promotion of the use of public transport.

• Integrating railway traffic with other forms of public transport and light traffic. Implementing the systems which combines the use of cars and bicycles.

• Planning and building light traffic roads that connect different areas of Tallinn and promoting the use of alternative means of transport for daily trips.

• Promoting light traffic with traffic management solutions in the city centre, and at the centres of districts and regions.

• Channelling the city’s land use near existing efficient public transport services and preventing office, residential and retail developments from promoting car traffic.

• Implementing mobility management in the agencies of public sector and private companies.

• Minimising the traffic load that is created by commuting, ensuring the efficient organisation of public transport traffic in cooperation with neighbouring rural municipalities, and the development of a parking system (known as “Park and Ride“).

• Establishing more stringent requirements for vehicle emissions, ensuring the real control of all vehicles, lowering permitted contaminants emissions, lowering permitted speeding limits in areas with high concentration of fine dust.

• Promoting vehicles with low and zero emissions and their use (involving the creation of recharge options, the construction of refuelling stations and parking places, etc).

• A restriction on private car use in the city centre and in the centres of districts, except for vehicles with zero emissions.

• Establishing a congestion charge (the so-called ‘jam tax’) for driving in the city centre, based on the example set by and the experience collected in Stockholm and London.

• Building alternative bypasses in order to redirect traffic away from the city centre and residential areas.

• Restricting the usage window for studded tyres and promoting the use of studless winter tyres on vehicles that are used only in the city.

• Ensuring high-quality road maintenance, including the removal of snow and ice, e.g. using substances that inhibit the emission of fine dust for de-icing; the extensive use of salt may maximise emissions of fine dust in spring, as the impact of studded tyres is stronger in wet conditions (when the ice is melted due to the high levels of salt on the roads).Watering major roads and streets with an aqueous solution of calcium chloride during dry periods (especially in spring during the melting of snow).

• Covering the quality of ambient air in areas of interest and preventing possible contaminants spreading through ambient air in planning documents.

• Developing traffic management solutions for those areas covered in planning documents, taking into account the existing traffic load on the streets, any mobility management measures, and preventing any decrease in the quality of ambient air.

• An extension of district heating areas across the entire city, ensuring that connection into the district heating network in a district heating area is compulsory, except for exceptional cases.

• A preference for environmentally-friendly heating solutions, and the removal of local boiler plants.

• An intensification in the supervision of self-monitoring in industrial companies and the setting of more stringent conditions in ambient air pollution permits.

• A realisation of the policy paper for sustainable energy management for Tallinn for 2011-2021, minimising the use of energy and the production of greenhouse gases, and increasing the role of renewable energy.

4.4.2. ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE POLLUTION Objectives • Ensuring a healthy living environment for the population of Tallinn, minimising environmental noise, and ensuring conformity to the established standards.

• A decrease in the number of people suffering from noise pollution.

The impact of environmental noise pollution on people shall be reduced and noise levels shall be minimised, for which purpose choices shall be made that are aimed more towards the prevention of the problem or minimising the impact of noise rather than mitigating the consequences or application of noise mitigation measures.

As such, in order to ensure a healthy living environment for all people, a lowering of noise levels will require a considerable amount of time and several other important choices being taken, and mitigation measures shall also be applied in parallel.

Measures • A consideration of both European and national requirements when drafting a strategic noise map for the ambient air.

• Preparing and updating an action plan for environmental noise reduction and developing efficient measures.

• The application of mitigation measures in noisy areas. The use of noise screens, noise walls or ramparts as noise barriers, where possible.

• Developing public transport - the creation of bus lanes, introducing new public transport vehicles, including those operating on alternative fuels, ensuring a high-quality service and promoting the use of public transport.

• Building light traffic roads that connect different areas of Tallinn and promoting the use of alternative means of transport for daily trips.

• Limiting the movement of private vehicles in the city centre, controlling the use of private vehicles, and minimising forced traffic in the city as a whole.

• Ensuring that the roads are in a good condition, as well as railways and tram tracks, and introducing lower noise levels alongside this.

• The use of noise-resistant areas (on business and industrial land) as noise buffers in front of noisesensitive areas (residential and social land).

• Diverting heavy lorries and establishing speed limits.

• Building new, more noise-resistant buildings and protecting existing buildings against noise pollution.

Where construction occurs in areas with a high level of environmental noise pollution, measures shall be specified for lowering noise levels in the interior of new buildings.

• An increase in the level of noise insulation in new and existing multi-storey residential buildings near major thoroughfares.

• Building bypasses so that traffic can be directed away from the city centre and from residential areas.

• An assessment of noise insulation requirements and other anti-noise measures during the revision and approval of construction designs for dwellings and public buildings as well as for catering, trade and service companies that are located in areas which suffer from intense transportation noise.

• The application of measures for lowering noise levels in industrial companies.

• Establishing a legal act to regulate noise in Tallinn.

• Paying attention to the fulfilment and efficiency of noise insulation requirements and other anti-noise measures specified in the construction designs when carrying out supervision over the construction and acceptance of buildings.

• Developing regulations, instructions and activity plans for the management of health risks in the city environment.

• Raising awareness in specialists and the population in the field of health risks that are related to the outdoor environment.

• Traffic calming measures in residential areas.

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4.4.3. RADON

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Objective • Ensuring a living environment that is free of the hazard of radon deposits for the population of Tallinn.

The availability of Tallinn’s radon map and precise data will essentially facilitate the development of a living environment that is free of the hazard of radon deposits. In such cases, full attention can be directed towards those areas which have a radon problem, spending less time on checking incorrect data. The knowledge of people about the radon hazard and the options for mitigating it shall be increased, guiding people towards consciously making the right choices.

Measures • Determining those areas which have a radon hazard. Conducting radon surveys in various regions of Tallinn and drafting a map showing radon content in the soil that covers the whole city.

• The provision of information regarding the hazard posed by the presence of radon. Organising information days on the themes of radon, its spread, related hazards, and mitigation measures.

• Developing new and efficient radon prevention measures that could also be used in existing buildings.

• Taking account of the hazard posed by the presence of radon during the setting up of environmental conditions for detailed plans and the requirement for precise radon surveys in those areas which have a high radon content as established on the basis of maps.

• Taking account of the hazard posed by the presence of radon during the setting up of environmental conditions for construction designs and the process of checking on environmental conditions related to detailed plans and the establishment of specific measures for radon prevention in areas with a high radon content.

• Taking account of the potential radon-related hazard in areas with a low or normal radon content according to the maps. The additional use of minor radon prevention measures (eg. radon sheeting) during the construction of buildings in areas with low or normal radon content.

• Carrying out radon content surveys on indoor air during the construction of new buildings in areas that have a high level of hazard being posed by radon, and taking into account the results of any such surveys before issuing any permit for use.

4.5. WASTE Objectives • The prevention of waste generation, minimising waste volumes, and the hazardousness of waste.

• Minimising the role of mixed municipal waste that is sent for disposal through a diversification of final treatment methods. An increase of the role of recoverable waste - 90% of waste will be recoverable by 2030. Maximise the separate collection of waste through the promotion of local sorting.

• Increase the environmental awareness of the population and change their patterns.

• Ensuring the efficient functioning of organised waste transportation throughout the entire city.

Measures • A continuation of waste information activities, including presentations for waste information campaigns, sustainable consumption and the waste information stage, drafting information materials, organising information lectures, etc.

• Working out options for the placement of packaging collection facilities on sites that permit easy access for people passing by (eg. near retail centres and shops).

• Broadening the transfer options in terms of paper and cardboard waste, mainly close to small dwellings.

• Creating opportunities for local composting or organised recycling of biological waste.

• Facilitating diversification of options for final treatment of waste based on the hierarchy of waste treatment, incl. use of energy from waste through fuel production or mass incineration.

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• Solving problems related to organised waste transportation (incl., for instance, through pricing and public procurements of waste transportation, organisation of waste transportation in Tallinn through a municipal authority or a non-profit association established for that purpose).

• Finding resources for organising waste management where the potential decrease of resources is concerned (eg. through the levying of a service charge for organised waste transportation).

• Paying attention to prevention and reduction of waste generation during production processes (ensuring longevity of products, reuse of products, implementation of technologies with reduced waste generation).

• Supporting an intensification of the supervision of local government authorities over waste holders and waste handlers, including the field of producer responsibility.

• An exchange of information and experience in waste management with neighbouring local government authorities, as well as the planning and realisation of common information campaigns or projects, if possible. An intensification of cooperation with organisations that are responsible for producing waste.

• Building an overview of residual contamination sites and updating relevant data. The removal of residual contamination sites after these sites have been mapped.

• A preservation of the options for transferring hazardous waste.

4.6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT As a means of environmental management in Tallinn, objectives and measures (policies) have been set out for the planning of environmental education and for planning the use of city space (including an environmental impact assessment and a strategic environmental assessment).

Measures for environmental management that are implemented in the city also include the use of environmental permits and environmental monitoring and supervision, which cover almost all of the themes handled in this environmental strategy, thereby accentuating the intensification of the monitoring and supervision system that will facilitate the fulfilment of the objectives. Further necessary aspects are the implementation and improvement of environmental management systems for organisations in industrial, transport and other sectors, as well as the application of the best possible technology. Much more attention shall be paid to implementing the elements involved in the environmental management system in the public sector, including Tallinn’s public authorities. When carrying out public procurements, an account shall be taken of environmentally-friendly criteria, in order to promote environmental sustainability and influence the use of the environment.

4.6.1. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Objectives • The promotion and valuation of environmental education in Tallinn, improving the awareness of all of Tallinn’s residents in making decisions and taking choices that are related to the environment.

• Ensuring the sustainability of environmental education. Developing environmental education on all educational levels as well as in adult education.

• Developing a systematic network of environmental education centres in Tallinn.

• The involvement of the residents of Tallinn in environmental education activities and the taking of environmental decisions.

Measures • The realisation of the development plan for the environmental education of Tallinn for 2008-2014.

Drafting and implementing the development plan for the environmental education of Tallinn for 20152030.

• Taking a decision on the location of new environmental education centres and then developing them.

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• The use of the planned resources from the EU programme period 2007-2013 for developing the infrastructure of Tallinn Zoo. • Developing the environmental education of various target groups.

• Making a valuation of natural study in hobby education.

• Supporting the options for the introduction of live nature and practical natural study in the study process in educational institutions and in-service training.

• Supporting municipal and international cooperation in the field of environmental education.

• Improving the options for the acquisition of adult environmental education in non-formal education and in-service training.

• Seeing an improvement in the information that is made available to Tallinn’s population in regard to the need for the acquisition of an environmental education and actual environmental themes.

• An improvement in the availability of environmental information in Tallinn, involving various media.

• The creation of the conditions necessary for environmental action and campaigns that are conducted on a civil initiative.

• Following the principles of sustainable development and environmental protection in the activities of municipal institutions by implementing eco-support measures, such as prevention and reduction of waste generation, sorting of waste, conservation of energy, water and paper, environmental solutions for procurements, environmental movement practices and other environmental solutions. Eco-support measures are implemented with the assistance of eco-support persons. The rights, obligations and the procedure of appointing eco-support persons is established by the City Government with a regulation on eco-support activities of municipal institutions.

4.6.2. PLANNING CITY SPACE Objectives • Ensuring the planning of environmental design and spatial development, taking a balanced account of the long-term trends and needs for developing the economic, social, cultural and natural environment.

• Continuous improvement of the environment and quality of life through the planning process. The achievement of more sustainable, safe and human-centered city space, including controlling private vehicle use across the entire city.

• Developing an environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment into an efficient means of environmental management, and helping the local government authority to choose the best solutions and reach decisions.

• Achieving the title “Green Capital” by 2018.

As the largest city in Estonia, Tallinn is first and foremost a living environment for people, while the health and welfare of people is also very important alongside a well-maintained natural environment. When the natural environment is clean and well-preserved, it will also ensure a healthy city space and living environment for people. The planning process allows the development of a high-quality and sustainable city space to be influenced. Therefore, the planning of city space shall constantly become a more elaborate process, taking equal account of the natural environment alongside the artificial environment. As traffic is one of the most essential factors influencing the environmentin the city, more attention shall be paid to its regulation. In the process of planning in terms of its direction of land use, environmental conditions and environmental impact assessments have an important role. The objective of the strategic environmental assessment that is carried out during the drafting of a plan is not only to provide information for the decision-maker, but the assessment provided as a result of the process must influence the planner and decision-maker so that they are able to pay more attention to the environmental aspects and allow themselves to be guided to create an environmentally more sustainable solution.

Measures • An intensification of the high-quality and human-centered planning of city space, paying a great deal of attention to public space and environmental aspects.

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• Drafting detailed plans that comply with the core solution of a comprehensive plan. Enabling the amendment of the comprehensive plan only in exceptional cases and when the need is thoroughly justified.

• The consideration and implementation of an environmentally sustainable solution in the planning and design of development areas and buildings, including maximum levels of preservation and the renewal of greenery, the development and use of sustainable solutions for the use of energy and water, including rain water and other resources, the preservation and creation of habitats for birds and animals (including ideas such as a green roof that will provide options for binding rain water and which will also offer living and feeding places for the fauna).

• Preserving and developing a green network as an essential part of the city into an integral system of green areas and connecting green corridors. Developing light traffic roads in green corridors.

• An intensification of control over plans and the processes of environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments in the city in order to ensure that any assessment will meet its objectives to the maximum extent. In addition to the intensification of the levels of control over the procedure, further control should be exercised over the fulfilment of environmental conditions specified in the plans and assessments during the realisation of the activities (in building designs, construction activities, etc).

• Developing certain procedural rules and instructions for the procedures involved in planning and impact assessments and making sure these rules and instructions are followed.

• An intensification of cooperation with the supervisor and other authorities who participate in the process during the course of an environmental impact assessments and a strategic environmental assessment.

• An improvement in the quality of the impact assessment reports – organizers greater participation in expert activities, guiding the expert, and submitting comments and proposals during the process.

• An intensification in discussions and the involvement of interested groups and the general public at large in the processes of planning and carrying out an impact assessment.

• Directing the use of land, proceeding from the existing and planned transport system - office and residential spaces are preferably developed and directed in those areas that are located near public transport routes. As a result of less car-centered planning the concentration of city space will help to minimise the need for the use of cars. The planning and design of new roads and crossings should not promote an increase in car traffic.

• Checking urban sprawl - promoting moderate concentration and developing city space for the increase of the population within the city’s borders, whereby development may not take place on account of the natural environment. A concentration on developing high-quality city space, which also includes use through the refurbishment and rebuilding of existing buildings and direction for the development of former industrial areas and other deserted Brownfield sites. Planning will help to avoid the formation of a monofunctional and chaotic population.

• Drafting and implementing the development plan for sustainable transport and mobility. Implementing the control of car traffic, the principles of sustainable transport, and measures for mobility management in the planning of transport and road construction on the basis of the development plan.

• Directing the preference of public transport and light traffic with the solutions for land use and a parking policy, thereby promoting public transport and light traffic.

• Developing public transport and ensuring the creation of convenient conditions for promoting the use of public transport (separate bus lanes, railways, terminals, transfer options from car to public transport, conditions for combining with other types of transport, etc).

• Implementing systems for the combined use of cars and bicycles (flexible systems involving cars rental, bicycle rentals, etc).

• Promoting a sustainable means of transport basing on alternative fuels (eg. electricity or gas) and their use (involving the creation of charging options, and the construction of refuelling stations, parking places, etc).

• Preferred development for light traffic and the quality of street space. Developing an integral, rapid space for movement without interruption and with no hazards for pedestrians, cyclists and other light traffic users (light traffic roads and bicycle tracks, bicycle parks, lighting, tunnels, bridges, etc). Ensuring the smooth flow of traffic and its safety with traffic management measures (eg. calming car traffic in residential areas, lowering the speed limit in the city centre), and efficient supervision.

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• The reorganisation of traffic, in order to minimise the traffic load in the city centre - diverting traffic past the city centre to roads connecting various regions of the city and the construction of bypasses. The transformation of the heart of the city and district centres into car-free areas that are primarily intended for walking and the use of light traffic.

• Raising the levels of awareness in regard to sustainable transport and city planning and developing attitudes, including an increase of the attractiveness of the various types of sustainable transport.

• Continuing monitoring of hazardous goods transportation and hazardous enterprises in cooperation with the state to manage risks of major accident. Using planning to position hazardous enterprises in industrial areas of the city, restricting movement of hazardous goods on residential and social areas through traffic organisation and finding opportunities, in cooperation with the state, for transferring hazardous rail transport to a route arount the city.

• Preparing safety reports and contingency plans in hazardous enterprises to reduce and prevent hazards and risks of major accident, taking into account the nature and extent of the risk of major accident, and providing information to the public and institutions. Ensuring compliance of enterprises, facilities and storages; ensuring that measures and resources required for prevention of major accidents are in place to limit the consequences of accident on the territory of the enterprise and beyond.

• Ensuring the fulfilment of the environmental parameters that provide the basis for the assessment of the environmental state and developing the city, in order to win the title of “Green Capital“ - a local contribution to the prevention of global climate change, ensuring local transport and the availability of the city’s public green areas for the public, the quality of the local ambient air, noise pollution, the treatment and generation of waste, the consumption of water, waste water treatment, environmental management by the local government, and the sustainability of land use.

5. RISKS AND RISK MANAGEMENT 65

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The chapter covers potential risks that might arise during the implementation of the environmental strategy for Tallinn and which could hinder the achievement of the objectives that have been set in the document, and the options for the prevention or management of such risks.

General risks covering several themes, as well as risks that are characteristic of a specific theme, can arise during the implementation of the environmental strategy.

General risks • A worsening of Tallinn’s environment, and an inability to create a functional city life which works towards saving the environment. o Prevention: following the principles of sustainable development in the city, in order to ensure as good a quality of life as possible for residents. o The promotion of an environmentally aware way of life, the improvement of the environmental awareness of residents and a valuation of the preservation of nature.

• Low interest in environment matters and problems that occur in this field, and the continuing insufficiency of monetary resources. o In terms of prevention, environmental matters should be covered adequately and equally by economic and social issues. When making decisions, more attention should be paid to environment matters as a whole. Planning for the use of monetary resources and finding those resources in order to provide a solution for problems and the process of applying for foreign funding.

• Research and monitoring is not carried out, resulting in a lack of an overview of natural values and the state of the environment (including the city’s greenery, the aquatic environment, the radon content of the soil, etc), due to which sufficient protection of the natural environment and human health is impossible. o In order to ensure prevention, an environmental research plan for the city should be established and the need for research should be highlighted in departmental activity plans. Planning for the use of monetary resources and finding those resources for carrying out research and the process of applying for foreign funding. Entering research and monitoring results into a database and maintaining registers in order that the availability of information on the state of the environment be ensured.

• A lack of resources and a restriction on the application of those measures that are directly dependent upon it (eg. the construction and maintenance of roads). o In terms of prevention, the essential factors are the development of short-term objectives for the fulfilment of a strategic goal and planning for relevant monetary resources.

• Insufficient levels of control and pressure mechanisms for preventing illegal activities (eg. illegal waste water discharges into water bodies, allowing waste to enter into the environment, and illegal waste handling). o Prevention: an intensification of supervision levels over illegal activities, updating legislation.

• Insufficient cooperation between the departments of the city government authority and district government authorities. Activities are not coordinated, resulting in the lack of an integral view of the city.

Low levels of interest (which is also a political failing) in cooperation with neighbouring local government authorities. o Prevention: an intensification in and organisation of cooperation between departments, districts and local government authorities.

• Low levels of cooperation between the state and the city government authority in the development of a common policy and goals. o As a means of prevention, domain-based cooperation and communications between the state and the city government authority shall be increased.

• Low levels of cooperation with non-governmental organisations, universities and other research institutions. o Prevention: an intensification of the levels of cooperation with organisations and other research institutions and their involvement in the organisation of city life on various levels (in terms of research, asking for opinions, etc).

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More specific risks • A concentration of the city’s environment in terms of green areas, resulting in the degradation of the green network and the perishing of communities. Biodiversity will decrease in communities that perish. o In terms of prevention, further damage to communities and the green network and turning green areas into construction areas may not be allowed.

• Environmental and natural communities are treated mainly as recreation areas. o In terms of prevention, raising the awareness of the population and officials as well as organising the protection of valuable communities will be necessary.

• Greenery is rated as a low importance subject. Greenery has a secondary importance and is only there to fill the spaces between buildings. Green land is at a standby state until development and commissioning can take place. o In terms of prevention, the field of greenery shall be treated adequately and equally with other issues that concern the city.

• The maintenance of greenery is not considered to be important. There is an opinion that greenery needs no maintenance at all. A lack of specialists. A lack of knowledge in the correct maintenance of greenery. o Prevention: organising training, an improvement in the quality of the maintenance of greenery.

Maintenance shall be carried out according to the requirements that have been developed and by trained specialists.

• No agreements are achieved with the owners of bore well pumping stations for their removal or the renovation of any such wells where this is due. o Prevention: an increase in the levels of interest of well owners in the repair or sale of their wells (improving the efficiency of legislation, intensifying control methods, and the sale prices of wells).

• No measures are taken to reduce the pollution load that originates from the mainland. City planning and construction activities take place without the development of regional rain water solutions, resulting in the low quality of rain water and a worsening condition of the bodies that receive rain water, while regional flood risks increase. o Prevention: develop integral rain water solutions in order to minimise the pollution load and flood risk.

• A continuous increase in the number of private cars, and public transport is unable to satisfy the mobility needs of people. People are not ready to change their travel habits. o In terms of prevention it is essential to ensure a competitive (when compared to cars), rapid and convenient public transport system, a civilised street space, and an attractive light traffic system; when planning transport and roads, account shall be taken of the objectives for sustainable transport, preventing transport solutions that promote car traffic.

• Planning concentrates on ensuring high quality levels for indoor air, while less attention is paid to the quality of ambient air, treating it as a problem of the city. Opposition to new requirements and restrictions. o In terms of prevention, the awareness levels of those people in the relevant domain should be increased.

• Heating companies are not interested or motivated or are lacking resources to extend the district heating areas. People are not interested in replacing their existing heating solutions with district heating.

The construction of environmentally-friendly heating solutions is costly, and their installation in existing buildings is complicated and may require reconstruction work. The efficiency of simple systems will essentially decrease with the lowering of the temperature of ambient air. o Prevention: an increase in the need to transfer to district heating and the restriction on the development of local boiler plants. The introduction and promotion of environmentally-friendly heating solutions.

• Planning concentrates rather more on the architectural solution than on practical needs. Noise prevention measures are used only in areas which experience high levels of noise. People are fairly aware of the impact of noise on their health, but do not seem to be actively adopting measures to mitigate the problem. There is a level of unawareness when it comes to the general misconceptions that are held by the public in terms of radon and its related hazards.

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o In terms of prevention, the levels of environmental awareness amongst the public should be increased.

• There is a lack of cohesion when setting out of environmental conditions in detailed plans and construction designs, which is something that is necessary in order to in minimise hazards to human health. o In order to prevent risk, a precise radon map should be drafted, which will help in avoiding any subjective assessments.

• A decrease in income from pollution charges will induce a risk that funds will not be sufficient for the development of waste management processes. o Prevention: funding costs on account of the city’s general budgetary revenue or finding additional resources (eg. through the service charges for the organised transportation of waste).

• An interruption of the provision of a waste transport service during the validity period of agreements due to economic problems that might be suffered by the waste transporter that is servicing the area of waste transport. o Prevention: more efficient control over companies in the organisation of waste transport and the fiscal warranty of the transporter that is specified in the agreement, which is used in the compensation of costs related to ordering the transport service for and the transfer of waste to the handling site until a new partner has been found for the city.

• If only one or two transport companies working in the waste transport market remain, service charges will increase rapidly. o Prevention: within the framework of organised waste transport, waste handling procurements shall be separated from waste transport procurements, allowing new companies to enter the market.

• Delays in the implementation of the development plan for environmental education and the failure to create a network of environmental education centres. o In terms of prevention, options should be found to secure full financing for the development plan for Tallinn’s environmental education for 2008-¬2014 and the development and construction of the network for environmental education.

• Plans facilitate the formation of a car-centered city space which undervalues the natural environment, a decrease in public space, and leaving seaside areas out of public use. o In terms of prevention, the planning of city space should be elaborate and should concentrate on the people, the natural environment and on public space. o The modernisation and integration of the city’s transport infrastructure, promoting the use of public transport, and completing the network of light traffic roads that connect various parts of the city. o Preventing the spread of car addiction through the direction of a parking and land policy and increasing the efficiency of public transport.

• Risks associated with hazardous enterprises and enterprises liable to be affected by major accident, which could cause emergency situations in the city. o Prevention: implement risk reduction measures, incl. control of activities of hazardous enterprises, considering the existence of hazardous enterprises in planning, traffic restrictions on transportation of hazardous goods, preparation of safety reports and contingency plans in enterprises.

6. MONITORING 69

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The monitoring, amendment and improvement of the Environmental Strategy for Tallinn to 2030 will take place as necessary, but it should take place at least once every five years and it’s organized by Tallinn Enviroment Department.

The Tallinn environmental strategy includes those objectives that have been recommended for completion in the city. During monitoring, the achievement of objectives is assessed with suitable indicators. Another monitoring option is monitoring the fulfilment of the environmental strategy - producing an analysis of tasks both complete incomplete.

Short-term objectives and activities in the environmental policy paper are specified on the basis of the Tallinn environmental strategy. Monitoring the environmental strategy takes place regularly through the environmental policy paper, including an assessment of the efficiency of activities, the reaching of objectives and changing the situation, and amending the objectives and activities as necessary.

This Environmental Strategy for Tallinn is the basis when it comes to drafting various development and activity plans in the field of the environment as well as in other domains that organise the life of the city. The principles of environmental strategy should also be followed during the drafting of plans.

Other options for monitoring the realisation of the environmental strategy are the supervision of the fulfilment of various development and activity plans and conducting environmental monitoring on specific themes that are covered in the environmental strategy for the assessment of the state of the environment.

The supervision of costs related to environmental protection and their role is also a part of the monitoring process.

Environmental monitoring is a part of the environmental control and supervision process, and the objective of this is to collect base data for the assessment of the state of the environment, environmental forecasts and the application of measures. The objective of environmental monitoring is to provide objective information on the state of the environment and to ensure a long-term, high-quality data flow, thanks to which, monitoring should be a long-term activity.

To assess the state of the environment, constant environmental monitoring is conducted in Tallinn so that a determination of the quality of ambient air can be made within the framework of the national air monitoring programme, while national monitoring of the ecological condition of water bodies and coastal waters also takes place. In order to discover the impact of rain water outlets on water bodies, the Environment Department of Tallinn has carried out monitoring throughout the years on rain water outlets and the recipient bodies (coastal waters and Lake Harku). Also, companies are obliged to conduct environmental monitoring in Tallinn pursuant to the environmental permits.

For the organisation of environmental monitoring in local government authorities, it is practical to draft a relevant environmental monitoring programme.

The activities needed for monitoring the realisation of the environmental strategy in Tallinn are listed below, together with the relevant indicators. The indicators enable an assessment to be made of whether the provisions of the document are being fulfilled and whether movement is successfully being made towards the achievement of the document’s target, ie. the indicators show that changes are heading in the required direction. If possible, and if data are available, indicators should include reference levels for monitoring improvements. Indicators without data require further elaboration; detailed information can be found in the results of monitoring or updated information is unavailable.

NATURAL DIVERSITY • To monitor the establishment and realisation of the environmental research plan, the policy paper for biodiversity, and the maintenance plan for the city’s green areas.

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Indicators: • percentage of green areas 18 • the area of protected zones (baseline 17,4 m2; 10,9% of Tallinn’s surface area) • the number of habitat types • the area of various habitat types • diversity of species • the condition and area of natural and environmental communities

GREENERY • Monitoring the planning of vegetation, green areas and green corridors (and the integrity of the green network) in plans • Mapping out the green network, reviewing green areas and replacement planting • Registering the city’s trees in parks, greenery zones and streets • Drafting passports for green areas, parks and greenery zones • Monitoring the maintenance of green areas in the city Indicators: • The availability of green areas in a district or region • The percentage of green areas • Forests that have entered into municipal ownership • The number of green areas, parks and greenery zones that are equipped with a passport and which have been entered onto the greenery information system • The number of trees in the city that have been registered and have been entered onto the greenery information system • The number of trees that have been planted, replaced or spruced up • The total area of duly maintained green areas in the city

SURFACE WATER • National hydro-biological and hydro-chemical monitoring of watercourses (River Pirita, River Pääsküla, and Tiskre Stream) • Monitoring by the local municipality (for Lake Harku and the River Mustjõgi) • Company monitoring (Lake Ülemiste as the surface water intake for Tallinn) • Monitoring the water in bathing areas Indicators: • The ecological and physical-chemical condition of surface water bodies (baseline: River Pirita on its lower course - poor; Kurna stream - poor; River Pääsküla - bad; Harku stream - poor; Tiskre stream – poor; Mustjõgi – bad; Lake Harku – bad, Lake Ülemiste – poor) • The quality of raw water in the surface water intake of Tallinn • The quality of bathing water

GROUNDWATER • National monitoring programme • The programme specified in permits for the special use of water by companies • Bore well accounting

Key for symbols showing the indicator direction: - volume, role, or level has increased in comparison to present levels; - volume, role, or level has decreased in comparison to present levels; - the level has been preserved to start with, while the amount, role, or level has increased in comparison to present levels; the current levels have been preserved.

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Indicators: • Groundwater layers and quality (baseline: The Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater (O-C) belongs to the drinking water quality Class I, The Cambrian-Vendi groundwater (C-V) belongs to the drinking water quality Class II-III • Using groundwater (baseline: 10,500 m3/d, including 1,800m3 per day is used from the O-C groundwater supplies and 8,700m3 from the C-V groundwater supplies) • The number of bore wells that have been constructed or those that have been removed from use or renovated (baseline: 2010 constructed 0, removed from use 1, renovated 1) • Indicators on the construction and condition of bore wells (baseline: 80 bore wells plugged in the city network – 2 Quaternar bore wells (including 1 in reserve), 13 O-C bore wells (4) and 65 C-V bore wells (27)

COASTAL WATERS • National monitoring programme • Monitoring programme for local government authorities for the assessment of the condition of coastal waters • Self-monitoring by companies • Monitoring outlets that are specified in permits for the special use of water • Monitoring the water in bathing areas Indicators: • Indicators of the level of eutrophication in coastal waters (baseline: poor – bad) • The quality of bathing water (baseline: very good – poor (because of algal bloom))

RAIN WATER • Monitoring programme for local government authorities - monitoring rain water outlets • Monitoring outlets that are specified in permits for the special use of water • Self-monitoring by companies Indicators: • Concentration of contaminants and biogenic elements in rain water (base level: average pollution loads of rain water discharged into the Bay of Tallinn in 2004-2009 – suspended solids 467 t/y, BOD7 102 t/y, Ntot 113 tN/y, Ptot 4.03 tP/y, oil products 0.83 t/y) • Status of rain water recipients (base level: 2010 coastal waters – poor; Lake Harku – poor; lower course of River Pirita – poor; River Pääsküla – bad; River Mustjõgi – bad; Harku stream – poor; Tiskre stream – poor) • The number of rain water treatment plants that have been constructed (biofilters, biomarshes and ponds) (baseline: 0) • Construction and refurbishment volumes of rain water systems and sewerage systems (baseline: 20,976m in 2010) • Peak flow rates of rain water and the extent of flooding • The percentage of rain water in the total volume of water directed to the Paljassaare wastewater treatment plant

AMBIENT AIR • A national air monitoring programme • Self-monitoring by industrial companies • Modelling the pollution level of ambient air that is required by ambient air pollution permits and monitoring the quality of ambient air • Modelling the pollution level of ambient air as it is carried out within the framework of plans, environmental impact assessments, and strategic environmental assessments 72

• Random measurement of contaminants that are subject to monitoring within the framework of the national monitoring plan in various regions of Tallinn • Traffic surveys and an annual vehicle count Indicators: • Concentrations of pollution levels in ambient air (baseline: see information from air monitoring in 2009 chapter 2.4.1 Table 1) • The number of ambient air pollution permits • The number of users of public transport and alternative means of transport • The number of cars in the city and on roads entering the city (baseline: Number of private cars as of 1 January 2011 was 322 cars per 1,000 inhabitants; the percentage of private cars in the traffic flow on the circle surrounding the city centre in 2010 was 78.8-88.7% during the morning peak period and 83.0-90.3% during the evening peak period; the percentage of private cars at counting points on city borders was 77.7-94.8% during the morning peak period and 71.5-94.8% during the evening peak period) • Connections to the district heating network • The use of environmentally-friendly heating solutions • The number of local boiler plants (baseline 275) • The use of studded tyres

NOISE • A review and updating of the strategic noise map for Tallinn and the policy paper for minimising environmental noise in the city’s ambient air • Control measurements for the health department • Random measurements in various noisy regions of Tallinn • The modelling and assessment of noise levels carried out within the framework of plans, environmental impact assessments, and strategic environmental assessments • Traffic surveys and an annual vehicle count Indicators: • Noise levels in various regions of Tallinn (baseline: see data of the strategic noise map for the ambient air chapter 2.4.2) • The quality of life of people living in noisy areas (base level: as of 2009: 109 noise-sensitive objects in the area affected by noise from road traffic, 14 by noise from rail traffic and 5 by noise from tram traffic) • The number of people suffering from noise problems (base level: as of 2009: 4,200 people disturbed by industrial noise, 21,900 people during daytime and 17,400 during the night by railway noise, 75,146 people during daytime and 36,200 people during the night by road traffic, and 1,400 people by air traffic) • The number of users of public transport and alternative means of transport • The number and percentage of cars in the city and on the roads to the city (base level: number of private cars as of 1 January 2011 was 322 cars per 1,000 inhabitants; base level: the percentage of private cars in the traffic flow on the circle surrounding Central Tallinn in 2010 was 78.8-88.7% during the morning peak period and 83.0-90.3% during the evening peak period; the percentage of private cars at counting points on city borders was 77.7-94.8% during the morning peak period and 71.594.8% during the evening peak period) • The percentage of heavy vehicles in the city (base level: the percentage of trucks in traffic during the morning and evening peak periods in 2010 – 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively, on the boundary of Central Tallinn; 3.7% and 3.5% on the city boundary) • The number of noise barriers and walls that have been built • Number of complaints in regard to noise (base level: a total of 76 complaints, including 66 justified complaints, in 2010 in the counties of Harju, Järva and Rapla (Northern service area) • Implementing noise mitigation measures

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RADON

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• Drafting the map showing radon contents in Tallinn’s soil • Conducting radon surveys during the drafting of environmental impact assessments, strategic environmental assessments, detailed plans, and construction designs • Conducting radon surveys on indoor air, including in new buildings before a permit for use is issued Indicators: • Taking account of the radon hazard • The number of radon surveys on the soil and indoor air that have been conducted • The implementation of radon prevention measures • A choice of options in radon prevention measures

WASTE • Monitoring Tallinn’s waste management plan - analysing the fulfilment of objectives that have been set out in the previous waste management plan • Monitoring waste recovery Indicators: • The percentage of waste that is sent for recovery • Packaging waste collected from households (base level: 15,775 tonnes in 2009) • The percentage of biodegradable waste in the amount of waste disposed of in landfill sites (base level: 35.7 per cent by mass – the percentage of biodegradable waste in mixed municipal waste from the households in Tallinn) • The volumes of mixed municipal waste disposed of in landfill sites (base level: 112,300 tonnesin 2009, 276 kg/inhabitant per year)

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION • Conducting environmental education research with an interval of five years, which is targeted at children, young people and adults and which provides the basis for the assessment of the level of environmental awareness in the population and the setting out of new objectives.

Indicators: • The number of established and well-functioning centres (baseline:6) • The number of training sessions and campaigns and the participation of various target and interested groups • Number of study aids and publications • Number of curriculum support programmes in environmental education (base level: 50)

CITY SPACE • Constant review of the realisation of plans • Conducting environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments • Traffic surveys and counts Indicators: • The percentage of detailed plans that amend the comprehensive plan • The percentage of approved impact assessments (baseline: 82%) • The level of motorisation (base level: number of private cars as of 1 January 2011 was 322 cars per 1,000 inhabitants) • The distribution of travel between modes of transport (cars ; walking, light traffic ; public transport ; base level: traffic composition in 2010 during the evening peak period – private cars 89.3% and buses 2.1% on the boundary of Central Tallinn; private cars 87.5% and buses 0.9% on the city boundary) 74

• Commuting (car-centered ; public transport ) • The availability of light traffic roads (baseline: 192,094m) • Changes in planning documents with regard to green areas and the area of water-impermeable hard surfaces and buildings (roofs) • Percentage of areas open to the sea in planning documents

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CONCLUSION The Tallinn Environmental Strategy is a conceptual source document for long-term planning of the future of the city environment, establishing future plans for sustainable development of the city, priority strategic objectives and important policies to ensure an acceptable living environment for people and the resources required for the development of the city without causing significant harm to the natural environment and preserving natural diversity.

The main objective in developing the Tallinn Environmental Strategy is to achieve a good condition of the natural and living environments in the city, and to ensure sustainable use of natural resources by establishing long-term development directions. The Environmental Strategy should facilitate reduction of negative environmental impacts, improvement of environmental conditions and raising general environmental awareness. As the environmental status has a significant impact on health and well-being of people, a good environmental status would also ensure a healthy living environment for the inhabitants. The Environmental Strategy provides for a future plan, objectives and measures of sustainable development by individual subject areas, including natural diversity, landscaping, air quality, water supplies, waste management and environmental management, incl. environmental education.

The Tallinn Environmental Strategy should serve as a guideline in planning and implementing environmental and other types of municipal activities. On the one hand, the Environmental Strategy provides the city itself, i.e., the City Government, with the principles and tasks of environmental action in managing the life in the city. On the other hand, it gives guidance to entrepreneurs, city residents, government agencies, neighbouring local governments, organisations and others who could influence the city environment of Tallinn.

Tallinn has the following primary strategic environmental objectives, for which the Tallinn Environmental Strategy envisages respective measures (policies): • • • • • • • •

preservation of natural diversity and increase in biodiversity; development of integral and optimal green areas; organising the protection of the aquatic environment and improving its condition; improving the quality of ambient air; minimising the production of waste and ensuring environmentally safe handling of waste; improving environmental awareness; ensuring a sustainable city space and a healthy living environment; achieving the title of Green Capital by 2018.

The Environmental Strategy envisages an inventory of biota and preparation of a report on the existing status of biodiversity as the measures for preservation of natural diversity and increase in biodiversity.

Due to a lack of studies, there are several gaps in the current knowledge of natural resources, especially biodiversity, in Tallinn. After the report is prepared, an action plan for (increasing) biodiversity has to be prepared. It is important to consider the principles of biota protection in planning and design activities.

One of the principles of the Environmental Strategy is an emphasis on the importance of parks, forests, green patches and other man-made or natural green areas (incl. valuable grasslands, bogs, reed-beds, etc.) in the city as guarantors of natural diversity and ecological balance, irrespective of the form of ownership, restricting expansion of building activities to these areas. Development of optimal and integral green areas requires landscaping studies to map the situation in all city districts, including the needs and justifications, taking into account any relevant ecological, aesthetic, economic and other parameters. An action plan for green area development will be prepared to organise landscaping activities in the city. Conservation of landscapes and green areas requires that landscaping considerations become a part of general development documents of the city (comprehensive plans, partial comprehensive plans, thematic plans, development plans), and the needs of the existing green network and new green areas have to be taken into account from the very first stages of the planning of land use. A forest management plan has to be prepared to 76

ensure preservation of the ecological value of the forests, and the forest areas on the city territory should be transferred to municipal ownership.

Improvement and protection of the ecological and physical/chemical status of the larger water bodies in Tallinn requires preparation of various action plans (the Tallinn surface water intake catchment area water protection and usage plan, a comprehensive water protection plan for Lake Ăœlemiste and surface water bodies in Raku-Männiku area as well as the associated Quaternary groundwater aquifer, an action plan for improving the status of Lake Harku). In addition, measures are required to reduce the result of contamination and flooding of water bodies.

One of the measures, envisaged in the Environmental Strategy for ensuring preservation, protection and quality of groundwater reserves, is resolving the ownership issues of bore wells and elimination or renovation of bore wells that cause environmental risks. Use of groundwater should be preferred in areas where water supply has been based on groundwater resources in order to prevent reduction of groundwater use due to increasing consumption of surface water. The role of the Ordovician-Cambrian aquifer in supplying drinking water should be increased by creating new bore wells to extract water from the Ordovician-Cambrian aquifer. A contingency action plan is required for using groundwater resources for the entire Tallinn in an emergency situation.

Achieving a good and natural status and minimising eutrophication in the coastal waters of Tallinn requires reduction of pollution load from discharged water, especially from rain water. Continuing and increasing international cooperation, also at the local level, with all Baltic Sea countries is required to achieve a good status of the Baltic Sea. In addition to coastal waters, rain water is also received by the water bodies in the city and the Environmental Strategy envisages preparation of a rain water strategy, as one of the measures for improving the quality of rain water, to plan actions for city development with consideration of all aspects of rain and surface water (prevention and elimination of floods, preserving groundwater levels, ensuring drainage where necessary and preventing it in wet areas, minimising the content of pollutants and biogenic elements in rain water, utilisation of rain water as a resource). Rain water drainage is linked to many different fields, from urban planning and environmental protection to construction, maintenance and operation of rain water systems.

In order to reduce the load on rain water drainage systems and the risk of flooding, it is important to develop accrual-based solutions for rain water and to preserve the current percentage of impregnation areas to facilitate immediate drainage of rain water into soil. The measures for improving the quality of rain water include construction and maintenance of rain water treatment systems and natural structures, which can act as treatment systems.

Continuous improvement of ambient air quality in Tallinn and ensuring compliance with limits and targets of air pollution requires continuous monitoring of pollutants and various studies. As the quality of city air is mainly affected by vehicles and increasing traffic intensity, the Environmental Strategy envisages development and utilisation of public transport, giving preference to environmental heating solutions, as well as traffic control and efficient road maintenance as measures for improving the quality of air.

Ambient noise is caused by high traffic intensity on large streets and people are primarily affected by noise from car traffic. A strategic ambient noise map and an action plan for ambient noise reduction should be prepared as measures for controlling ambient noise levels. Alleviating measures should be implemented in areas with heavy noise, in addition to developing public transportation and planning and building light traffic roads between different districts of Tallinn. The condition of ambient air (both the level of air pollution and noise) can be improved by restricting the movement of private cars in the city centre, as well as by controlling and reducing the use of private cars in the city as a whole.

Radon studies should be used to identify areas with radon hazard and a soil radon content map should be prepared for entire Tallinn to ensure a radon-safe living environment for the inhabitants. The radon hazard has to be considered when establishing environmental conditions for detailed plans and building 77

designs, with specific radon control measures used in areas with high radon content. General awareness of radon hazard and opportunities to reduce it has to be improved, guiding people to make informed correct choices.

The Environmental Strategy envisages continuation of waste management information activities as measures for improving environmental awareness of residents, incl. to prevent waste production, reduce waste volumes and hazard levels associated with waste. The percentage of mixed municipal waste disposed of in landfill sites has to be reduced by increased sorting and recovery of waste, and diversification of final handling methods. The Environmental Strategy provides measures for expanding the options of waste management. The Environmental Strategy has established a target of increasing the percentage of recycled waste – 90% of waste should be recycled by the year 2030. Efficient functioning of organised waste transportation requires resolution of the current problems associated with organised waste transportation.

Increasing environmental awareness requires promotion of environmental education in Tallinn and development of an efficient network of environmental education centres. This requires implementation of the “Tallinn Development Plan for Environmental Education 2008-2014� and preparation and implementation of a development plan for environmental education for the years 2015-2030. The measures specified in the Environmental Strategy include development of environmental education courses for different target groups, promoting nature education in hobby education groups, obtaining experiences of living nature during the learning process and support for practical opportunities for nature education in educational institutions and in-service training.

Planning can play a very large role in improving the quality and sustainability of city space. Therefore, planning of city space requires increasingly systematic thought processes, paying equal attention to artificial and natural environments. As traffic is one of the main impact factors in urban environment, more attention should be paid to regulating the traffic. Environmental conditions and environmental impact assessments are also important for planning as a process for managing land use. It is important to consider and implement environmental solutions when planning and designing development and building areas. This includes preservation of existing and creation of new green areas, development and implementation of sustainable solutions for the use of energy, water, incl. rain water, and other resources, preservation and creation of habitats for birds and animals.

One of the targets of the Environmental Strategy is also achieving the title of Green Capital by 2018, which requires compliance with various environmental criteria (incl. accessibility of green areas, ambient air quality and noise pollution, waste management, water use, wastewater treatment, etc.). The measures of the Environmental Strategy will contribute significantly to achieving the Green Capital title.

The Tallinn Environmental Strategy will be implemented through the Tallinn Environmental Action Plan 2018, establishing concrete measures, executors and funding sources for achievement of strategic objectives.

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REFERENCES Tallinn Development Plan 2009-2027 Strategy “Tallinn 2030” Comprehensive plan of Tallinn Tallinn Environmental Strategy 2010 Tallinn Landscape Development Plan Tallinn Waste Management Plan 2006-2011 Tallinn Waste Management Rules Development Plan for the Tallinn Public Water Supply and Sewerage Network 2010-2021 Policy Paper for Sustainable Energy Management for Tallinn, 2011-2021 Tallinn Environmental Education Development Plan 2008-2014 Action Plan for Reducing Ambient Noise in the City of Tallinn Estonian National Environmental Strategy 2030 National strategy for sustainable development “Sustainable Estonia 21” Evaluation of the status of coastal waters of Tallinn based on biological indicators according to the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (2009). 2009. Estonian Marine Institute of the University of Tartu.

Western Estonian river basin management plan. 2010. Ministry of the Environment.

Monitoring of rain water discharge in Tallinn. 2009. OÜ Eesti Keskkonnauuringute Keskus.

T. Metsvahi. 2011. Changes in traffic flows on the boundaries of the city of Tallinn and Central Tallinn in 2010. Tallinn University of Technology.

Initial assessment of risks associated with flooding. 2010. AS Maves.

Sub-program of the National Environment Monitoring Program. Ambient air monitoring in cities 2010.

2011. OÜ Eesti Keskkonnauuringute Keskus.

Participation of the youth of Tallinn in youth work. Opinions of school students and parents. 2010.

Tallinn University.

THORA 2010 risk analysis of emergency situations in Tallinn. Woking group of the Tallinn crisis committee for preparation and review of documents on crisis management.

Tallinn City Government Regulation no. 125 on “Traffic Restrictions in the City of Tallinn for Vehicles Carrying Hazardous Cargo” of 21 December 2005 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions concerning the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Brussels, COM(2009) 248/3

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