Environmental surgical strike to benefit Baltic Sea

Clean Sea project raises funds for chemical removal of phosphorous at Russian sewage treatment plant

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By Arja Kivipelto
     
      When she turned 50, Anna Kotsalo-Mustonen decided to take action on behalf of the Baltic Sea. She felt that blue-green algae had ruined July for her too many times. What is worst, people were resigning themselves to the idea that they simply cannot swim in the middle of the summer.
      For one autumn, Kotsalo-Mustonen, a doctor of economic science, looked for something sufficiently worthy for her to donate her time to.
     Then she read about the Clean Sea project, and immediately signed up as a volunteer. Now she is raising money to start chemical phosphorous removal at three large sewage treatment plants in St. Petersburg.
     
Once the technology is fully operational, in 2008, it will remove 27 percent of the phosphorous flowing into the Gulf of Finland, which algae can feed on. The amount of toxic blue-green algae that blooms in the summer is expected to decline significantly already in a couple of years, according to models drawn up by experts.
     Eutrophication is the worst problem facing the Baltic Sea. It is caused by the fact that too much phosphorous and nitrogen flows into the basin, which causes algae to multiply quickly. Some of the mass of algae sinks to the bottom, and when it decays, it consumes oxygen from its surroundings.
     Phosphorous is released into the water from the oxygen-depleted sea bottom. These kinds of areas maintaining an internal load already exist in tens of thousands of square kilometres, especially in deep areas near the island of Gotland. An alarming number have also been found in the Gulf of Finland in this decade.
     It is wisest to fight the problem where the impact is greatest, says environmental scientist Marjukka Porvari of the John Nurminen Foundation. She enthusiastically shows a graph which indicates the cost of measures to protect the Gulf of Finland. "Much can be achieved in Russia with little money."
     
However, many of us are reluctant to give financial support to our big neighbour. The most frequent question posed to those running the Clean Sea project is, why Finns should pay to clean the Russians' mess.
     "Russia does not have the know-how needed for phosphorous removal. Without outside help, the method would not be taken into use for a very long time, and the ecological state of the Baltic Sea would deteriorate more."
     "In Finland the aim is to collect EUR 2.1 million, which is half of what is needed to acquire the technology and start operations. Vodokanal, the water utility in St. Petersburg, will pay the rest, as well as the EUR 2.5 million in annual running costs", Porvari explains, and goes on to correct a common misconception.
     "The southwest sewage treatment plant of St. Petersburg was not financed by Finnish taxpayers' money. It was mainly paid for with international loans."
      Finland provided ten million euros for the EUR 197 million project by delivering Finnish technology to the building site.
     
Nearly all treatment plants on the shore of the Baltic Sea have chemical phosphorous removal - except for Russia and Poland. No wonder St. Petersburg accounts for 40 percent of the phosphorous load in the Gulf of Finland - and the impact of the emissions extends all the way to the archipelago area.
     "In Russia, the focus has been on biological treatment. In addition, resources have concentrated on guaranteeing clean drinking water for the people, and to keep dangerous bacteria away from the beaches", Porvari says. In the first discussions, the Russians asked if blue-green algae was deadly.
     
The project has reached the phase at which permits need to be applied for from any number of different places.
     In addition to an environmental impact assessment, phosphorous removal requires the agreement of offices responsible for architecture, geotechnics, and fishing, among others.
     There is no doubt that chemical phosphorous removal is safe for the environment. In a method used for more than 20 years, iron sulphate is added to waste water, which ties down phosphorous as it sinks to the bottom. The sludge is then collected and incinerated.
      The technology will be installed at St. Petersburg's largest water treatment facility - the Central Plant. According to the plans, phosphorous removal will be operational in three institutions in the summer of 2008.
     "We have EUR 1.2 million now", says Kotsalo-Mustonen. So far she has asked for donations mainly from companies, and in May the campaign will target the public at large.
     
The father of the Clean Sea project is Juha Nurminen, chairman of the board of the John Nurminen Foundation. The foundation, which strives to preserve the culture of seafaring, has set up a separate fund for the project.
     Juha Nurminen and the other members of the board have solicited support from people that they know. At his summer cottage Nurminen reportedly keeps his neighbour on his guard by simply approaching the property line. "Is he coming to beg again?"
     "From our point of view, individual people are the best participants, because they do not expect any favours in return, like many companies do", Kotsalo-Mustonen observes.
     However, one benefactor said that he does not consider the contribution to be charity, but rather an investment.
     Even small contributions help, Kotsalo-Mustonen insists. "We have calculated that a person who donates just one euro permanently prevents the emergence of 26 kilos of blue-green algae each year."
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 28.3.2006

More on this subject:
 BACKGROUND: Decreasing emissions can improve state Baltic Sea

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Removal of phosphorous from St Petersburg waste water to begin next year (11.10.2005)
  Halonen and Putin discuss environment in St Petersburg (23.9.2005)
  Bottom of Gulf of Finland remains in poor condition (22.8.2005)
  Heavy summer blue-green algae growth expected in Gulf of Finland (6.5.2005)

ARJA KIVIPELTO / Helsingin Sanomat
arja.kivipelto@hs.fi