Proclamation of the cities and their own actions

With this undertaking and the associated challenge, the cities of Helsinki and Turku are demonstrating their concern about the state of the Baltic Sea and of its future. Through this commitment the cities resolve to put into practice such measures that will enable the cities of Helsinki and Turku to have an influence on the state of local waters as well as the entire Baltic Sea.

The measures of the two cities concern point source loading, improving the cities’ sewage networks, loading from scattered settlement areas, agriculture in the two cities, the handling of wastewater from shipping and boating, and dredging carried out by the harbours.

In addition to the concrete measures for water protection, the cities are also committed to investing in international environmental collaboration, research into water protection, and providing general information.

Through this challenge campaign the two cities would also like to get other actors involved in the work for improving the state of the Baltic Sea. As far as the cities’ actions are concerned, Helsinki and Turku are proposing targeted challenges for different actors. In particular, the cities are challenging other cities on the Baltic Sea, and propose that the cooperation networks of the Baltic cities, Baltic Metropolises and Union of the Baltic Cities, would together take the challenge campaign forward.

Furthermore, with this declaration the parties involved also want to get other actors in the Baltic Sea Region – for example municipalities, business- es, universities and ministries – to increase their efforts for improving the state of the Baltic Sea. Helsinki and Turku will report on the progress of the campaign and monitor the participation of the parties that have been challenged.

In their declaration, the cities of Turku and Helsinki are also taking into account the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, the Helsinki Commission’s targets and programmes for furthering the protection of the Baltic Sea, regional environmental strategies and programmes both in the Uusimaa and Southwest Finland areas, and Helsinki and Turku will strive to achieve the targets set forth in these.

PDF: Actions by the cities of Helsinki and Turku

Actions of the Cities of Helsinki and Turku, situation in summer 2008

1. Reducing the amount of point loading: Improving the cities’ sewage networks, minimizing wastewater overflow and promoting separate storm water and sewer networks
Helsinki	Turku
Helsinki Water’s modernisation investments in 2008 c. 12 million euros, of which sewage c. 70 %. In 2007 flood hatches were built to c. 30 overflow wells to prevent sea water from entering the sewerage system and Viikinmäki waste water treatment plant (wwtp). In December 2007 the storm water handling plan was completed. It was prepared in co-operation between several city departments. The Helsinki water supply and sewerage development plan is implemented: e.g. the widening of the area of operation to city plan areas.	Turku Waterworks’ modernisation investments in 2007 were c. 3,5 million euros In 2007 c. 7 km of new sewer was built and c. 2,3 km of combined sewerage of waste and rain water were removed. The regional waste water treatrment plant (wwtp) of Kakola is to be completed in the end of 2008. The city approved an agreement, with which the waste waters of the western communities of Turku (Raisio, Naantali, Masku, Nousiainen and Mynämäki) are going to be lead to Kakola wwtp in 2009. The charge for combined sewerage in 2008 guides real estates to reduce the load of storm waters to the wwtp. In autumn 2008 formulating of a storm water handling plan starts.
2. Reducing diffuse loading: agriculture and scattered settlements
Helsinki	Turku
Agricultural and water protection actions in Haltiala and Tuomarinkylä fields: environmental engineering experiments in 2007 (direct sowing, nutrient level calculations) and organic production of 20 hectares, co-operation with Helsinki University’s Viikki research farm (the proposal of the co-operation working group 9.5.2008). Scattered loading from real estates in the archipelago: the review by the Real Estate Department of the waste water treatment facilities of the city-owned real estates that are not connected to the city sewerage – including plans and costs to enhance them, and the assessment and evaluation of urgency by the City Environment Centre. The Helsinki water supply and sewerage development plan is implemented: e.g. widening of sewerage system to the scattered settlement areas that are important concerning water protection, supporting of waste water consortiums in the scattered settlement areas. The capital region’s waterworks development strategy by the end of October 2008.	The city owned fields of Ruissalo to organic production during the year 2008. Planning and building of wetlands and sedimentation basins to the main ditches of Ruissalo fields. Implementation of Turku sewerage and water supply development plan: e.g. in 2007 widening the area of operation of sewerage to city plan areas and to areas important concerning water protection, like Rasintie area along Aurajoki River. Vanhalinna-säätiö Foundation establishes buffer zones along Aurajoki River to over 4 km length accordingly with the terms of the property sale.
3. Dredging of contaminated sediments
Helsinki	Turku
Port of Helsinki participates in a working group established by the initiative of the Finnish Port Association to establish common disposal areas for the contaminated sediments. Management and disposal of contaminated sediments are being considered already in the planning phase in Port of Helsinki works (building of Port of Vuosaari, extension of West Harbour etc.): stabilization in barges or mass stabilization in management area and use in later construction works in ports.	Port of Turku participates in a working group established by the initiative of the Finnish Port Association to establish common disposal areas for the contaminated sediments. Port of Turku has an environmental permit for remediation dredging in Aurajoki River estuary starting in autumn 2008, removing the sediments contaminated by shipbuilding industry, and disposal of them to separate disposal areas. The planning and permit process for a new disposal area of contaminated sediments has started. Port of Turku starts to apply more environment friendly dredging equipment in remediation dredgings in 2008. In port of Pansio a new process stabilization method has been tested for the disposal of contaminated sediments, and this will be used in the future disposal of contaminated sediments.
4. Reducing the wastewater discharges from shipping and boating
Helsinki	Turku
Port of Helsinki and Helsinki Water have an agreement, that from the beginning of May 2008 the international cruise ships can discharge their waste water in harbours without a separate charge for waste water. Also the international cruising companies have received a challenge letter from the city of Helsinki urging them to discharge their waste waters into the city sewer system. Using land electricity in regular ship and ferry traffic: in the South Harbour land electricity with 400 V voltage is available for small vessels e.g. in Olympia Terminal, Makasiini Terminal and Kanava Terminal. New septic tanks are installed in visitor’s marinas and boat berths in spring 2008 with sports department’s basic funding in Lähteelä recreational area in Kirkkonummi and Kaunissaari in Sipoo; with separate funding additional five emptying facilities to Pajalahti, Ehrenströmintie, Tervasaarenkannas (south), Sarvasto and Pihlajasaari. New boater’s guide was published with the city of Espoo, where the septic tanks are indicated on the map.	In the port the no-separate-fee system is used: the ferries in domestic traffic pay for the waste water regardless of whether they use the waste water receiving facilities or not. The waste water receiving facilities for the Tallink-Silja traffic in the port has been renewed. New septic tank has been installed to the city-owned recreational island Pähkinäinen for boating waste waters. EU project proposals to reduce port and ship traffic environmental effects, and for creating recommendations to enhance environment friendly energy and traffic solutions have been prepared.
5. International co-operation
Helsinki and Turku
The Baltic Sea Challenge has been introduced in the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) General Conference in autumn 2007, in Baltic Metropoles Network’s (BaltMet) meeting in spring 2008 and in UBC commission on environment meeting 7-8 February 2008 in Tampere. The Mayors of Turku and Helsinki have introduced the Baltic Sea Challenge in several international Mayors’ meetings. International Challenge letters have been sent: In April 2008 to Mayors of Stockholm, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius In May 2008 to Mayors of BaltMet cities Copenhagen, Malmö, Oslo, St. Petersburg, Berlin and Warsaw In May 2008 to Mayors of UBC members Pärnu, Klaipeda, Liepaja, Gdansk, Kaliningrad, Lübeck, Århus and Umeå also a general letter was sent to other UBC member cities 13.6.2008 the first international Steering Group meeting was organised in Helsinki. Turku continues its environmental co-operation with St. Petersburg and participates to UBC’s international environmental and sustainable development projects.
6. Research projects and establishment of a professorship: Helsinki	7. Establishing the Protection Fund for the Archipelago Sea: Turku
The proposal of the co-operation working group for establishing two professorships and a common Baltic Sea programme was left to the rector of the University of Helsinki in 9 May 2008 and was approved in the city’s and university’s common advisory board meeting in 19 May 2008. The working group proposes further that the University of Helsinki prepares an environmental research strategy and programme concerning the Baltic Sea as an ecological entity and that the city and the university develop their co-operation in the field of research equipment and instruments.	The Protection Fund was founded in November 2007 by Turku University of Applied Sciences, Southwest Finland Regional Environment Centre, The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, City of Turku, Southwest Finland environmental protection district and Centrum Balticum Foundation. Administration group and representative are nominated. The first target is to raise one million euros to concrete water protection projects and research. Themes to be financed are reducing agricultural loading and point-source loading, reducing wastewater discharges from boating, increasing awareness in environment and protection issues and research. The first projects funded by the Fund are already started.
8. Increasing awareness about the state of the Baltic Sea
Helsinki and Turku
Turku and Helsinki arranged 7 February 2008 a national Baltic Sea Challenge seminar in Tampere Turku arranged 15. – 16.5.2008 the Baltic Sea Forum in co-operation with Centrum Balticum Foundation The Port of Helsinki arranged the European Maritime Day on 20 May 2008 where the Baltic Sea Challenge was introduced, and urged international cruise shipping companies during the cruising season 2008 to protect the Baltic Sea and to discharge their waste waters in harbours without a separate charge for waste water. Port of Turku arranges to its customers and interest groups an environment and safety seminar in October 2008. The Baltic Sea Challenge has been introduced in many events. The cities have been in touch with the actors that have accepted the challenge and they have also been informed regularly of news concerning the Challenge and Baltic Sea issues in general. Press conferences have been arranged concerning the Baltic Sea Challenge.