The Environment and Green issues in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Mercia- UDI 1995)

National Parks


The local beauty spot and national park is situated in the sub-urban Wyre Forest. The Lickey Hills Country Park, The Clent Hills and Lower Bittell Reservoir are also protected areas. The River Wye at and around Hey on Wye was also decreed to be a national park and local beauty spot in 2002.The Afon Lwyd River, the River Taff and Rhymney River are also protected sites, but have yet to be spoilt by the industrial pollutants that are found on the English side of the border and became protected zones in 2003.

Clent Hill are popular for hillwalking and picnicking during the warmer weather. The hill lands are important for the survival wildlife including Fallow Deer and Common Buzzard, plus visiting Ring Ouzel and Common Crossbill. The closed, but still water filled Wednesbury Old Canal was declared to be a Urban Park and nature reserve in 2010. the Wenlock Edge geological formation, the Shropshire Hills AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) were prootected in the June of 2011.

Both the Bittell Reservoirs and the Birmingham and Worcester Canal and also protected areas. They are part of the lands that forms a part of the green belt which encircles the settlement of Barnt Green.

The Brecon Beacons, Pontsticill Reservoir,The Waseley Hills Country Park, Lickey Hills Country Park and the Victorian houses of Lickey are also major tourist atractions.

Green issues
The high nitrate, ammonia and lead levels in the River Stour are the leading rural environmental concern. The heavy air pollution that is primary created by motor vehicles is of most concern in the urban Wednesbury and Dudley Port districts. These issues were being addressed as of 2010, but not much has happened since due to the global economic crisis.

Droitwich Spa (AKA- Droitwich) is situated on massive deposits of salt that has been extracted there since at least Roman times. The naturally occurring Droitwich brine contains 2½ lbs. of salt per gallon (roughly 10 times stronger than sea water and similar to that of the Dead Sea). Resent small scale salt mining has caused a sharp rise in the salinity of the local River Salwarpe since 2004.

There are problems with lead and zink level in both the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, and the River Rhondda, due to the local former local coal industry. Some mines have flooded and intermittently poison the river. Oil polution is also occering more oftern in the urban parts of the River Rea.

The River Llynfi flows alongside the town of Tondu on as ith eads towards its confluence with the River Ogmore, which flows past the town of that name. The remaining coal seams in the Tondu area are rather 'wet' and the coal itself is rich in pyrites and sulphur, which has thus badly polluted The River Llynfi at that location.

The federal republic has said it will co-operate with and help in force the CITES treaty (AkA-the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention).

The present Public works, recycling, environmentalism and employment minister is the Labour MP for West Bromwich south, Rebekah Lease.

The present minister for ethnic minoraties, social harmony and flood aviation is the independent MP for Cherchstoke, Llewellyn Gwilym Rees.

Earthquakes
A set of 6 minor (ATL) earthquake simotaniosly hit Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Rhymney, Tredegar, Caerphilly, Abergavenny, Blaenavon, Cwmbrân and Torfaen in 2001. It was reportedly caused by several old mine workings collapsing. The only casualty was an old man who had a heart attack in Torfaen.

The ATL 2002 Dudley earthquake was as it was in OTL.