TABLE OF CONTENTS
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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II. Subject Area : Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
Harmonised EU airport noise limits proposed |
The European Parliament has proposed harmonised EU airport noise limits that challenge the European Commission's draft directive released only recently to establish noise measuring, monitoring and mapping procedures. |
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2 |
Canada and U.S sign anti-smog pact |
Canada has signed an agreement with the United States to reduce smog-producing emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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3 |
Oxygen radical reactions show promise in wastewater cleanups |
Researchers at the University of Maine (Orono) have developed a chemical process that could be used to clean up toxic waste sites, treat industrial wastewater or bleach wood pulp without generating toxic wastes. |
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III. Subject Area: Recycling and Waste Management |
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4 |
South Korea electronics manufacturers team up for nationwide recycling efforts |
South Korea's leading electronics manufacturers have formed a new Electronic Industries Association to organise and run joint recycling programmes nationwide. |
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5 |
German Cabinet passes new ordinances on disposal sites and treatment plants |
The German Cabinet has passed a set of ordinances that would set new standards on treatment plants, disposal sites and specifying conditions of the garbage processed for disposal. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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6 |
New Delhi to ban use of commercial transport vehicles more than twelve years old |
Authorities in the Indian capital would be banning the use of commercial transport vehicles that are more than twelve years old to curb its worsening air pollution problem. |
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7 |
New global environment network for information |
Agreement was reached at the International Pollution Prevention Summit in Montreal to build a major global information network designed to collect and share successful practices and new ideas on eliminating pollution. |
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8 |
Corporations restate determination to reduce emissions |
Seven corporations, including some of the world's largest multinationals have teamed up with the Washington-based Environmental Defence environmental group to set up a system to trade greenhouse gas emissions permits. |
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SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered : 16 Oct 2000 to 22 Oct 2000
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Item 1 |
Harmonised EU airport noise limits proposed |
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Summary |
The European Parliament has proposed harmonised limits for noise generated by aircrafts around airports. This challenges the European Commission's draft directive, which was released in July 2000. The draft directive did not include noise limits but established common noise measuring, monitoring and mapping procedures. Under the new proposal by the European Parliament, all EU airports would be subject to maximum noise limits of 65 decibels (dB) during daytime and 55dB at night by end 2005. The limits would then be tightened in 2012 to 56dB and 45dB and finally in 2020 to 49dB and 40dB respectively. |
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Reference |
http://www.ends.co.uk/subsribers/envdaily/articles/00101803.htm |
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Item 2 |
Canada and U.S sign anti-smog pact |
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Summary |
Canada has signed an agreement with the United States to reduce smog-producing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). The transboundary smog issue has been contentious, particularly between New York state and Ontario. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer contends that emissions from large, coal-fired power plants in Ontario are causing serious environmental damage in the Adirondack Park region. Ontario's five big coal plants emit three times the NOx levels allowed under the EPA's NOx State Implementation Program, reductions that New York has agreed to meet by 2003. The new smog deal under the Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement mandates cuts of 50 percent in NOx emissions from these coal plants by 2007. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2000/10/10182000/smogwar_39313.asp |
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Item 3 |
Oxygen radical reactions show promise in wastewater cleanups |
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Summary |
Researchers at the University of Maine, USA have developed a chemical process that can be used to clean up toxic waste sites, treat industrial wastewater or bleach wood pulp without generating toxic wastes. The same technology may also be of value in protecting organic molecules from degradation by reactive oxygen species. The new chemical process uses a sequence of reactions to generate oxygen free radicals in aqueous solutions. In principle, it can be used to oxidise industrial wastes to harmless by-products, the Maine investigators claim. The researchers also claim that the technique can be used replace chlorine or chlorinated reagents in pulp bleaching operations. (Chlorine bleaching produces chlorinated hydrocarbon wastes that are harmful to the environment.) |
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Reference |
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Item 4 |
South Korea electronics manufacturers team up for nationwide recycling efforts |
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Summary |
South Korea's electronics manufacturers have agreed to pool their resources for joint nationwide recycling efforts as the government moves to introduce "producer responsibility". They have agreed to cooperate in collecting and recycling used electronic appliances and other consumer goods. The nation's leading electronics manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc and Daewoo Electronics Co, have launched an industry environment group under the Electronics Industries Association of Korea. The new Electronic Industry Environment Association has members from manufacturers, importers, distributors and recyclers and would organise and run joint recycling programmes. The association would be spending 65.8 million won by the end of 2001 to build four recycling complexes. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 33, No. 21, page 793 |
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Item 5 |
German Cabinet passes new ordinances on disposal sites and treatment plants |
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Summary |
Germany is planning to set new standards for the pre-treatment of household garbage destined for landfills as no direct disposal would be allowed with effect from June 2005. The German Cabinet has passed a set of ordinances regulating both the disposal sites and treatment plants. The three new ordinances would impose strict limits on emissions and water contamination from the treatment plants. They also impose strict conditions on the processed garbage for disposal at disposal sites, such as density, consistency and gas emissions. Currently, the states and representatives of cities and towns are being consulted and the measures are expected to be passed with minor changes. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter Vol.23, No. 21, page 783 |
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Item 6 |
New Delhi to ban use of commercial transport vehicles more than twelve years old |
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Summary |
Authorities in New Delhi will be banning commercial transport vehicles more than twelve years on the road with effect from 1 Jan 2001. Privately-owned two-wheelers like motorcycles, mopeds and scooters which are also a major source of the air pollution in the Indian capital, have also been included in the list of banned in-use vehicles. In addition to the ban, the government is also deliberating on the adoption of Euro-II emission standards for all new vehicles to resolve the capital's air pollution problem. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol 33, No. 21, page 788 |
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Item 7 |
New global environment network for information |
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Summary |
Agreement was reached on the closing day of the International Pollution Prevention Summit in Montreal, to build a major global information network designed to collect and share successful practices and new ideas on eliminating pollution. The global information network will be an important tool in pushing forward action plans on finance, education, the role of government and changing behaviour. These action plans were developed during workshop sessions at this week's Montreal Summit, a gathering of pollution prevention practitioners and advocates that was unprecedented in size, scope and diversity. The Internet-based Global Cleaner Production Information Network will also be a virtual meeting place for the hundreds of pollution prevention roundtables, sustainability and cleaner production networks and other organisations world-wide that promote the science of reducing the generation of pollution. |
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Reference |
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Item 8 |
Corporations restate determination to reduce emissions |
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Summary |
Seven corporations, including some of the world's largest multinationals have teamed with the Washington-based Environmental Defence environmental group to seek ways to trade emission permits on greenhouse gas emissions. Each company has agreed to measure and publicly report its emissions. These companies, which include Shell and BP, have already begun their own internal trading programs to meet self-imposed targets. The companies involved in the partnership with Environmental Defence have yet to devise a formal set of rules for trading between companies. Such rules could develop in the future, according to Environmental Defence. Government rules detailing how an international trading scheme would work have yet to be decided. More than 100 nations will meet in The Hague in November and they hope to reach agreement on some of the details of implementing the mechanisms agreed under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. |
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Reference |