TABLE OF CONTENTS
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution & Health |
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1 |
EPA funds university research efforts on particulate matter |
USEPA is giving more than US$3.8 million to four universities to study the effects of airborne health particulate matter on human health. |
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2 |
New Hamphire to use BioReactor to reduce VOC pollution |
New Hamphire plans to use BioReactor, an award-winning biofilter technology, to reduce pollution from the state's three fossil-fuel plants. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Policy |
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3 |
California high court allows suits against water companies |
California's supreme court ruled that people harmed by drinking contaminated water could legally sue their water utility for failing to provide clean drinking water. |
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4 |
Criteria for classification of solid waste disposal |
The US Environmental Protection Agency proposes to amend legislation to allow residential lead-based paint waste to be disposed of in construction and demolition landfills. |
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5 |
Northern Italy plans phase-out of gasoline cars |
Italy's northern Lombardy region is combating its air pollution problems by planning to phase out gasoline and diesel vehicles. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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6 |
Coal ash used for building |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is testing a new construction material made from recycled flyash from coal-fired power plants. |
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7 |
Researchers pit soybean oil against styrofoam waste |
Researchers have harnessed soybean oil to dissolve polystyrene foam, a development that could reduce the volume of packaging waste sent to landfills and yield valuable scrap material. |
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8 |
UK emission trading moves a step closer |
The UK announced that 46 companies had registered to take part in the country's greenhouse gas emission trading scheme. |
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9 |
Road tests for fuel cell bus begin |
DaimlerChrysler announced that 30 fuel cell powered Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses would be on road tests across Europe. |
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10 |
Dutch CO2 trading system proposed |
A multi-stakeholder Dutch panel has recommended a national carbon dioxide trading scheme which is very different from that proposed by the European Commission (EC). |
SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered: 4 Feb 2002 to 9 Feb 2002
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Item 1 |
EPA funds university research efforts on particulate matter |
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Summary |
Four universities are gearing up to study the effects of airborne particulate matter on human health with the research grants of more than US$3.8 million from the USEPA. USEPA pointed out that increases in particulate matter pollution has been linked to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for heart and lung disease, increased respiratory illness or discomfort, decreased lung function and even premature death. This class of air pollutants is typically generated by any activity involving burning of materials, from burning fossil fuels in powerplants and cars to wood burning. Dust-generating activities, such as construction or traffic on unpaved surfaces also generates airborne particulate matter (PM). Each of the four universities will have a specific area of study. |
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Reference |
http://www.earthvision.net/ColdFusion/News_Page 1.cfm?NewsID=19482 |
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Item 2 |
New Hamphire to use BioReactor to reduce VOC pollution |
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Summary |
A US state, New Hamphire, plans to use biofilters to reduce pollution from three fossil-fuel plants that it has. The biofilters, known as BioReactor, are produced by Bio-Reaction Industries LLC of Oregon, which won the Environment Business Journal's 2001 Technology Merit Award. A BioReactor is used to control pollution arising from volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and odors. The BioReactor treats VOCs with a natural biological methodology. It operates by passing a contaminated air stream through a proprietary bed of compost material, which acts as an attachment site for rich microbial fauna. VOCs are absorbed from the air stream as a food source, by the microorganisms, converting the pollutant into carbon dioxide and water vapor. As the organic pollutant is metabolized, the binding site to which it was attached again becomes available to strip more VOC molecules from the incoming air stream. |
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Reference |
http://www.Pollutiononline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid={CF29D3B9-1655-11D6-A789-00D0B7694F32} |
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Item 3 |
California high court allows suits against water companies |
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Summary |
California's supreme court ruled that people harmed by drinking contaminated water could legally sue their water utility for falling to provide clean drinking water The ruling arose from a case in which about 2,500 San Gabriel Valley residents sued industrial polluters and water companies over the alleged contamination of their water supplies. Many of the plaintiffs claimed that they contracted cancer or other diseases after drinking water polluted by industrial solvents, solid rocket fuel and other chemicals. Most previous lawsuits of this nature targeted only the polluters responsible for contaminating groundwater supplies, not the utilities that pumped the water to consumers. This case is the first to test the legal basis for holding utilities responsible for delivering clean water and could provide an example for similar litigation across the state and nationwide. Lawyers for the water companies warned that the ruling opens the door to dozens of lawsuits, the costs of which could substantially raise the price of drinking water. They said they would not seek to settle the lawsuits, but would attempt to prove in court that their water deliveries met all applicable government standards. |
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Reference |
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Item 4 |
Criteria for classification of solid waste disposal |
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Summary |
The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) proposes to amend the criteria for classification of solid waste disposal to allow the accelerated disposal of residential lead-based paint waste, thereby reducing exposure of children and adults to health risks associated with lead. The proposal will allow residential lead-based paint waste to be disposed of in construction and demolition landfills. The USEPA has approved the amendments using a 'direct final rule' approach, which means that the ruling applies unless it is withdrawn as a result of significant adverse comments during the consultation phase which is on till 23 November 2002. |
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Reference |
Journal for Sustainable Waste Management, No. 82, Jan 2002, Page 21 |
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Item 5 |
Northern Italy plans phase-out of gasoline cars |
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Summary |
Italy's northern Lombardy region is combating its worsening air-pollution situation by planning to phase out the sale of all gasoline- and diesel-powered automobiles and replacing them with environmentally friendly vehicles by 1 Jan 2005. The "clean car plan" will limit Italians in the region to purchasing environmentally friendly automobiles from 2005. Cars sold after 1 Jan 2005 could include hybrid-technology cars and hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars. Major car manufacturers like Fiat, Peugeot-Citroen and BMW, have expressed interest in the "clean car plan" after it was announced in Jan 2002. The government of Lombardy also plans to spend at least $52 million to purchase new electric buses and research hydrogen fuel and water-heater conversions. |
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Reference |
http://www.gent.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=19441&image1=2 |
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Item 6 |
Coal ash used for building |
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Summary |
A new construction material made of recycled flyash from coal-fired power plants is being tested at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The autoclaved aerated concrete blocks, comprising 70 percent recycled flyash from Tennessee Valley Authority 's coal-fired power plants, are only one-fifth the weight of ordinary concrete blocks. It is also a more energy efficient construction material due to its insulation properties. The 'flyash' concrete blocks will be used as a base material in a construction project. ORNL researchers hope to install instrumentation to monitor the energy efficiency and air-tightness of the homes built with the flyash concrete blocks.
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Reference |
http://www.earthvision.net/ColdFusion/News_Page1.cfm?NewsID=19432 |
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Item 7 |
Researchers pit soybean oil against styrofoam waste |
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Summary |
Researchers have harnessed soybean oil to dissolve polystyrene foam. The development could reduce the volume of packaging waste sent to landfills considerably and yield valuable material from scrap. The researchers have patented their invention, which uses methyl ester, a fatty acid derived from seed oils such as soybean oil, to dissolve polystyrene. Esters derived from soybean oil are excellent solvents for styrofoam, and these materials offer advantages in cost and environmental compatibility. The researchers have also developed coatings and resin systems for composite materials, such as fibreglass, from the dissolved foam. |
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Reference |
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Item 8 |
UK emission trading moves a step closer |
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Summary |
The UK has announced that 46 companies registered to participate in the country's greenhouse gas trading scheme. The companies which include Barclays, British Airways, Caterpillar, Dalkia, General Domestic Appliances, Ineos Fluor, Rolls-Royce, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Shell, TotalFinaElf and Whitbread Hotels, will take part in an auction of emission allowances, due to start on 25 February 2002. Each company will bid for five-year emissions reduction targets in order to win a share of the government's euros 353 million incentive pot. Once trading starts on 1 April 2002, the participating companies will be able to trade allowances equal to their first annual target. They must meet these annual targets in order to gain financial incentives and can do so, either by reducing the emissions themselves or by buying surplus allowances from other participants. |
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Reference |
http://www.environmentdaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=action&ref=11504 |
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Item 9 |
Road tests for fuel cell bus begins |
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Summary |
DaimlerChrysler announced that 30 fuel cell powered Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses would be on road tests across Europe. It had presented one fuel cell bus to the European Fuel Cell Bus Project in March 2001 and 10 European transportation operators that were involved in the project had purchased the ten buses designed for urban transport. The buses would be used in cities and countries across Europe including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Portugal, Stockholm, Stuttgart and Reykjavik. The sale of the fuel cell buses represented a successful market launch for the new technology. It is also proof of the appeal of fuel cell systems as an environment-friendly and efficient power source of the future for local public transport. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org/news/Newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=19483&image1=2 |
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Item 10 |
Dutch CO2 trading system proposed |
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Summary |
A multi-stakeholder Dutch panel has proposed a CO2 trading system which is markedly different from that proposed by the European Commission (EC). The Dutch scheme, if adopted, would be similar to the UK system which is due to be launched in April 2002. As Germany also opposed the proposed EC system, the Dutch position could be crucial in determining how the EU CO2 trading system would evolve. Other than the proposed timetable for trading, the Dutch scheme largely differs from the proposed EU scheme in the areas given below:
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Reference |
http://www.environmentdaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=action&ref=11512 |