TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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1 |
US. EPA establishes environmental statistics center |
U.S EPA has established a Center for Integrating Statistical and Environmental Science to support research that develops new statistical methods to assess the state of the physical environment and its impact on human and ecological health. |
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2 |
U.N. Marks 30th Anniversary Of Landmark Green Summit |
Environmental experts met in Stockholm to mark the 30th anniversary of the landmark Green Summit in 1972. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Regulations and Policies |
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3 |
US EPA delays non-road engine emission standards until 2003 |
U.S EPA has delayed the proposed non-road engine emission standards until year 2003 to evaluate the need for expensive additional desulfurization of diesel oil. |
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4 |
UK May Face Scrap Car Fiasco While EU Funds Uncertain |
Britain's scrap metal industry is bracing itself for a fiasco due to uncertainty over the EU's new directive on car recycling which may result in abandoned vehicles littering the streets. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Technology and New Findings |
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5 |
Old U.S. Power Plants Emit Twice As Much Pollution |
The U.S General Accounting Office has released a report that states that old U.S coal-fired power plants released twice as much sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere than newer plants and that they are required to meet stricter environmental standards. |
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6 |
Researchers test membrane filters for large-scale water purification |
Researchers at the University of Houston, U.S are currently looking into the possibility of expanding the use of membrane filters in home purification systems to municipal water systems. |
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IV. Subject Area: Waste Management |
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7 |
Discarded refrigerators will cost Britons millions |
The new European Union's rules banning the discarding of CFC-containing foams and disposal of old refrigerators, have resulted in a stockpile of discarded refrigerators that would cost Britain 40 million pounds to clear. |
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SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered : 17 Jun 2002 to 23 Jun 2002
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Item 1 |
U.S. EPA establishes environmental statistics center |
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Summary |
U.S. EPA has set aside more than US$6.25 million to establish a new Center for Integrating Statistical and Environmental Science at the University of Chicago. When operational, the center will support research that develop new statistical methods to assess the state of the physical environment and its impact on human and ecological health. According to the agency, statistical design and analysis techniques are central to environmental data collection programs and illustrate the need for a cutting-edge, cohesive national research capability in environmental statistics. |
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Reference |
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Item 2 |
U.N. Marks 30th Anniversary Of Landmark Green Summit |
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Summary |
About 300 scientists, diplomats and environmentalists met in Stockholm in 17 June to mark 30 years since 114 nations, excluding the former Soviet bloc, agreed on a common duty to protect the environment. This meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss preparations for the U.N. summit in Johannesburg in Aug 2002. There had been slow progress in environmental protection since the Green Summit meeting held in 1972. The developing nations consider environmental degradation to be a problem only for industrialised states as well as Communist bloc while countries like Britain and France are reluctant as they are concerned over the costs and suspect developing countries are using it as an excuse to demand more aid. The 1972 meeting, however, helped lead to the creation of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) and included landmark calls for global cooperation on combating pollution. Three decades of cooperation have generated positive results, such as reductions in sulphur dioxide emissions due to stringent environmental laws and economic incentives, and improvements in water quality. |
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Reference |
http://www.planet.ark.com.au/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/16466/newsDate/18-Jun-2002/story.htm |
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Item 3 |
U.S. EPA delays non-road engine emission standards until 2003 |
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Summary |
The U.S. EPA has announced that it would collaborate with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in curbing pollution from diesel-powered, non-road vehicles and equipment. Both OMB and EPA recognize that controlling exhaust from non-road diesel engines is likely to require fuel of lower sulfur content and that careful evaluations are needed to decide whether and how to require additional desulfurization of diesel fuel. Thus the plan to release the new standards is delayed to 2003. In addition to the new emission standards, EPA and OMB will also develop other regulatory strategies to reduce emissions from non-road diesel engines, such as incentive packages to encourage introduction of clean emission technologies and low sulfur fuel. |
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Reference |
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Item 4 |
UK may face scrap car fiasco while EU funds uncertain |
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Summary |
In Apr 2002, the European Union (EU) legislated the end-of-life vehicle (ELV) directive that require scrap vehicles be stripped of all toxic compounds and made manufacturers liable for the bulk of the recycling costs. Under the new law, EU member states must recover 80 percent of a scrapped vehicle's weight by 2006, and 95 percent by 2015. All chemicals, gases and non-biodegradable parts must be removed before dismantling the vehicles at approved sites. The UK government has not clarified the funding, and the recyclers and car manufacturers are unable to prepare for the new requirements. According to the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), Britain's scrap metal industry is bracing itself for a fiasco due to uncertainty over how it will finance the investment needed for additional recycling. UK could face a substantial increase in the number of abandoned vehicles of which removal cost will inevitably fall on the rateplayers or taxplayers. The BMRA is proposing as a solution to set up a central fund derived from levies on new car sales or a modest premium on vehicle excise duty, from which licensed facilities could draw payment on provision of a recognized certificate of destruction. |
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Reference |
http://www.planet.ark.com.au/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/16455/newsDate/18-Jun-2002/story.htm |
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Item 5 |
Old U.S. Power Plants Emit Twice As Much Pollution |
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Summary |
A recent report by the U.S. General Accounting Office compared emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide from new and old power plants in 2000. These pollutants contribute to acid rain, smog and soot, and can aggravate asthma, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. The report shows that in order for the older power plants to generate the same amount of electricity, about twice as much sulphur dioxide and 25 percent more nitrogen oxides were being emitted into the atmosphere than the newer plants. The worst offenders were older power plants in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast America. The report however mentioned that enforcing stricter emission standards to old plants could lead to a reduction in electricity generation, increase in prices of electricity and transferring of electricity generation to other plants. |
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Reference |
http://www.planet.ark.com.au/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/16515/newsDate/21-Jun-2002/story.htm |
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Item 6 |
Researchers test membrane filters for large-scale water purification |
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Summary |
Researchers at the University of Houston, U.S. are studying the possibility of applying membrane filters in home water purification system for large-scale water purification in municipal water systems. The study involves understanding the complexities of how these membranes interact contaminants to determine the properties that are needed to build into a more efficient filter. The research team is not only examining ways to better purify water supplies but also how to deal with dirtier or contaminated supplies. The goal of the research team is to optimise the combination of membrane material and pore size to suit any application. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=21147&image1=2 |
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Item 7 |
Discarded refrigerators will cost Britons millions |
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Summary |
An European Union (E.U) rules that came into force in 1 Jan 2002, makes it illegal to discard CFC-containing foam and disposal of old refrigerators by burying, exporting or crushing. When the rules took effect, Britain was not equipped domestically with the required disposal technology and had either to send the appliances abroad for disposal or let them pile up in the municipal dumps. This has resulted in spawning cases of illegal dumping of such equipment across the country. According to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, the stockpile of discarded refrigerators will cost Britain 40 million pounds to clear. The committee has blamed the European authorities for being vague about whether the regulation applied to domestic refrigerators and has also faulted the British government for failing to foresee the significance of the new regulations. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/06/06212002/ap_47626.asp |