TABLE OF CONTENTS
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Public Health |
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1 |
Japan to set chemical tolerance levels to combat sick-building syndrome |
The Japanese government plans to regulate chemicals that cause sick building syndrome by April 2003 in response to numerous cases of Legionnaire's disease, respiratory and other ailments. |
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II. Subject Area: Energy Conservation |
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2 |
EU to mandate combined heat/power generation |
The European Commission proposes a law to promote combined generation of heat and power - cogeneration, which it says saves energy and combats climate change |
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III. Subject Area: Waste Management |
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3 |
Two-track plan to cut packaging waste gets EU's approval |
The EU Environment Committee approved a plan to require manufacturers of products to reduce the amount of packaging and use more recycled materials |
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4 |
Researchers find good use for waste tires |
Researchers in Arizona State University found that ground tires added to fresh concrete improves its strength and durability. |
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IV. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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5 |
Hydrogen refueling station coming to Tokyo |
Shell announced that it would build Tokyo's first hydrogen refueling station. The station, which will be completed by 2003, will mark Shell's involvement in fuel cell car demonstration projects. |
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V. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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6 |
Japan sets maximum tolerance level for dioxins in sea, lake, river beds |
Japan's Ministry of Environment will set the maximum tolerance level of dioxins in mud, sand and water located at the beds of rivers, lakes, ponds and seas at 150 picograms per cubic meter. |
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7 |
Denmark to ban three greenhouse gases used by refrigeration companies |
Denmark is going ahead to be the first EU state to approve a ban on hydroflourocarbons(HFCs), perfluorocarbons(PFCs), and sulphur hexafluororide(SF6). |
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8 |
EU to pull more than 300 pesticides off the market for failure to prove safety |
The European Commission announced that more than 300 insecticides, fungicides and herbicides would be withdrawn from the market in the 15 EU member states by 2003 because manufacturers failed to prove their safety when it comes to health and environmental protection. |
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9 |
California governor signs landmark auto emissions law |
California governor, Gray Davis signed a landmark law that made his state the first in the nation to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb global warming. |
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VI. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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10 |
New antibiotic-resistant superbug found |
Doctors in the US have detected the first Staphyloccocus aureus bacteria that are highly resistant to vancomycin, known as the antibiotic of last resort. |
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11 |
EU demands proof states are protecting ozone layer |
The European Commission reported that none of the 15 member states had shown how they intended to ensure ozone-depleting chemicals in scrapped fridges or old fire extinguishers would be safely removed to stop them worsening the hole in the ozone layer. |
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12 |
Call to set higher safety standards for new and existing water projects |
Asian nations attending a conference in Bangkok have been urged to safeguard public health and the environment by setting higher safety standards for disinfecting water and wastewater. |
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SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered: 22 Jul 2002 to 28 Jul 2002
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Item 1 |
Japan To Set Chemical Tolerance Levels to Combat Sick-Building Syndrome |
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Summary |
The Japanese government plans to regulate chemicals that cause sick building syndrome starting next year in response to numerous cases of Legionnaire's disease, respiratory and other ailments. The ministry plans to set the tolerance level for formaldehyde at 0.08 parts per million (ppm) per cubic meter of air. It decided to regulate formaldehyde because it is the most widely used chemical in buildings and furniture. The ministry said it plans to add other chemicals, including toluene and xylenes in the future. Subject to the regulation would be buildings with total floor space exceeding 3,000 square meters. Owners and managers of buildings that fail to perform measuring would be subject to orders for remedial actions and to the ban of use of such buildings. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol25, No15, July 17, 2002 |
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Item 2 |
EU To Mandate Combined Heat/Power Generation |
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Summary |
The EU Commission has proposed a draft Directive that would mandate EU states to promote high-efficiency cogeneration. Under the directive, EU states would have to report measures taken and progress achieved towards meeting a targeted efficiency through cogeneration. In order to remove barriers to cogeneration, the Directive calls for EU states to guarantee that power from cogeneration would be transmitted through the national grid without discrimination. It would also facilitate access to the grid for electricity produced from cogeneration units using renewable energy sources and from units with a capacity of less than one megawatt. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17002/story.htm |
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Item 3 |
Two-Track Plan To Cut Packaging Waste Gets EU 's Approval |
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Summary |
The European Parliament Environment Committee approved a Directive calling for a two-track approach toward reducing packaging waste in the 15 EU member states, including recycling targets beyond what the European Commission proposed. Besides traditional targets for recycling, the Parliament Environment Committee would require manufacturers of products to reduce the amount of packaging and use more recycled materials. The planned proposal calls for manufacturers to cut packaging waste by 10% from 1998 levels, and member states must ensure that, after Jan 2004, new packaging is only placed on the market if producers have taken all necessary measures to minimize its environmental impact while not compromising its essential functions. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol25, No15, July 17, 2002 |
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Item 4 |
Researchers Find Good Use For Waste Tires |
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Summary |
Researchers from the Arizona State University (ASU) found that by grinding waste tires and adding to fresh concrete improves the strength and durability of concrete. About 14 million tires, taken out of service and slated for disposal, were turned into "crumbs" and added to fresh concrete. According to the researchers, benefits from the applications of such 'rubberised' concrete include reductions in thermal expansion, drying shrinkage, brittleness; and crumbling associated with freeze and thaw damage in colder climates. A patent is pending on the ASU process for making rubberised concrete. Arizona is one of the leading states for using rubberised concrete in pavement. To date, dozens of residential and commercial premises in Arizona have successfully used rubberised concrete. It is being used as part of a frontage road along Interstate 17 and tested for noise control along a busy freeway in Scottsdale, Arizona. This technology could make a big difference in the number of tires heading for landfills throughout the country. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=21529&image1=2 |
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Item 5 |
Hydrogen Refueling Station Coming to Tokyo |
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Summary |
In a partnership with Iwatani International Corporation and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Showa Shell announced that it would build Tokyo's first hydrogen refueling station. Shell Hydrogen, Shell's global hydrogen business, will provide the technological know-how for the station. The station, which will be completed by 2003, will mark Shell's involvement in demonstration projects in several key hydrogen markets including the United States, Europe and Japan. A fleet of prototype fuel cell vehicles which will be driven on the city's streets, will be provided by multiple automotive companies. Fuel cell vehicles will utilise liquid or compressed hydrogen provided at the Showa Shell station. The hydrogen station is scheduled to be in operation for two years, beginning in April 2003. The aim of the station is to demonstrate safe and efficient hydrogen refueling systems. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=21487&image1=2 |
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Item 6 |
Japan Sets Maximum Tolerance Level for Dioxins in Sea, Lake, |
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Summary |
Japan's Ministry of Environment will set the maximum tolerance level of dioxins in mud, sand and water located at the beds of rivers, lakes, ponds and seas at 150 picograms (150 trillionths of a gram) per cubic meter, announced by officials from the ministry's Water Environment Department. The decision is in response to a recent meeting of the Water Subcommittee of the Central Environment Council, at which panelists reported significantly high dioxin levels measured at beds of rivers, seas, and other bodies of water. The panel recommended the tolerance levels because of possibility of dioxin intake by fish and marine resources from river, lake and sea-beds. Japan's major dioxin sources are paper mills and low-temperature waste incinerators such as old public incinerators and those used in small businesses and households. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol25, No15, July 17, 2002 |
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Item 7 |
Denmark To Ban Three Greenhouse Gases Used By Refrigeration Companies |
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Summary |
Danish Environment Minister has signed a statutory order to ban three greenhouse gases hydroflourocarbons(HFCs), perfluorocarbons(PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride(SF6). Denmark is the first EU state to approve such a ban. As much as 90% of the three gases currently in use will be covered by the ban. According to the Danish Environment Protection Agency, the three banned gases have a much higher atmospheric warming potential than carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas. The Minister stated that the ban will play a key role in helping Denmark meet its obligation to reduce by 21 percent emissions of six greenhouse gases by 2012, based on 1990 levels, as required by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Kyoto Protocol. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol25, No15, July 17, 2002 |
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Item 8 |
EU to Pull More Than 300 Pesticides off the Market for Failure to Prove Safety |
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Summary |
The European Commission announced that more than 300 insecticides, fungicides and herbicides would be withdrawn from the market in the 15 EU member states by 2003 because manufacturers failed to prove their safety when it comes to health and environmental protection. The European Environment Bureau and Pesticide Action Network claimed that pesticide use is rising in Europe, as well as concentrations of residues on food products. They added that scientific knowledge is rapidly revealing the dangers this poses to public health. The EU calls on all member states to establish national plans to reduce the hazards, risks and dependence on chemical control within two years as well as to promote and develop alternatives to chemical control, including the possible use of genetic engineering. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol25, No15, July 17, 2002 |
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Item 9 |
California Governor Signs Landmark Auto Emissions Law |
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Summary |
California governor, Gray Davis signed a landmark law that made his state the first in the nation to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb global warming. The new law is the nation's first to require automakers to limit heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants which form a thickening blanket in the atmosphere that leads to rising global temperatures. The regulations would not take effect until 1 Jan 2006, but give automakers until 2009 to come up with technological changes or modifications to comply with the new standards. With California making up to about 10 percent of the national auto market, state officials say the new legislation could become a national model and will push automakers to devise new ways to make cars and trucks run cleaner. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/16984/newsDate/24-Jul-2002/story.htm |
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Item 10 |
New Antibiotic-Resistant Superbug Found |
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Summary |
Doctors in the US have detected the first Staphyloccocus aureus bacteria that are highly resistant to vancomycin, known as the antibiotic of last resort. Medical staff treating a 40-year-old hospital patient in Michigan with a leg ulcer found the super-bugs. Scientists have been predicting the appearance of vancomycin-resistant S aureus ever since a vancomycin-resistant strain of the gut bacterium Enterococci was discovered 15 years ago. S aureus is a bacterium commonly found on the skin and in the noses of healthy people but it can cause severe wound infections leading to septicaemia and death. Doctors have been warning for many years that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics is driving the evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria. |
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Reference |
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Item 11 |
EU Demands Proof States Are Protecting Ozone Layer |
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Summary |
The European Commission reported that none of the 15 member states had shown how they intended to ensure ozone-depleting chemicals in scrapped fridges or old fire extinguishers would be safely removed to stop them worsening the hole in the ozone layer. The governments have two months to provide the information or face the threat of legal action. Besides setting deadlines for ending the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which are used in refrigeration and as aerosol propellants, the 2000 regulation also decreed that the chemicals must be removed from scrap equipment from the start of last year. The regulation has already caused upset in Britain where an absence of recycling facilities able to deal with the chemicals has caused a "fridge mountain" to develop. Under the rules, fridges can no longer be shredded for metals recycling before the chemicals are removed. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/16986/newsDate/24-Jul-2002/story.htm |
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Item 12 |
Call to Set Higher Safety Standards for New and Existing Water Projects |
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Summary |
Water officials from ten Asian nations attending a conference in Bangkok have been urged to safeguard public health and the environment by setting higher safety standards for disinfecting water and wastewater. A 2000 World Water Vision Report stated that 20% of the world's population does not have access to safe drinking water and that every year over three million people die of waterborne diseases. There is increasing scientific and regulatory concern over the safety risks associated with traditional disinfection methods. The most common method of disinfecting water in the past 100 years has been the use of chlorine, but recently the US Environmental Protection Agency discovered that this technique is associated with a number of risks. Chlorine produces disinfection by-products that pose a risk for increasing cancer and birth defects. Chlorine has also been found to be ineffective in killing parasitic species such as cryptosporidium. There is also growing concern over the mercury content of UV lamps which are used as an alternative to chlorine-based disinfection methods. Recent progress in membrane technology, chemical- and mercury-free pulsed UV systems, show greater promise in reducing or eliminating 'compromises' in water disinfection. |
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Reference |
http://www.edie.net/gf.cfm?L=left_frame.html&R=http://www.edie.net/news/Archive/5776.cfm |