Browsing: Air pollution, odour

Environment ministers today failed to reach agreement on a national ban or levy for plastic bags, prompting South Australia to vow to go ahead with a state ban.



But they committed to an investigation into the merits of a national container deposit scheme and flagged that e-waste would be high on the agenda at its November meeting.

Class action lawyers Slater & Gordon are poised to take pre-litigation steps against Xstrata after being appointed to act for a young Mount Isa girl with extremely high blood lead levels and very high levels of other heavy metals.



The law firm is considering action against Xstrata, and is also scrutinising the performance of the Queensland government in regulating the company's operations.

• Push for 'bill of rights' approach in Victorian climate Bill
  
• Change laws, not just light bulbs, says Gore in new video
  
• Rudd to sign Australia up to international carbon markets partnership
  
• New NPI boiler manual released
  
• Tasmanian government tables water and sewerage reform bills
  
• Garnaut deadlines loom
  
• Moving beyond 'learn, burn and give': should MBAs involve a 'green Hippocratic oath'?

The federal environment department has released emissions data from almost 4,000 facilities across Australia. Emissions of benzene plunged 38%, but emissions of fine particles rose 18% and formaldeyde emissions were up 9%, the latest National Pollutant Inventory results shows.

• Rudd and Somare sign forest carbon partnership
  
  
  
• Stern hits back at Productivity Commission
  
  
  
• 'Poor environmental record' prompts EPA Victoria to oppose licence
  
  
  
• Queensland court hands down suspended jail sentence for polluter

• Rudd flags soil carbon push
  
• Sustainable buildings council briefs Garrett and Garnaut on 'white certificates' trading proposal
  
• Queensland EPA charges company directors over PCBs
  
• South Australia to ban plastic bags by year's end

• Brokovich weighs in over emissions from Alcoa's WA refineries
  
• WA to revamp environmental approvals process
  
• EPA Victoria and developer tread lightly on Sydney project
  
• Indonesian province GHG emissions are more than half Australia's
  
• Tasmania looks for EPA board members
  
• Marks & Spencer to roll out plastic bag charge

EPA Victoria trading scheme to start by mid-year (with audio) * NPI releases new fuel tank emissions handbook, Queensland releases stormwater best practice guide * Defence seeks site remediation companies * Petrol vapour project awarded $480,000 federal grant * 'Don't focus on the green consumer' (audio link)

Victoria tweaks mandatory energy and water efficiency scheme * WA orders Wyndham Port to prepare improvement plan * Federal government seeks emissions trading and climate risk experts * New climate department absorbs DFAT climate role * Upstream oil and gas greenhouse emissions up, but intensity down * Office tower owners partner with environment group * Victoria to offer second tranche geothermal permits

Energy ministers approve 'stage two' energy efficiency package * Magistrate fines construction company $95,000 * Carbon risk – more than 40 ASX200 companies could suffer material losses * National Pollutant Inventory releases new guidance * NSW offers renewables funding * Sydney Water issues water conservation guidelines * SA approves $40 million foundry expansion