Browsing: Chemicals

The federal, state and territory governments should create a new standard-setting body to manage the environmental impact of chemicals, according to a Productivity Commission report released today.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and state and territory leaders yesterday agreed to finalise by the end of the year a framework for identifying regions suitable for strategic assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

COAG also agreed to implement before the end of the year a suite of reforms to the regulation of chemicals.

NSW flags assessment fee hike for chemical destruction technologies

* Wong steers steady course in international talks

* Australia's forests offset 9% of emissions, government report says

* Turnbull slams solar rebate means test

* National Pollutant Inventory overhauls fuel tanks manual

* New Zealand Budget flags major push on energy efficient homes

* Pew Centre looks at trading lessons from the EU

• NSW court rules alienating prime farm land inconsistent with ESD principles
  
• Industry body highlights rising energy audit charges
  
• Help to power generators needs 'careful consideration', Climate Institute says
  
• Company ordered to pay $50,000 after chemical fire

• Tests finds patchy compliance with energy performance standards
  
• Emissions should peak in 2010, say WWF and IAG
  
• Productivity Commission floats chemicals reforms

Federal environment minister Peter Garrett is poised to boost Australia's ability to monitor the presence of dioxins, PCBs and other toxic chemicals in the environment and in human blood and breast milk.



And can coal-to-liquid projects, which have a huge greenhouse gas footprint, be a driver for carbon capture and storage? The International Energy Agency says they should be and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson thinks they have to be.



Plus more briefs.

WA's Carpenter government is establishing a special inspection and compliance branch in the WA Department of Environment and Conservation and will complete an independent review of the department's inspection and compliance functions by February, says yesterday's government response to a damning parliamentary report on the lead contamination scandal in Esperance.

Goward: it's very easy to fix climate change * Deadline looms for EEO filings by large energy users * Climate change to push up food prices, says ACF study * SA EPA launches video info clips * Chemical agencies investigate multiple chemical sensitivity * 'BadBuster' pop-up rates companies as you click to their site

Soaring WA gas prices a 'greenhouse risk' says industry alliance; Qld amends environmental legislation; NSW offers green business grants; Concerns over slowing absorption of CO2; Pew Centre joins alliance to look at 'quality' offsets; NZ joins EU, US and Canadian carbon markets partnership; Greens call for home energy efficiency subsidies; NSW aerial sprayer fined