Gold mining companies that received samples of products marketed as "environmentally friendly" substitutes for sodium cyanide have reported to regulators that they contained up to 27% of the chemical they were supposed to replace.
Tellus Holdings plans to establish Australia's first privately-operated landfill capable of handling low-level radioactive waste and persistent organic pollutants sourced from around the country.
Environment ministers have agreed to strengthen controls on particle pollution, speed up work on a national clean air agreement and establish a national standard for the environmental management of chemicals.