December 2010
-
Radioactive Waste Panel To Meet January 6th
The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (Commission) will meet January 6-7, 2011 in Augusta, GA with the agenda including a tour of the Savannah River Site in Aiken County, S.C.—a facility where approximately 36 million gallons of high level liquid radioactive remains from Cold War era production of nuclear weapons. The Commission will… Continue reading
-
New Agreement Provides EPA Access to REACH Data
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) has signed a “statement of intent” with the European Chemicals Agency (“ECHA”) which is intended to provided U.S. EPA with access to data collected under the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”) law. Continue reading
-
UN Seeks Comments On New Water Report
The United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), formed in 2000 as an entity within the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is the lead agency for the UN-Water initiative. The WWAP monitors freshwater issues around the world in order to provide recommendations, develop case studies, enhance assessment capacity and inform the UN… Continue reading
-
WHO Issues Indoor Air Quality Guidance
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued its first guidance on indoor air quality concerns. The new report titled WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality-Selected Pollutants. The nine chemicals addressed in the report are benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, radon, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene. Continue reading
-
U.S. EPA Criminal Enforcement Drops
U.S. EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance released its FY10 enforcement results which showed a drop in criminal cases opened and fines collected compared to FY09. Continue reading
-
United States Supreme Court To Hear Global Warming Case
On December 6, 2010, the United States Supreme Court announced that it will grant certiorari in American Electric Power v. Connecticut, a case involving allegations by several states and environmental groups that greenhouse gas emissions from several large power generating companies are causing irreparable environmental harm. Continue reading
-
UN Launches Climate Change Funding Website
The UN announced yesterday the launch of a website to help developing countries make sense of the multiple funds available to finance climate change-related needs. It estimates that developing countries will require as much as $100B a year for adaptation to climate change and $175M for mitigation by 2030. Continue reading
-
UN Climate Change Leaders Seek Cooperation, Creativity And Compromise
Executive Director of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Christiana Figueres, opened the conference saying “You are gathered in Cancun to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools.” Referring to the need to curb global warming, Ms. Figueres told delegates “Looking… Continue reading