• Competition and water quality

  Water companies have voiced fears that Ofwat's plans to require them to share drinking water mains could compromise the quality and consistency of supplies.

• Air quality and transport

  The air quality target for fine particulates - which the Government is planning to scrap - could be met by concerted action on traffic pollution, according to a report for the DETR

• Slow progress on renewables

  Output from renewable energy and combined heat and power plants is growing - but far too slowly to meet Government targets

Waste management

• Cement firm's waste move

  Castle Cement's purchase of two solvent recovery businesses underlines its determination to burn a variety of wastes as fuel

• New wave of incinerators

  A revival of interest in municipal waste-to-energy schemes has led to a large number of developers seeking planning permission

• New threat on detergents

  Denmark and Sweden have taken steps to discourage use of LAS, a key ingredient in many detergents - and the UK may come under pressure to follow suit

UK policy

• Fees to rise 20% under IPPC

  The Environment Agency wants to increase regulatory fees by up to 20% to cover its increased workload under the IPPC regime

EU policy

• New European Commission

  The new European Commissioners have set out their plans for environmental policy - and early tensions over the proposed EC energy tax and nuclear power are already apparent

• Climate change levy "winners" stressed
• Slow progress on licensing of contaminated land projects
• Price cuts threaten environment, water companies warn
• BP Amoco offers first CLAIRE demonstration site
• New plasma device tackles diesel particulates
• Pilot feedstock recyclingplant for PVC
• Bonfire night, domestic heating are major dioxin sources
• New research on health effects of landfills
• Report on water pollution charges
• Environmental managers' merger
• Waste management
• Waste management
• Waste management
• Enforcement action
• Enforcement action
• Enforcement action
• Enforcement action
• Toxicity consenting project nears completion
• Bright future for membrane treatment as costs plummet
• Report highlights PCB sealant risks
• FoE report urges integration of social and environmental policies
• Environment Agency bids for higher charges, bigger grants
• Councils get more complaints about pollution and nuisances
• UK oil spills hit new record

Waste management

• Pallet plant may offer market for plastic packaging waste
• Shanks comes under fire over landfill standards

• Market for carbon offsets grows away from forestry
• Many on-pack green claims remain misleading
• Sainsbury's aims to kickstart "Buy Recycled" campaign

Parliament

• Environment struggles for a place in devolved assemblies

UK policy

• Revised approach to control of odours from animal rendering
• Policy checklist breaks no new ground on sustainability appraisal
• Another delay on contaminated land
• Scottish EIA rules for forestry
• More waste rules take effect in Northern Ireland
• Official support for segregation of clinical wastes to cut incineration bills
• Waste managers get long-awaited guidance on development planning

International

• Progress on POPs treaty, but hard road ahead on listing criteria
• New emissions protocol falls far short of EC proposals
• Bid to finalise liability rules for waste shipments fails again

• Learning to talk about waste

• Corporate Sustainability

  Most executives in a recent international survey believed their companies could extract value by moving towards sustainability

• Waste and public perception

  The waste management industry faces pressure to emerge from its shell and explore ways of communicating with the public

• LCA on electrical waste

  Recycling targets under the draft EC Directive on waste electrical equipment would reduce overall environmental impacts and may be cost-effective, according to new DTI study

• Big fine for Associated Octel

  Chemical firm Associated Octel has been fined £180,000, after an escape of bromine from its works in Anglesey.

• Sappi fined after "misleading" Agency over toxic spill
• Third prosecution under packaging regulations
• Agency sore after asbestos waste case thrown out
• Refrigeration firm escapes with £9,000 fine after ammonia incident
• Another West Midlands foundry prosecuted for air pollution