• Spotlight on EMS auditors

  Tougher standards for auditors have been put forward in a bid to restore confidence in certified environmental management systems

• Water firm prosecutions soar

  Water companies paid out over £500,000 in fines for pollution offences in 2004 - an increase of 35% on the previous year

Waste management

• Progress on recycling

  The Government met its recycling target for 2003/04, but the picture is marred by the poor performance of many local authorities

• Clothes retailers go slow

  Few firms in the clothing industry are adopting environmental goals, despite growing scrutiny over chemicals in their products

Parliament

• CBI 'scaremongering' on ETS

  MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee have accused CBI boss Sir Digby Jones of exaggerating the impact of the EU emissions trading scheme on UK competitiveness

UK policy

• Clampdown on 'duty of care'

  The Environment Department has issued draft regulations which would significantly tighten "duty of care" controls on waste producers

• Freedom of information rules

  New regulations on access to environmental information have come into force, which should lead to much greater disclosure

EU policy

• Crunch time for REACH

  The proposed REACH regime for chemicals registration is entering a critical phase, with important debates in several EU institutions

• IPPC guide on combustion

  The power sector is unhappy with EU guidance setting out "best available techniques" for combustion plant under the IPPC Directive

• Slow progress on contaminated land
• Cost-benefit study on air pollution
• Agency plans for power station emissions
• Oil spill at Total refinery
• Business risks from public opinion
• Asthma and indoor air quality
• Wrangles on N Ireland sewage
• Council's IPPC application backlog
• Biomass plants face public opposition
• Building regulations flouted

Waste management

• Early trade in landfill allowances
• Landfill gas generators slam NO_x limit
• CFC losses from scrap fridges
• Financial services' poor recycling record

• Sustainability ‘pays off’ for big firms
• Commission presses for sustainable public services
• Normal service resumed on air quality
• Final warning to UK over urban waste water Directive

Waste management

• Planning permission for MBT, gasification plants

• Car makers attack recycling targets
• Bisphenol A and baby bottles

Parliament

• Dispute over missing hazwaste
• Clean Neighbourhoods Bill debated
• Scotland slow on sustainability
• Northern Ireland in trouble over EU laws
• Drinking water enforcement falls away
• Recovery in environmental prosecutions
• Scale of London’s raw sewage discharges revealed
• Bill to cut stamp duty for energy-efficient homes
• Tighter oil storage rules ‘premature’
• ‘Cumulative EIA’ for wind farms
• Whitehall fails to support timber initiative
• Minister backs N Ireland environment agency

UK policy

• DEFRA consults on sewage odour
• Agency revises OPRA scheme
• Curbs on crematoria mercury emissions
• Strategy for hydrogen economy
• Draft minerals planning guidance
• Carbon allocation slips as UK moots legal action
• Scotland gets register of protected water areas
• PPC amendments come into force
• More PPC amendments for Scotland
• Agency delays changes to landfill financial provisions
• English landfill trading regulations issued
• DEFRA consults on PAHs in tyres
• DfT opts for ‘technology-neutral’ transport grants
• Guidance issued on SEA of transport plans
• Local air quality and transport plan guidance

EU policy

• Environment Council round-up
• Hazardous Waste Directive review
• Waste oils Directive in the mixer

International

• Deadlock at climate summit

• Chemicals and a sceptical public

• Is Responsible Care working?

  The chemical industry's Responsible Care programme was launched 20 years ago in response to the Bhopal disaster. What has it achieved - and is it still relevant today?

• Agency slashes monitoring

  The Environment Agency has cut its monitoring of industrial discharges - adding to concerns about is effectiveness on the ground

• How the OMA scheme works

• Scottish sewage ruling

  A ruling by the Scottish courts that fuel made from sewage sludge is a "waste" has significant implications for disposal of the material

• UK loses ECJ waste judgement
• £20,000 fine for illegal hazwaste
• ISO14001-certified firm fined
• Aggregates levy appeal
• Human rights and nature conservation
• No joy for firms over EU biocides laws
• Record fine for illegal landfill operator in Northern Ireland
• Oil spill costs Southern Water over £180,000
• Bad end to the year for South West Water
• Pumping station failures cost United Utilities £6,000
• Oil spill lands developer with £2,000 fine
• £10,000 fine for record pig slurry spill
• Eight months for serial waste burner
• Leaky fuel tank costs Bridgend firm £8,500
• Failure to clean-up waste costs landowner £25,000
• Collapsed barn costs Burnley firm £12,000
• Registered waste carrier fined for illegal dumping