• New PPC compliance audits

  The Environment Agency has launched a new programme of compliance audits to help target inspections of industrial sites

• Land Rover under attack

  Greenpeace's campaign against 4x4 vehicles poses risks to brand and reputation for Land Rover and Ford

• Cost of sewage oestrogens

  Removing oestrogens from sewage effluents to protect fish could cost water companies up to £10 billion, a DEFRA study suggests

Waste management

• Composting risk to air quality

  A study by air quality experts has warned that ammonia emissions from open air composting could threaten conservation sites

• Energy label ignored

  Business are ignoring the Energy Star label when they buy computers, despite the Government's promotion of the scheme

• SEA Bill proceeds in Scotland

  A Bill to extend the scope of strategic environmental assessment cleared its first stage in the Scottish Parliament in June

UK policy

• Dioxin expert group launched

  DEFRA has established an expert group including members from the steel, non-ferrous and waste sectors to help devise a strategy to further reduce dioxin exposures

EU policy

• Metals sector looks at REACH

  Representatives of the metals sector are lobbying for exclusions for metals from the EU's REACH regime on chemicals testing and authorisation

• Phthalate blow to chemicals sector
• Lack of trust in companies persists
• Report on DEFRA and EU law
• Chemical firms unprepared for REACH
• Radioactive leak at Sellafield
• Business presses G8 on climate
• Government advisers clash over wind
• UK carbon mountain levels off
• Micro renewables call for fixed rate tariff
• UK faces court over shellfish waters
• Breach of EU particles limit

Waste management

• Landfill ban on tyres brought forward
• PPC threat to quarry restoration
• End of the line for tallow-burning

• Falkirk declares AQMA for Grangemouth
• RCEP takes on urban environment
• FoE's 'big ask' for climate change law
• Agency concludes audit of Lafarge emissions data
• Green taxation slumps further

Waste management

• Plastic bottle recycling increases
• Enforcement notice for White Rose incinerator
• Composter back in Agency's bad books
• Exports drive increase in waste paper collection

• Dalkin rapped over green claim
• Brand risks from climate change
• Soy supply chain challenged
• EU eco-label criteria for lubricants, campsites
• Government launches public procurement task force
• Wyevale introduces new timber procurement policy

Parliament

• Oil pollution compensation Bill
• Scottish call for sectoral CO₂ targets
• Bill to combat aviation noise and emissions
• DTI disguises true picture on packaging waste

UK policy

• Funding for carbon capture
• Restrictions for Kyoto credits?
• Air quality review update
• Voluntary regulation of timber imports
• Progress on Best Value indicators
• Draft WEEE licensing regulations
• More research into environmental impacts of housing
• Scottish packaging regulations
• Guidance issued on Scottish landfill allowance scheme
• Climate change review slips to "end of the year"
• Amendments to PPC regime in Northern Ireland
• Waste management procurement review
• First measures under Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act

EU policy

• EU action plan on nanotechnology
• Role of European Chemicals Agency

International

• Aarhus extended to GMOs

• Tough choices on energy

• EU policy at the crossroads

  The Dutch and French referendums have cystallised debate on whether Europe should reinforce or retreat from its high environmental and social standards

• Nappy wars

  An Environment Agency life-cycle assessment of reusable versus disposable nappies has drawn flak from critics including WRAP

• Drugs in water

  The Environment Agency is getting little help from the pharmaceuticals industry and its regulators in assessing the risks posed by drugs residues

• Chemicals and climate priorities of UK Presidency
• Agency LCA fails to impress disposable nappy critics
• Searching out drugs in the water environment

• Contaminated land decision

  The first High Court decision on contaminated land has ordered a retrial to reconsider whether the developer was the responsible party

• Landfill licensing and EU Directives
• Agriculture and EIA Directives
• Kronospan fined again
• Waste offences cost Jewson £40,000
• Waste firm pays for "duping" customers
• Surveillance catches illegal exporter
• Imerys fined for third clay spill
• Abattoir fined for water pollution
• Illegal drug storage costs pharmacist £17,000
• Bloody mess costs pet food company £11,000
• Oil polluter gets off lightly
• Landfill operator pays £60,000 for silt pollution
• Sir Robert McAlpine fined for duty of care failure
• BHS fined for waste offences
• WRG fined £2,500 for sludge spill
• Is sewage controlled waste?
• Asda not 'best value' for water pollution
• Blue rinse costs packaging company £4,000
• Tyre firm fined £12,500 for packaging error