Month: December 1999

Ministry of Defence’s water services to be privatised

The race is on for water companies to secure contracts with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at more than 3,000 sites in the UK.

Local authorities pressed to speed up planning decisions

New statistics that track the number of weeks it takes local authorities across England to process planning applications have sparked a call for improvements. A total of 46 planning authorities have been termed "improvers", but only 63% of planning decisions are taken within eight weeks.

Environment Agency’s chief prosecutor considers use of specialist investigation teams

Since his post was created in June 1999, the Environment Agency's (EA) chief prosecutor has been promoting national consistency in the Agency's response to environmental crime. Next on the agenda may be the introduction of specialised investigators.

EPA approves state petitions for tighter upwind NOx limits

The US EPA has agreed with claims from four US states that more stringent nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission limits are required for power stations in 12 'upwind' states if the petitioning states are to meet EPA limits for the pollutant.

European environmentalists give outgoing Finnish EU presidency the thumbs up

The largest federation of environmental organisations in Europe has concluded that the Finnish Presidency of the EU has been a positive force for environmental progress.

WALES: Manufacturers respond to increasing effluent charges by focusing on water conservation

Welsh manufacturing firms participating in a water management project has resulted in 44 strategies for improving water management.

Americans see international environmental agreements as unimportant

Most Americans either have not heard of or do not rate as important international environmental agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol.

GEF’s bureaucratic elite failing to improve global environment

The Global Environment Facility (GEF), the international financial institution set up to help implement global environmental treaties, is unlikely to deliver environmental benefits because it is democratically unaccountable, distant from local political and social issues and opens developing world markets to the forces of globalisation, research claims.

The hottest year yet in Britain

Scientists at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia have confirmed that 1999 is likely the warmest year yet for the UK.

Environment Agency deputy moves into chairman’s post

The current deputy chair of the Environment Agency (EA) for England and Wales will move into the post of chair in the New Year. Controversial chairman Lord de Ramsey will step down and Sir John Harman will take over.

World Bank urged to stop promoting unsuitable environmental technology to Third World

Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has called on the World Bank to stop promoting expensive pollution reduction technologies in India that fail to remove persistent and toxic pollutants from industrial effluent.

GERMANY: Solar industry earmarked for big subsidy boost

A proposal to update Germany's renewable energy legislation includes provision to more than quadruple the subsidy paid out to homeowners installing solar energy systems.

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