Day: 12 February 1999

News in brief

UK news briefs

Dupont agrees to halt Okefenokee mine project

Chemical giant DuPont has signed an agreement ending the company's plans to mine titanium ore near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia.

Drought-resistant rice offers hope in face of water crisis

New strains of artificially selected, drought-resistant rice could help to improve water efficiency in rice-growing regions of the world, according to scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.

US nuclear industry ready to face Y2K

The US nuclear industry's internal computer systems have been prepared to cope with the millennium date change, according to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

FRANCE: pig farms cause a stink

Random inspections on French pig farms aimed to show farmers that the Government is serious about enforcing legislation found irregularities in almost fifty percent of facilities visited.

EU says Biosafety Protocol negotiations risk failure

The EU Environment Commissioner has expressed concerns that next week's international negotiations for a protocol on genetically modified organisms may fail due to the entrenched positions of the industry and certain developing countries.

Internet workshop on pollution prevention

Researchers at Michigan Technological University and Arizona State University have launched an open Internet based workshop on pollution prevention research and teaching in higher education.

EP votes for stricter Landfill Directive

The European Parliament has approved the draft EC Landfill Directive, at it's second reading, with a number of amendments to tighten up the text and reduce extensions for countries heavily reliant on landfill.

EPA contaminated fish publicity campaign

The US EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has launched a publicity campaign informing US health professionals and their patients about the dangers of eating fish harvested from contaminated waters.

New Labour refuses to go full Monti on energy taxation

The European Parliament this week rejected it's own Economic Committee's project to simplify and strengthen the Commission's "Monti proposal" on harmonised energy taxation, due to a last minute U-turn by some British Labour MEPs.

Report claims mercury contamination standards ‘inconsistent.’

The standards by which US state governments assess mercury contamination in fish are inconsistent, and in some states, non-existent, according to a report published by the US Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG).

Canadian government launch strategy to prohibit water export

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Environment Minister Christine Stewart on February 10 1999 announced a strategy to prohibit the bulk removal of water - including water for export - from Canadian watersheds.

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