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Discusses the impact of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation designed to control the release of pollutants from pulp and paper mills in the United States. Changes in the way the industry operates; Environmental benefits from the EPA rule; Pulp and paper mills' need to follow best management practices; Key component of the rule's water effluent guidelines and standards. INSET: And look who's next....

The article discusses The Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2020 sustainability plan of paper manufacturer Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP) and the company's environmental policy. Topics discussed include implementation of the policy by the production plant Indah Kiat Perawang, work by managing director of sustainability Aida Greenbury, and work by APP with the Indonesian government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to support rain forest conservation in Indonesia.

The article reports on the impact of the global environmental policy on the paper industry. According to the authors, the huge purchasing power of consumers and strong environmental policy can help paper suppliers improve the sustainability of their forestry practices as well as the papers they produce. They add that more readers and advertisers prefer a greener paper product despite the growing digital readership. Other benefits of integrating environmental policy to the industry are provided.

The article focuses on the emissions trading paper released by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. The paper notes that the size of the greenhouse gas abatement task confronting the country is significant. It explains that emissions trading is a more flexible market-based policy tool than imposing a carbon tax on industry. Particular focus is given to the scheme suggested by professor Warwick McKibbin in response to the issue.

The article reports on the release of a peer-reviewed white paper on nanotechnology by the Science Policy Council of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Laid out in the paper are scientific issues related to nanotech that must be addressed by the EPA. It was recommended that the agency continue performing research on risk assessment and environmental applications of nanomaterials.

The article reports the completion of the footprint assessment case for APP China Group Ltd. and its six pulp paper making factories by Camco. It relates that the assessment will help the company reduce energy consumption and help in environmental protection. Meanwhile, China is enforcing a new emission standard for papermaking effective May 1, 2009, which will force to reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) emission to 950 000 tons in 2009, and to 434 000 tons in 2015.

Focuses on the actions taken by the European Parliament on several proposals to tighten environmental regulations contained in the European Commission's white paper on future chemical policies. Information on amendments to the proposals; Details on the approved clauses; Significance of the Parliament's actions.

In this article, the author presents his views on government of Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Great Britain. It mentions contrast councils' work on climate action with social care white paper; and also mentions burden of the care levy is disproportionately felt by workers on low incomes, and much of the money earmarked for social care in practice goes to richer homeowners.

Reports on an attempt to devise environmental guidelines to allow the construction of a pulp and paper mill in northwest Tasmania. Threat of logging to a pulp mill proposed by Gunns; Evaluation of the regional forests agreement which guarantees access to old-growth forests.

The article discusses the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper in Australia. Chris Leach, tax partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, states that the release of the green paper provided a degree of clarity, especially in dealing with the core issue of how to treat carbon-emissions permits for tax purposes. However, in an effort to create a simple and largely tax-neutral framework in which the carbon emissions trading system can operate, the paper has left some areas for discussion.

The article focuses on the efforts of politicians and companies in Great Britain to protect the environment. The party political season in the country has underlined again the fact that all politicians say that they want to be environmentalists these days. Aside from the country's politicians, big businesses, from the car makers to the aerospace combines, from banks dealing in paper money to packaging companies dealing in money from paper, are keen to authenticate their environmental credentials.

The article focuses on environmental responsibilities of distributors in the electronics industry. According to Barry Litwin, senior vice president for marketing at Newark, aside from improving their competitiveness, they see it as a sound business practice. Electronic distributors have embedded environmental policies into their corporate culture, practicing everything from paper and package recycling to reducing their carbon footprint, according to the author. The investment community is also rewarding companies with good environmental responsibility recordings, the author said.

The article presents news briefs on the chemical industry in the U.S. as of December 2005. Lanxess plans to consolidate its North American polybutadiene rubber production at Orange, Texas in January 2006. BASF will acquire the North American engineering plastics business of LATI Industria Termoplastici. The Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft white paper detailing the health and environmental risks and benefits of nanomaterials.

The staff of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made recommendations for the agency management to revise the current particulate matter standards for fine particles and the inhalable portion of coarse particles, based on evidence that suggests to EPA scientists that more protection is needed than is provided under current air standards. The air quality standards for PM under the Clean Air Act were first established in 1971. The agency significantly changed the standards in 1987, when they changed the indicator of the standards to regulate inhalable particles smaller than, or equal to, 10 micrometers in diameter. In 1997, EPA again revised the PM standards and established a separate standard for fine particles. EPA released its second draft staff paper on the assessment of PM standards in January 2005 which recommends changing EPA's health-based standards for coarse particles to avoid double-regulating fine particles.

The article discusses highlights of a symposium conducted by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). During the symposium, the Roadmap Green Papers were launched by New South Wales minister for climate change Verity Firth. In Firth's speech during the symposium, she acknowledged the central role that chemical engineers will play in meeting the demands for energy and water of the society. The importance of energy efficiency in driving improvements in the short term was discussed by Jim McIlvenny, president of Dow Chemical.

The article discusses the assistance provided to companies in view of the nation's implementation of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in Australia. It tells that Minister for Climate Change Senator Penny Wong released the green paper for the scheme and asserts the government's commitment in spending all the revenues generated from selling permits on compensation.

The article reports on the banning of ultra-thin plastic shopping bags in China. The country has started to forbid the production and the use of ultra-thin plastic shopping bags. Because of that policy, most plastic bag producers, particularly the Lutun Xingda Plastic Plant, have suspended production.

The article discusses the paper in Process safety and environmental protection (PSEP) regarding the preliminary assessment of the risk of accidental releases of ecotoxic substances. She said that the methodology is founded on three steps: characterizing the hazard of the substance, delimiting the soil and groundwater vulnerability, and identifying the protective and preventative measures of the plant.

The article offers information about the banning of "white pollution," the color of the plastic bags that merchants use to package goods purchased by consumers, in Beijing, China. Government authorities are requesting for a ban on such kind of pollution so that people will return to using cloth bags, reducing the volume of plastic bags clogging the streets and landscapes. Such measure is taken lightly by residents in Beijing because there are more important issues to consider including the growing concern over environmental issues and anxiety over the rising costs of oil prices than the issue concerning plastic products.

The article reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will propose ways to control emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from facilities that apply certain types of coatings. According to the article, states could adopt EPA's guidelines to control VOC emissions in areas that exceed the national standard for ozone pollution. The proposed guidelines address coatings applied to paper, film, foil, metal furniture and large appliances.

The article reports on the installation of solar panels on the roof of the office of the "Monterey County Weekly" newspaper in California. Owner Bradley Zeve states that the move is the latest in a tradition of environmentally friendly policies which the paper launched in 1988. It suggests that Zeve made the decision after watching the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." Zeve comments on the reaction of the staffers to the change in the business.

This article deals with the consultation paper issued by Great Britain's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs regarding a draft national implementation plan for the Stockholm, Sweden convention on persistent organic pollutants. There are several substances included in the Stockholm list including 10 pesticides, plus dioxins and furans that can be formed during combustion processes, where global action is needed. The deadline for views or comments on the draft national implementation plan is March 19, 2007.

Reports that Taiwan's implementation of a ban on plastic bags and polystyrene food trays has inspired other countries to take action. Commitment of Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration to the ban; Weaknesses of the ban; Impact on the chemical industry.

Reports on regulatory developments concerning environmental protection in the United States, as of March 2000. US Environmental Protection Agency's issuance of a rule establishing effluent limitations guidelines; Proposed amendment of the pulp and paper National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.

Reports on the launching of a white paper on sustainable development by a conference of various government departments in Great Britain. Broadening the definition of quality of life; Main aims of sustainable strategy; Shift from past thinking; Citing energy-efficient and environment-friendly technologies. INSET: 14 points for sustainable development..

Reports on the discussion paper issued by the World Bank on environmental strategies for Asia. Policy changes for various governments; Identification of market and policy failures; Population growth and industrialization as fundamental causes of environmental problems; Estimated gross domestic product expenses to achieve greater sustainability.

Discusses China's National Environmental Protection Agency's $1.2 billion cleanup along Huai River. Closure of 900 paper mills; Loans to pay for wastewater treatment plants and facilities.

Reports on the comprehensive regulatory rules recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency integrating air and water pollution control rules. Opposition by the environmental community over the high cost of implementation; Use of the pulp and paper industry to test the comprehensive rules; Cost-effectiveness of the rules; Gathering of public opinion concerning the comprehensive rules.