International Environment Reporter: Current Reports Index-Summary

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

– Offshore oil concessions, Brazil study of safety criteria, 710
– Oil refinery explosion, Norway businessmen sentenced, 368
– Photoresist use in semiconductor industry, emission estimation method, 141
– Radiation-curable products, emission estimation method, 141
– Radioactive waste, India scrap yard radiation leak, 435

OCEANS

– Acidification due to rising CO2 levels, UNEP report, 1215
– Barents Sea, Russia-Norway agreement on maritime borders, 928
– Fisheries management, India proposed bill, 234
– Indian Ocean, East Africa protection agreement, 390
– Management

– – Canada, Beaufort Sea plan, 886
– – China, Shandong province fines for ecosystem damage, 851
– – Portugal, transposition of EU directive, 1036
– – Spain, marine environmental protection bill, 212
– – U.K. marine resource protection proposals, request for comments, 742
– – U.S. spatial planning recommendations, 30

– Marine conservation

– – Indonesia, establishment of protected areas, 1207
– – NAFTA map of protected areas, 609
– – U.K. creation of Indian Ocean reserve, 366

– Sea level increase

– – Asia, megacity vulnerabilities, 1055
– – Australia, New South Wales guidelines, 852
– – China data, 127
– – India, coastline mapping project, 345
– – UAE, threat to Abu Dhabi, 134
– – Wetlands, potential threat, 1214

– Tidal energy, U.K. plan, 330
– Water pollution, EU environmental status criteria, 868

OECD

See ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)

OIL AND GAS

– Beluga whales, Canada considers protections, 381; publication of rules, 939
– Clean fuel specifications, South Africa industry on, 42
– Depot explosion, U.K. issues fines, 742
– Drilling

– – Argentina ban in glacial areas, 998; court partially blocks ban, 1094
– – Brazil

– – – Environmental damage fund, study of net profits tax, 936
– – – Offshore oil concession safety criteria, study, 710

– – Canada

– – – Arctic drilling, comments sought on review plan, 600
– – – BP spill review, no basis to ban, 845
– – – Georges Bank exploration ban extension, 514; Nova Scotia consideration of bill, 1089

– – Ecuador proposal to halt activity in national park in exchange for half market value, 29; government backs away from exchange plan, 75; agreement, 796
– – European Parliament to consider strengthened laws on offshore operations, 643; review finds gaps in regulation, 696; rejection of call for moratorium, 981; outline of proposals, 1025
– – Italy, stricter regulation, 933
– – Norway reports cuttings discharges in North Sea, 558
– – Risk, BP executive on no-go zones, 494
– – Russia

– – – Arctic ban, coalition seeks extension, 595
– – – Project licensing rules, 644

– – U.S. reforms, IEA warns against knee-jerk reaction to Gulf spill, 538

– Environmental accountability, Canada bill on operations in developing countries, 1044
– Gas flaring prohibition, Nigeria deadline delay, 131
– Hazardous waste, Netherlands fines company for dumping in Ivory Coast, 749
– Inspections of offshore rigs, UK doubles efforts, 594
– Oil sands production, Alberta, Canada

– – Athabasca River watershed, reports on impacts, 844
– – Carbon capture, Shell Canada application for approval, 1192
– – Duck deaths, producer liability, 657; fine, 1045; additional incident at other facility, 1092
– – Environmental impact reduction for reaching clean energy potential, 68
– – GHG emissions, impact on, 68
– – Low-carbon standards, lobbying against, 1191
– – Water pollution, NAFTA complaint, 418

– Pipelines

See generally PIPELINES

– Refinery explosion, Norway businessmen sentenced, 368
– Shale gas, China production target, 231
– Subsidy elimination, impact on climate, economy, 247
– Territorial dispute, Russia-Norway agreement on Barents Sea, 928
– Water pollution, Amazon environmental damage suit against Chevron

– – Arbitration, complaint seeks to block, 74; bilateral investment treaty process in question, 222; U.S. court rules arbitration may proceed, 281; appeal, 337; motion to dismiss, 797; end of evidentiary phase set, 882
– – Delays violate bilateral investment treaty, 376
– – Removal of judge, 997

OIL AND GAS DRILLING

– Arctic region, Russia-Norway uniform standards, 874

OIL SPILLS

– BP Gulf of Mexico spill

– – Canada, report finds no basis for offshore operations ban, 845
– – Mexico considers litigation, 511; funding request considered, 602; additional states could join lawsuits, 993

– Containment, Russia regulations, 795
– Contingency plans, Brazil drafting national plan, 606
– Cosco Busan, sentencing of operator, 227; settlement with owner, 1140
– Drilling cuttings, Norway reports discharges into North Sea, 558
– Erika, France court affirms criminal conviction, 365
– Niger Delta

– – Damages award stemming from 1970 incident, 728
– – Environmental damage, reports, 619
– – Netherlands jurisdiction over farmers' case against Shell, 86

– Occurrence, Finland 2009 statistics, 216
– Oily waste dumping, U.S. enforcement efforts

– – Chem Faros, engineer pleads guilty, 469
– – Kerim, company pleads guilty, 561
– – New Fortune, operator sentencing, 761
– – Polembros Shipping, sentencing, 33

– Penalties, Australia, Queensland fine increase, 530
– Pipeline explosion, China closes port, 725; release estimate, report, 766
– Po River, Italy disaster declaration, 211
– Red Sea, Egypt

– – Draft bill, 131
– – Tanker fined, 532

– Shen Neng 1, Australia frees from reef, 386

OPIC

See OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION (OPIC)

ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)

– Agriculture, GHG emissions increase prediction, 246
– Aquatic toxicity, guide on computer tools, 541
– Biodiversity, payments for ecosystem services, 1014
– Biofuels, policies contribute to price spikes for commodities, food, 629
– Biotechnology safety

– – Brochure, 398
– – Consensus document compilations, 1221

– Business guide, sustainable development, 1069
– Chemicals

– – Data extrapolation tool, 1111
– – Photoresist use in semiconductor industry, emission estimation method, 141
– – Radiation-curable products, emission estimation method, 141
– – Singapore participation in safety test data sharing, 122
– – Thailand participation in safety test data sharing, 893

– Climate change

– – Corporate GHG emissions reporting, international standard, 1213
– – Emissions reduction proposals insufficient to avert disasters, 628
– – South Korea emissions reduction, instruments needed, 772
– – U.S., some taxes increase emissions, report, 1220

– Economic recovery, Greece, 274
– Environmental performance reviews

– – Ireland, recommendations, 505
– – Japan, recommendations, 477

– Fossil fuel tax subsidies, estimation method development, 1160
– Members, Chile joins, 70
– Nanotechnology

– – Information-gathering initiative recommendations, 48
– – Nanomaterial safety

– – – Activity report, 449; report of recent activities, 956
– – – Series update, 1220

– – Testing, guidelines, 628

– Outlook 2010, SplRpt (1/6/10) S–70
– Pesticide spray drift, website, 542
– Risk assessment, online tools, 579
– Taxation

– – Carbon taxes, windfall from emissions reduction pledges, 577
– – Environmental policy and eco-innovation, impact on, 141
– – Hungary, recommendations for consideration, 219
– – Norway carbon tax extension, recommendation, 272
– – Slovakia, recommendation to eliminate renewable energy exemptions, 1186
– – South Africa, carbon tax recommendations for consideration, 729
– – Sweden, impact on nitrogen oxides emissions, 217

– Toxic substances

– – Computer toolbox for extrapolating toxicity data, 86
– – eChemPortal website

– – – Improvements, 1220
– – – U.S. data available online, 817

– – Emission scenario documents, 48

– Water resources

– – Agriculture, recommendations on pricing, 353
– – Management policy website, 252

ORGANIZED CRIME

– Renewable energy, Italy mob assets, 928
– Taxation, EU value-added tax fraud, 10; reverse-charging directive, 317; Denmark investigation, 1185

OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION (OPIC)

– High-emission projects, U.S. review standards, 1160

OZONE

– Levels, Belgium 2009 data, 653

OZONE-DEPLETING SUBSTANCES

– Carbon tetrachloride, China notice on use limits, 40
– Duties, Russia guidance, 414
– Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, Hong Kong phaseout, 40
– Montreal Protocol successful, report, 956
– Production reduction, North American proposal, 487
– Refrigerants, France reporting requirements, 162
– Trade issues

– – China import/export directory, 82
– – Russia import restrictions, 1183