Australia

Federal, state and territory environment ministers yesterday promised to take a "fresh look at Australia's air quality", vowing to use the plan to prioritise and respond to the review's 23 recommendations.

The review into Australia's air quality standards, last updated in 2003, found that for the pollutants monitored, there was no safe level of exposure. "The results . . . show that there are significant health effects at current levels of air pollution in Australian cities," it said.

Senior justices from Thailand visited Land and Environment Court of New South Wales to better understand court policies on adjudicating environmental cases.

Challenge

Government officials from New South Wales, Australia share experience with environmental officials from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on regulating pollution from industrial enterprises.

Challenge

Hundreds of residents affected by a methane gas leak in Cranbourne will share more than $20 million in compensation paid by Casey Council and the Environment Protection Authority.

A settlement has been reached in the class action by 750 residents and individual property owners will soon be contacted and told how much of the $23.5 million they will receive.

Read full story here: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/gasleak-residents-win-235m-payout-20110325-1c9cy.html

A waste disposal company has been convicted and fined $200,000 for a calculating and profit-driven business venture that saw the illegal dumping of industrial waste at two sites in the outer Melbourne suburb of Greenvale.

Read full article here: http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/media.nsf/7957c9b407150e5f4a256695000c4970/758312326c40e594ca2577fc0008ac89?OpenDocument