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Focuses on the European Union's (EU) rules on the use of hazardous substances in electronic equipment that pose logistics challenges to U.S.-based manufacturers and component suppliers. Impact on manufacturing processes; Limits to the amount of hazardous materials used in electronics products imposed by the EU rules.

The article discusses the impact of the European Union's (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive on the business of electronic ceramic parts manufacturers. The directive bans the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and three other elements in most types of electrical devices soil in EU member states. Among the challenges posted by this directive to ceramic manufacturers are the costly modifications to production processes and the vagaries of reporting a product's RoHS compliance.

The article focuses on the final rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which deregulates reclaimed hazardous secondary materials in the U.S. It states that the final rule does not apply to hazardous secondary material which were discerned as solid waste. It also discusses generator-controlled and transfer-based self-enforcing exclusions from the definition of solid waste ruled by the final rule. The new rule allows persons for formal nonwaste selection in different aspects.

Discusses the requirements imposed on the metal finishing industry by three European Directives. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment; Restriction of Hazardous Substances; End of Life Vehicles.

Reports on the compliance by electronics companies with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive implemented by the European Union in 2006. Percentage of electronics providers who expect their products to be fully RoHS-compliant; Compliance with the directive by smaller companies; Factors hindering companies to comply with the policy.

The article focuses on regulatory developments in plastic additives in China. An overview of the European Union directive RoHS2, which restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, is provided. Information about the Five-Year environmental protection plan in China, along with core themes, is also offered.

The article focuses on the impact of phosphate mining on the health of families and environment in Southeast Idaho. It explores the danger of toxic contamination among the people, land and animals due to construction of phosphate mining in the area. For the residents families ranchers in Crow Creek, their fight is an ethical battle towards a toxic free zone for the next generation.

The article focuses on environmental policies established by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama. The policy changes made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) led by Lisa Jackson are mentioned. The administration is said to have imposed policies on greenhouse gas emissions, launched efforts to address water pollution and is preparing toxic-chemicals policies. Other environmental issues discussed include the coal ash problem and air pollution.

The article offers information on an ongoing study regarding the identification of alternatives to chromium-based substances by the British aerospace industry as the European chemical legislation has announces to ban the use of harmful chemicals that are vital to aircraft manufacture by the year 2017. It reports that the announcement is made under the REACH programme that was introduced to protect human health and the environment from the chemicals. INSET: Hardide alternative offers hope.

The article discusses how the United States Environmental Protection Agency has released its first set of hazard characterizations on 101 High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals. The hazard characterizations are based on EPA's scientific review of the screening-level hazard data that were submitted by the U.S. chemical industry through EPA's HPV Challenge Program or other information previously collected by the agency. Some of the hazard characterizations include a summary of data submitted, EPA's evaluation of the quality and completeness of the data, and an assessment of the potential hazards that a chemical or chemical category may pose.

Reports that the European chemical industry is preparing to fight the threat of unnecessarily strict regulations in the European Union on the control of hazardous chemicals following proposals by the European Union European Commission. Reaction from one official at the European Chemical Industry Council; Major defect in the safety regulatory system; Substances that will be evaluated by the authorities under the proposed system, REACH.

The article reports on the decision of the Norwegian government to implement an environmental directive requiring prohibition on certain hazardous substances (POHS) in consumer products. Under the POHS directive, consumer equipment is defined as any product that is intended for consumers or that can be expected to be used by consumers. This POHS directive is similar to the European Union's restriction-of-hazardous-substances (ROHS) directive in terms of prohibiting lead and cadmium content. In contrast, the EU ROHS also applies to electrical and electronic equipment.

The article reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently released a list of 73 proposed substances it plans to test for potential to disrupt the endocrine system, which is associated with some neurological and developmental health functions. According to EPA, the substances which include acetone, atrazine, chlorpyrifos, glyphosate, permethrin, and toluene, are among those that have the most potential for exposure.

The article announces the decision of the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) to send a team of SEMI executives and environmental health and safety engineers to Beijing, China to discuss upcoming Chinese hazardous materials reduction regulations with China's Ministry of Information Industry. The impact of the regulations on products sold in China is considered.

Reports on the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to allow some potentially responsible parties (PRP) that voluntarily clean up hazardous substances to pursue a cost recovery action against other parties under Section 107 (a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act in connection to the case Consolidated Edison Co. versus UGI Utilities Inc. Significance of the decision of the Second Circuit; Conditions that should be met by a PRP to bring a Section 113 contribution action under the decision released by the Supreme Court in the case Cooper Industries versus Aviall.

Reports on the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a proposal to require Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data to be reported every other year according to a letter sent by the agency to the Congress on September 21, 2005. Other efforts launched by the EPA to reduce the time, efforts and expense of complying with TRI; Benefits of developing a proposal that would require TRI reports every other year; Estimated amount of funds that will be saved by the agency during the nonreporting year.

Reports on the rules which identify the criteria and thresholds that trigger reporting requirements for several toxic substances approved by the Mexican Federal Regulatory Improvement Commission on January 7, 2005. Examples of industries affected by the rules; Launch of an electronic tracking system for hazardous waste generated by the maquiladora system; Reason for the shut down of the Haztraks database of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Focuses on the compliance of companies to the European restriction of hazardous substances directive banning the use of lead in their products. Details on the production of lead-free MiniDisc players at Matsushita Electric-Panasonic; Key factor hampering information on the necessity to adopt the directive; Impact of the decision of Japanese original equipment manufacturers to remove lead from in-shore manufacturing capacity on China.