Natural gas pollution is no reason to ban drilling. The debate over natural gas rigs off the coast of Florida is about many things — politics, power, precedent, appearances. But one thing it is not about is pollution. [News Source]

Asphalt plant paves way to heated debate. Several West Side Road residents are alarmed at the presence of a large asphalt plant erected last week in Joe Sprague's sand pit in Rhode Island. [News Source]

Opposition critical of tunnel study. Fumes in Sydney's M5 east and Lane Cove tunnels will be the new asbestos in years to come, Australia's NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam says. [News Source]

ASEAN officials clear the air to implement pollution agreement. Officials from the Association of South East Asian Nations have met in Hanoi to discuss measures to effectively carry out an agreement on transboundary haze pollution. [News Source]

Europe wide study to examine causes of asthma. Imperial College London and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich are to take the lead in a Euro 11 million study to examine how genetics and environment influence the development of asthma in Europe. [News Source]

EPA may change contaminant reporting. The US EPA has proposed changes that would weaken the reporting tool that has been credited with significantly reducing toxic emissions. [News Source]

Sustainable development: Commissioner Dimas at UN to discuss sustainable energy future (EuropaWorld) Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas is representing the European Commission at the ministerial part of the 14th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) in New York from 10 to 12 May 2006. The meeting examinse progress in sustainable energy, climate change, air pollution and industrial development issues. [News Source]

Diesel-run vehicles cause 80pc air pollution in city (Financial Express) More than 80 per cent of the air pollution in Dhaka city is caused by diesel run vehicles as most of them have failed to comply with the approved emission standard, reports BSS. [News Source]

TAIWAN’S ENVIRONMENT MINISTER VOICES SUPPORT FOR ‘GREEN TAX’ (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance) Tax Taiwan's top official in charge of environmental protection said Thursday that he supports a plan by the Yunlin county magistrate to impose "green taxes" on major industrial factories located in Yunlin that are also major sources of air pollution in the south-central county. [News Source]

Taiwan’s Environment Minister Voices Support For ‘Green Tax’ (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ News) Taiwan's top official in charge of environmental protection said Thursday that he supports a plan by the Yunlin county magistrate to impose "green taxes" on major industrial factories located in Yunlin that are also major sources of air pollution in the south-central county. [News Source]