Garbage tower plan stinks, neighbors say.

Residents of two New York City neighborhoods expressed outrage and contempt last week for the city’s proposal to build a 150-foot tall garage for three Department of Sanitation districts on a site just north of new luxury residential development and a Holland Tunnel exit ramp and ventilation tower.

[News Source]

IOC: China delivers on environmental promises for 2008 (China Daily) Chinese organizers have "delivered on what they promised" to combat air pollution and traffic congestion for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the IOC's coordinator for the games said Thursday. [News Source]

Students demand bus idling ban. Five seventh-graders from Browns River Middle School in Jericho made a case Thursday that the Legislature should ban idling by buses on school grounds. [News Source]

House puts energy technology onus on EPA. Determining how best to speed ethanol and other alternative fuels from refinery to gas pump would rest with the government under legislation the House passed Thursday. [News Source]

Smog law eyed to curb urban vehicle concentrations. The Environment Ministry is eyeing legislation to curb air pollution by regulating the construction of department stores, offices and other facilities that may generate heavy vehicle traffic in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, according to ministry sources. [News Source]

Environmental crime proposal draws controversy. The proposed directive establishes a minimum set of serious environmental offences that should be considered criminal throughout the Community when committed intentionally or with at least serious negligence. Participation in and instigation of such activities should equally be considered a criminal offence. [News Source]

EU puts forward plan to make damaging the environment a crime. Harming the environment should be treated as a crime, the European Commission said Friday as it put forward a draft law that would punish serious offenses across the EU with up to five years in jail or a fine. [News Source]

Buses switch to vegetable oil fuel. First buses have switched to a fuel made from vegetable oils, recycled cooking oils and animal fats in an effort to reduce harmful effects to the environment. [News Source]

Group names top 10 polluting refineries. Environmental activists on Thursday said more stringent air-quality regulations are needed for oil refineries along the Gulf Coast, a region densely populated with petroleum industry plants. [News Source]

Lawmaker’s bill offers an incentive to go flex-fuel. A state senator wants to use tax credits to get people to buy flexible-fuel vehicles. [News Source]

Bill would get biofuels to consumers (Sharewatch) President Bush is promoting such fuels as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and cut air pollution. But their widespread use has been hampered by problems with the current system of transporting and storing the fuels. [News Source]