what an odour: A court in Tasmania recently fined a food packaging company for creating environmental nuisance. Classic Foods was charged after allowing wastewater to pool and stagnate, creating an offensive smell in the area. Some residents of nearby Edith Creek found the smell so bad they were forced to leave the area in October 2004. Classic Foods and its managing director, Robert Wilson pleaded guilty and were fined around us $3,600 and us $1,400 respectively. Tasmania's director of environmental management, Warren Jones, said that Classic Foods had been warned a several times before being charged. "That should send a message to other companies so that they take into account the amenity of their neighbours,' Jones added.

epa's role: A recent petition filed in the US Supreme Court (SC) has asked for a review of a lower court ruling that let stand Environmental Protection Agency's (EPAs) refusal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. The petition was filed by a coalition of 12 states, three major cities, one island government and several environmental groups. The petition claims that EPA had "arbitrarily and capriciously' concluded that the Clean Air Act does not give EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, it felt the need for the court's intervention.