A study by Innovate UK has reported that supposedly environmentally friendly new “low carbon” homes are using up to 3.5 times more than they were designed to.

The report concludes that real life carbon emissions can not be assumed to link in anyway to emission estimates provided for planning consents or on energy performance certificates.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/low-carbon-homes-best-strategies-and-pitfalls

DEFRA announces that they received seven responses to this consultation. The environmental permitting regulations will be amended to include the testing standards as soon as possible. The regulation will come into force on 13 May 2016.

The European Union has withdrawn the approvals for 3 commonly-used biocides following a decision made on 27 January.

The three biocides are:

Triclosan Cybutryne Poly(hexamethylene) biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB) Of these, triclosan is the most widely used and is commonly found as an antibacterial in soaps and other cosmetic products including toothpaste, although use has been declining recently. It is listed as a “specific pollutant” under the Water Framework Directive. It was estimated in 2014, by the Environment Agency, that as many as 450 water bodies in the United Kingdom could have triclosan levels in excess of the proposed limit of 0.28 µg/L.

Triclosan can be measured in waters at or below the above level using High Performance Liquid Chromatography linked to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). This technique can also be used to measure the levels of triclosan in cosmetic products, following extraction of the triclosan.

HSE has today informed Foodles Production (UK) Ltd that it will be prosecuted over four alleged breaches of health and safety law. The charges relate to an incident during filming of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which left Harrison Ford with serious injuries after he was hit by a heavy hydraulic door.