"It is possible that the management of coastal areas through this notification may not fulfil the aspirations of the people of these areas or that there may be several issues on which their views need to be taken into consideration," minister of state for environment and forests Babulal Marandi said at a conference on coastal area management recently.

Noting that it was imperative to address various facets of coastal environment protection, Marandi said his ministry was examining in-depth issues related to various aspects of the notification. Additional secretary Roy Paul said that though CRZ-91 helped in preventing unregulated development along the coast, its weakness was that it spoke ``more of regulation and less of development''.

It had few ideas on protectingthe environment and not much experience in inter-coastal zone management plans. In this context, he said, the World Bank had agreed to fund an integrated coastal development management programme in India.

US firms to report even tiny toxic releases
US companies will soon have to publicly disclose the release of even small amounts of persistent, long-lasting toxins into the air or water. President Bill Clinton announced last week that the US will tighten reporting rules on toxins like dioxin, which can accumulate in the environment so that even small releases can lead to serious health and environmental problems.

As of January 1, 2000, companies that use even small amounts of 27 chemicals known as persistent bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs) must report their air and water discharges to the public. PBTs are chemicals that do not break down readily. They can build up in the environment and may be passed up through the food chain to large predators-and humans.

The regulations, which will beimplemented by the US Environmental Protection Agency, provide the first reporting requirements for dioxin, a toxic byproduct of waste incineration and chemical and pesticide manufacturing. Dioxin has been linked to cancer and birth defects, and was an ingredient of the defoliant Agent Orange.

``We're acting to protect families against some of the most dangerous chemicals ever known, including mercury, dioxin and PCBs,'' said Clinton in his weekly radio address to the nation. ``These chemicals are troubling for two reasons. First, they don't break down easily; instead they build up in the environment, and in our bodies. Second, many of them heighten the risk of cancer or other illness, even at very low doses.''

Greece in hot water over failure to protect turtle
TOURISTS and turtles are competing to enjoy the Bay of Laganas on the Greek island of Zakynthos, and the turtles are losing. The conflict has made Greece the target of a lawsuit brought by the European Union, of which Greece is a membercountry.

The European Commission decided to make an application to the European Court of Justice against Greece for failure to fully protect the rare Mediterranean sea-turtle, Caretta caretta, in accordance with the European Union's Habitats Directive.

The commission is dissatisfied with the safeguards applied on the Greek island of Zakynthos, where important nesting beaches for the species are not being sufficiently protected.

Ecosystem report invites collaborators
IT is a work in progress, documenting the condition of natural resources in the US, and everyone is being invited to participate. A wide range of experts from industry, conservation groups, academia and government agencies are collaborating on an environmental report for the US organised by The Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. The report is a prototype, intended to elicit comments, criticism and suggestions on its format and preliminary findings. The Center plans to issue an expanded report covering allAmerican ecosystems by 2001.

``This is the first step towards truly reliable and regular reports on the condition of our natural resources,'' said William Merrell, president of the Heinz Center.