Browse by: "2009"

Despite progress in recent years, there is growing evidence that OECD countries are not on track to reach some of their key environmental goals. This report examines the strategies and instruments that governments use to ensure compliance with pollution prevention and control regulations, particularly in the industrial sector. It compares the compliance assurance systems of six OECD countries – Finland, France, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States – as well as those of China and Russia. The report provides policy makers, environmental regulators, and other stakeholders with a comprehensive analysis of the design, management aspects, and the main elements of government compliance and enforcement programmes. Focusing on compliance promotion, compliance monitoring, and non-compliance response, it identifies and compares good practices, sets them in context of different countries’ regulatory cultures and highlights the key international trends.

Land is a key input into agricultural production and the agricultural sector remains the main user of rural land in most OECD countries. How land is managed in agriculture, and the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses, are likely to have implications not only for the provision of food, but also for the supply of public goods such as rural amenities, as well as for the quantity and quality of water. Changes in agricultural, agri-environmental, land-use, and regional policies – together with factors such as climate and demographic changes – increasingly affect land use and management choices. This report examines the impact of several policies on farmland conversion using a combination of economic analysis and empirical case studies.

Within the context of sustainable development, natural resources and ecosystem services provided by the environment are essential to support economic growth social wellbeing, and human health. Inaction on key environmental challenges, such as climate change, could lead to severe economic consequences in the future. It is important that the measures governments are taking now to address the economic crisis are designed so that they support – and at least do not compromise – sustainable long-term, environmentally friendly growth in the future. This discussion paper highlights some of the measures governments are already taking to 'green' their approches to economic recovery, and some of the key issues they may wish to further consider going forward regarding the impact of these approaches on the environment.

This Overview Guidance Document summarises the major guidance aspects provided in the OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals, Section 5. This document also develops an approach for a Global Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) process to achieve use of a single globally acceptable feeding study for MRL setting and risk assessment for livestock food commodities that involves four key components: 1) Harmonised Guidance for the Definition of Residue; 2) Reasonable Worst Case Animal Diets/Maximum Reasonably Balanced Diet; 3) Harmonised Table of Livestock Feed Commodities; and 4) Definition of Reasonable Worst Case Livestock Feeding Levels. Each of these components is described and supported by the following resources: (i) a table of raw agricultural commodities; (ii) national and regional tables of livestock feedstuffs; (iii) a glossary of Terms; (iv) comprehensive submission criteria for supervised field trials in support of registration in all OECD countries; and (v) instructions for calculating the 1x (lowest dose) pesticide oral administration level for livestock feeding studies, taking into account the various livestock diets around the world.

This Guidance Manual includes detailed explanations on how to implement the OECD Decision C(2001)107/FINAL, as amended; copies of the Decision C(2001)107/FINAL (Annex A), including Appendices 3 and 4, and Appendix 8 which have been amended by C(2008)156; the updated consolidated lists of waste subject to the Green and Amber control procedures (Annexes B and C); other relevant information to facilitate the implementation of the OECD Decision C(2001)107/FINAL, such as applicable international transport agreements and a sample contract; and queries of the interactive database aiming to facilitate the paperwork of all parties involved in transboundary movements of wastes by providing the necessary information to complete the forms for the notification and movement documents. The database includes the information required by the Decision C(2001)107/FINAL, as amended and some practical information for each OECD member country (http://www2.oecd.org/waste).

Water is a key prerequisite for human and economic development, and for maintaining ecosystems. However, billions of people lack access to water and sanitation services, mainly due to poor governance and inadequate investment and maintenance. This report, which emphasises the economic and financial aspects of water resources management and water service provision, the need for an integrated approach (including governance considerations) to address these complex policy challenges, and the importance of establishing a firm evidence base to support policy development and implementation, summarises the results of OECD work in this area. 

Damages to economic assets resulting from natural disasters have soared in the past fifteen years, and climate change models forecast intensified exposure to extreme weather in many OECD countries. This OECD review of risk management policies focuses on Japan, because the geography, topography and climate of its national territory subject it to serious natural hazards, especially seismic activity and typhoons. The report looks at Japan’s policies in the areas of monitoring, preparing for and responding to floods and earthquakes, seeking out and identifying good practices and areas where improvements could be made. The case studies consider several issues of particular interest to policy makers, such as how to take climate change into account for long term policy planning related to large scale floods, and Japan’s unique earthquake insurance scheme for damages whose probability and impact are hard to accurately assess.

Many countries have sought the involvement of the private sector to upgrade and develop their water and sanitation infrastructure and improve the efficiency of water systems. This book provides a coherent catalogue of policy directions, including appropriate allocation of roles, risks and responsibilities, framework conditions and contractual arrangements necessary to make the best of private sector participation and to harness more effectively the capacities of all stakeholders.

This OECD Emission Scenario Document (ESD) is intended to provide information on the sources, use patterns and release pathways of chemicals used in the pulp, paper and board industry, in order to help estimate releases of chemicals into the environment. This ESD covers the use of chemicals in the making of paper and board and the recycling of paper and board. The main processes considered are paper-making and paper recycling

This Test Guideline describes an in vivo screening assay for fish reproduction where sexually mature male and spawning female fish are held together and exposed to a chemical during a limited part of their life-cycle (21 days). The short term reproduction assay was validated in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and this is the recommended species. The assay is run with three test chemical concentrations and the necessary controls, including a carrier control if necessary. For the fathead minnow, four replicate test vessels are used for each treatment level and control(s). During the conduct of the assay, the egg production is measured quantitatively daily in each test vessel. At termination of the 21-day exposure period, two biomarker endpoints are measured in males and females separately, as indicators of endocrine activity of the test chemical; these endpoints are vitellogenin and secondary sexual characteristics. Gonads of both sexes are also preserved and histopathology may be evaluated to assess the reproductive fitness of the test animals and to add to the weight of evidence of other endpoints.

This Test Guideline describes an in vivo screening assay for certain endocrine active substances where sexually mature male and spawning female fish are held together and exposed to a chemical during a limited part of their life-cycle (21 days). This assay covers the screening of oestrogenic and androgenic activity, and aromatase inhibition. The assay was validated on the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) and the zebrafish (Danio rerio); however zebrafish does not allow the detection of androgenic activity. At termination of the 21-day exposure period, depending on the species used, one or two biomarker endpoint(s) are measured in males and females as indicators of oestrogenic, aromatase inhibition or androgenic activity of the test chemical; these endpoints are vitellogenin and secondary sexual characteristics. Vitellogenin is measured in fathead minnow, Japanese medaka and zebrafish, whereas secondary sex characteristics are measured in fathead minnow and Japanese medaka only.

This Test Guideline describes an amphibian metamorphosis assay intended to screen substances which may interfere with the normal functioning of the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid axis. The assay was validated with the species Xenopus laevis, which is recommended for use in the Guideline. The assay uses three test chemical concentrations and the necessary controls, including a carrier control if necessary. The assay starts with tadpoles at the development stage 51 on the Nieuwkoop and Faber scale and is extended for a duration of 21 days. Four replicate test vessels are used for each treatment level and control(s). After 7 days of exposure, a sub-set of tadpoles from each treatment level is sampled for the measurement of the length of the hind-limb. At termination of 21-day exposure period, developmental stage, snout-to-vent length and hind limb length are measured on all remaining tadpoles. A sub-set of tadpoles from each treatment level is fixed (whole-body or dissected) for histopathology of the thyroid gland.

This Test Guideline is designed for assessing the effects of chemicals on the reproduction of collembolans in soil. The parthenogenetic Folsomia candida is the recommended species for use, but an alternative species such as sexually reproducing Folsomia fimetaria could also be used if they meet the validity criteria. This Guideline can be used for testing both water soluble and insoluble substances but it is not applicable to volatile ones. The Guideline aims to determine toxic effects of the test substance on adult mortality and reproductive output expressed as LCx and ECx respectively, or NOEC/LOEC value. The number of treatment concentrations varies depending on endpoints to be determined. For a combined approach to examine both the NOEC/LOEC and ECx, eight concentrations in a geometric series with four replicates for each concentration as well as eight control replicates should be used. In each test vessel, 10 juveniles F. candida (or 10 males and 10 females adults F. fimetaria) should be placed on 30 g of modified OECD artificial soil using a 5 % organic matter content. The duration of a definitive reproduction test is 4 weeks for F. candida or 3 weeks for F. fimetaria.

This method provides information on health hazard likely to arise from short-term exposure to a test article (gas, vapour or aerosol/particulate test article) by inhalation.

The revised Test Guideline describes two studies: a traditional LC50 protocol and a Concentration x Time (C x t) protocol. It can be used to estimate a median lethal concentration (LC50), non-lethal threshold concentration (LC01) and slope, and to identify possible sex susceptibility. This Test Guideline enables a test article quantitative risk assessment and classification according to the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. In the traditional LC50 protocol, animals are exposed to one limit concentration or to three concentrations, at least, for a predetermined duration, generally of 4 hours. Usually 10 animals should be used for each concentration. In the C x T protocol, animals are exposed to one limit concentration or a series of concentrations over multiple time durations. Usually 2 animals per C x t interval are used. Animals (the preferred species is the rat) should be observed for at least 14 days. The study includes measurements (including weighing), daily and detailed observations, as well as gross necropsy.