NEWS BRIEFS The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is spending too much to clean up contaminated sites be­cause it has failed to employ new, cost-saving remediation technolo­gies, according to a U.S. General Accounting Office report released in May. The report finds that DOE's Office of Science and Technology has yet to remove previously iden­tified obstacles to deployment of technologies that could either save money or speed cleanups of haz­ardous and radioactive contami­nants. For a copy of Nuclear Waste Cleanup: Progress Made But DOE Management Attention Needed To Increase Use of Innovative Technol­ogies (GAO/T-RCED-99-190), call (202) 512-6000.

Fuel oxygenates like methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethanol do less to reduce ozone pollution than better emissions-control equipment, required re­ductions in sulfur content, and controls on evaporative emissions from vehicle gasoline, according to a May report from the National Research Council (NRC). Ozone-Forming Potential of Reformu­lated Gasoline provides an over­view of the nation's reformulated gasoline (RFG) program and con­cludes that EPA should evaluate carbon monoxide emissions, which can be a significant factor in ozone formation, in future as­sessments of RFG's effects. For a copy of the 199-page report, con­tact the NRC at (800) 624-6242.

There is no evidence that the federal government's brown-fields programs are working, a May U.S. General Accounting Of­fice report finds. While the 10 fed­eral agencies involved in funding activities to restore the idle and abandoned industrial facilities known as brownfields are doing a better job of coordinating their efforts, most did not track the extent to which their funded projects created new jobs, lever­aged additional private invest­ments, or preserved undeveloped greenfields areas, the report says. Environmental Protection: Agen­

cies Have Made Progress in Imple­menting the Federal Brownfield Partnership Initiative can be ac­cessed on the Web at http://www. gao.gov/new.items/rc99129.pdf.

Since 1989, losses from cata­strophic natural disasters in the United States have often aver­aged around $1 billion per week, and the total is likely to rise, ac­cording to a five-year study con­ducted by the National Science Foundation. The heavy financial losses resulting from the last de­cade's disasters stemmed prima­rily from changes in climate, rapid growth in earthquake-prone regions and coastal communities, and growing infrastructure den­sity, the report finds. For a copy of Disasters by Design: A Reassess­ment of Natural Hazards in the United States, call the National Academy Press at (800) 624-6242.

A U.S. ban on organophosphate and carbamate pesticides would boost foreign food imports while hurting American farmers, claims a study conducted by Texas A&M University and Au­burn University. EPA is reviewing the health risks of the two pesti­cides groups, which environmen­talists say are toxic to humans. Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the study ana­lyzed the financial impacts of a potential ban on 14 crops, includ­ing apples, tomatoes, and wheat. Increased insect damage is pro­jected to reduce yields by 1-38%, causing imports to rise by 3-17%, depending on the crop. Impacts of Eliminating Organophosphates

and Carbamates From Crop Pro­duction is available on the Web at http://afpcl.tamu.edu.

Renewable energies gained a stronger foothold in the global power market from 1990 to 1998, a report from the World-watch Institute finds. As wind use expanded by 22% and solar en­ergy by 16% per year during this time period, the use of oil grew at less than 2% and that of coal did not increase at all. Worldwatch attributes this trend to falling wind generation costs, which dropped from $2600 per kilowatt in 1981 to $800 per kilowatt in 1998, and sharper competition in the solar cell market. Vital Signs 1999, which also documents other global trends, can be or­dered from WorldWatch's Web site at http://www.worldwatch.org.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technol­ogy is poised to play a major role in bringing telecommunica­tions services to developing countries, according to "Power Play: Solar Electric Technologies, Markets, & Vendors," an article from the Photovoltaic Insider's Report. PV technology is a natural fit for rural areas where telephone and electrical services are lacking because "there isn't another power source as readily available, or as economically feasible" in the developing world, according to the report's editor. Brazil, Indo­nesia, the People's Republic of China, India, and Morocco are all embracing the technology. The article is available on the Web at http://www.pvinsider.com.

Iceland may become the world's first hydrogen economy if the Icelandic Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Company Ltd.'s goal is realized. A joint venture between Daimler-Chrysler, Norsk Hydro, Royal Dutch/Shell, and Iceland's Vis-torkia, a consortium of six Icelan­dic institutions, the new organi­zation will explore the use of hydrogen as a substitute for fossil fuels. Iceland has been producing hydrogen for over 50 years; one of the first projects will be a hydro­gen fuel-cell powered bus service in Reykjavik. For more details, e-mail hjalmara@althingi.com.

AUGUST 1, 1999 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS • 3 0 9 A