A vacant copper smelter site at Port Kembla is up for sale but the operator says at least 300 homes nearby still have heavy metal contamination.
Urban animals need darkness at night. Here's how three species handle artificial light
Neighbourhood lights can disrupt the lives of animals that are active during the day or night, but there are steps you can take to help them out.
Topic:Explainer
Photo shows An illustration of a red house with its lights off inside at night, a squirrel glider, bogong moth and magpie are outside.Questions over spate of chemical fires in Melbourne
A recent spate of chemical fires in Melbourne has raised questions about the effectiveness of the state's regulators to prevent large-scale industrial disasters.
Has Video Duration: 7 minutes 3 seconds.From remote to inner city, watch the Milky Way fade from sight due to light pollution
Most people in the world live under light-polluted skies. Our interactives show you how even simple changes can bring the stars back into view.
Topic:Explainer
Many Australian towns are contaminated by lead, but sparrows can predict if kids have lead poisoning
Sparrows are often considered pests, but a new study suggests lead levels in the birds' blood could indicate if children in mining towns have been exposed to high levels of the poisonous chemical.
Photo shows A male house sparrow, with brown and black markings around its face, sits on a tin fence.Firefighters' health monitored as investigators probe cause of Melbourne chemical explosion
Authorities have revealed a number of firefighters were treated in hospital for headaches and high heart rates after battling the Derrimut chemical fire.
Photo shows A factory is engulfed in range flames and black smoke.'We get some nutrients back': Farmer praises household composting as new FOGO facility opens
A new organic waste processing plant in Tasmania's north-west means more households will be able to have food and garden waste, known as FOGO, collected. But it's not always easy to offer these types of services in regional communities.
Photo shows food scraps and compost in someone's handIndigenous custodians embrace chance to curb tourism at 'trashed' swimming spot
Traditional owners in the Bellingen Valley now have a big say in how to protect a culturally significant site that has been paying a heavy environmental price for its popularity.
Underwater shipwrecks could harm the environment
Marine researchers are worried about the oil and other chemicals inside the vessels, which could pollute the ocean.
Photo shows An underwater diver looking at a shipwreck.Has Video Duration: 3 minutes 27 seconds.Why enough sewage to fill 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools poured into a Queensland river for three months
The worst sewage spill in Queensland history was caused by corrosion and a local government’s over-reliance on the public and another council to detect leaks, an independent investigation has found.
Photo shows Groups of people stand in a muddy field.Waste sector fears 'catastrophic' electric vehicle battery fires, as first wave of EV batteries reach end-of-life
Isolated incidents of EV batteries landing in the tip will become more common as the first wave of electric vehicle batteries reaches its end-of-life, the sector says, posing more risk of a "catastrophic" landfill fire.
Photo shows A destroyed batterySingaporeans rush to clean oil spill after boats collide
A dredger boat which suddenly lost engine and steering control has hit a stationary cargo tanker, causing an oil spill in Singapore.
Photo shows People with garbage bags in front of a beach covered in oil.Ultra-fast fashion is so last year in France. Australia is being urged to follow the trend
France has moved to curb sales of mass-produced clothes. Could Australia follow suit?
Photo shows Clothing website Shein is shown on a computer screen, and online retailer Temu is shown on mobile phone screen.Old oil and gas rigs in Bass Strait to be decommissioned, but what does it mean for the environment?
The company behind one of Australia's largest sources of oil and gas is planning the removal of about half of its platforms, but environmental groups are concerned it will create a toxic dump in Corner Inlet's wetland.
Photo shows Aerial shot of massive oil and gas rig in the Bass Strait off VictoriaSmall plastic sachets are becoming a big problem across South-East Asia
Popular with manufacturers and consumers across South-East Asia, single-use sachets are a nightmare for recyclers and the environment.
Photo shows A man handed two packets of chili sauce in sachets towards the camera.In a world-first ruling, an international court finds carbon dioxide is a sea pollutant
The UN maritime court ruled in favour of nine island states who had sought greater protection from the impacts of climate change.
Photo shows Three people commute in a small metal boat on calm ocean in front of villas that sit on a green mountainside close to the oceanGold mine in NSW farming country admits waste is leaking into groundwater
A gold mine near Orange in the New South Wales Central West has confirmed its waste storage facilities are leaking and farmers in the area are seriously concerned about the potential impacts.
Photo shows An aerial photo of a mine pitOrica fined $1.2m after Newcastle workers exposed to potentially deadly cobalt dust
The chemical giant was found to have let the risk of exposure go unaddressed for years, but received a reduced fine due to its early guilty plea.
Photo shows An aerial view of the plant with numerous chimneys and steam coming out of themHospitals throwing out '15 bags' of waste from one operation as sector grapples with huge carbon footprint
Doctors say carbon emissions and waste generated by the health sector pose a massive threat to public health, but staff are finding novel ways reduce hospitals' environmental footprint.
Photo shows A clinical waste bin in the basement of Sunshine Hospital in Melbourne.'Last thing community wants to see': Fight to stop used tyres being illegally dumped
While some used tyres end up being recycled, a growing amount are ending up in landfill or being illegally dumped, like this huge stockpile that has been left in a field.
Photo shows Thousands of used tyres in piles spread out over a brown landscape.With a sand mine proposed next door, these country WA residents are increasingly concerned
Bob Horsfall thought the fight was over after the proposal near his Boyanup property was rejected last year, but a revised plan is being reviewed, renewing his concerns about silica dust.
Photo shows An older man in a white shirt and sunglasses stands on his bush property, looking stern