This issue includes articles on dust toxicity measurements and health, advice to enhance the results of your site history investigations, potential remediation techniques for petroleum in soils, and a summary of some of the new CRC CARE research projects. Other contents also include updates to contaminated sites law and policy for Australian states, and recommendations for risk communication in site remediation.

This issue includes articles on bioreactive organoclays as an emerging remediation technology, the potential for laser radar (lidar) technology in supplying energy needs to a nation, the phytocapping powers of the giant reed Arundo donax, and a discussion of the changing landscape of community consultation. We also give you a brief look into the plans for policy surrounding emerging chemicals of concern in Australia, and the implementation of sustainable remediation in Australian and New Zealand contexts.

This edition of Remediation Australasia contains articles on novel digester technology that is transforming millions of tonnes of animal waste into reusable resources in China; the best methods to make the most of your site history information (as part of an ongoing series); a discussion on the importance and issues surrounding environmental insurance; and a unique case study on the successful remediation of a former paper mill site featuring chlor-alkali cell plant conditions.

This issue is a bumper one with a special landfills focus. The large volume of waste that we generate, much of which finds its way into landfills, is an intergenerational issue – will we leave this for our children and grandchildren to manage? This issue explores the current and future state of this dilemma, and looks at ways to manage landfills sustainably. Please tell us what you think – I welcome your thoughts on waste management, landfills old and new, and where you believe the remediation industry will be 20 years from now.

In Issue 12, we shift our focus to the vexed subject of vapour intrusion (VI) and the myriad questions it raises. What is the best way to measure it? How accurate are the various methods of measurement? Are VI assessment guidelines too conservative? Issue 12 of the magazine explores the answers to these questions, and much more besides.

In Issue 13, we look at the updated Assessment of Site Contamination National Environment Protection Measure, which incorporates the latest, best-practice guidance. This issue also includes the final of a series of three articles on landfill mining, offers insight into contaminated land data assessment, takes a look at the global problem of Mercury contamination, and asks if we can rely on commercial laboratory analyses.

In this issue we bring you an update from EPAs, both local and international, and introduce a new opinion section 'From the fringe.' We hope you enjoy this issue and as always, welcome any feedback or content submissions.

In Issue 15, we bring you an update on the highly successful CleanUp 2013 conference, including CARE Award winner Thiess Services. We look at the importance of proper clean-up for small scale asbestos remediation and discover gaps in analytical methodology for contaminants of emerging concern. We also explore the introduction of risk-based remediation decision making in developing countries.

In this issue we examine human exposure to carcinogens that can mutate DNA, and how the risks should be assessed – especially given that there is evidence showing that exposure is more dangerous for children than for adults. Remediation Australasia looks at the debate in Australia over whether ‘age-dependent adjustment factors’ should be incorporated into guides for assessing these cancer risks, as has occurred in the United States.

Issue 17 takes a special look at the issue of soil contamination in Asia, featuring reports from Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand with a particular focus on crop quality. We also bring you an update on the National Remediation Framework, look at issues around the concept of sustainable remediation, and explore the importance of chemical reference materials in improving the accuracy and reliability of testing to ultimately allow better decisions on site remediation.