«Ki PA United States Environmental Protection Agency Information Resources Management (PM-211A) EPA/220/N-93 July 1993 INTERNATIONAL UPDATE IVED -tu'-. USAID/EPA CENTRAL AMERICAN PROJECT EPA and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have entered into an interagency agreement known as a Participatory Agency Service Agreement, or PASA, designed to expand and further develop interna- tional training, technical assistance, and information ex- change activities with respect to pesticide management in Central America. This PASA has been established to distribute appropriate pesticide regulation information to developing countries. These countries can then achieve food safety, public health, and environmental protection gains which will ultimately benefit all participants including the U.S. EPA's Collaboration with AID includes elements to: Strengthen Regulatory Institutions through • training, technical assistance, and provision of infor- mation to the ministries of agriculture in Central America • training for Central American pesticide registration managers in Risk Assessment, Toxicology, Envi- ronmental and Ecological Fate, and other disci- plines used by U.S. regulatory officials to evalu- ate pesticide registration and use patterns • providing U.S. regulatory information to Central Ameri- can countries to facilitate informed decision-mak- ing Support Food Export Pronrams with • technical assistance for enhancing the capability of regional analytical laboratories to monitor and detect pesticide residues and training in quality assurance/control of pesticide formulations • up-to-date information on pesticide registration and tolerances (legally acceptable limits of pesticide residues) Provide Training in • the safe and rational use of pesticides, including proper mixing, handling, application, storage, and disposal procedures • status of pesticides undergoing reregistration which may be vital for export crops Current Activities of the Agreement include: • Meeting with key public, private, and international organization representatives to assess pesticide information needs • Establishing a regional pesticide information clear- inghouse in Costa Rica at the Tropicai Center for Agronomic Research and Training (CATIE) • Meeting with Designated National Authorities in each Central American country to assess information needs and communication flow for pesticides and chemicals listed in the Prior Informed Con- sent program underthe United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) international code of conduct on the distribution and use of pesti- cides • Establishing official channels with regulatory counter- parts within the ministries of agriculture to im- prove the flow of information such as FIFRA Section 17 (a,b) notices, regulatory decisions, and technical assistance Cooperating agencies and institutions in this venture include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peace Corps, the World Health Organization, PanAmerican Health Organization, FAO, German Agency forTechnical Cooperation, PanAmerican School of Agriculture in Honduras, CATIE, Institute for Nutrition in Central America and Panama, the World Bank, the interAmerican Development Bank, Group of National Associations of Agrichemical Distributors, and the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture. For further information please contact: Luis Suguiyama, Program Manager Office of Pesticide Programs Policy and Special Projects Staff (H7501C) (703) 308-2961 Antonio Bravo Office of Pesticide Programs Field Operations Division (H7506C) (703) 305-5781 INFOTERRA/USA National Focal Point ------- Journal Articles of Interest Bridges, Olga. "A Comparison in Water Quality: UK and CIS." The Environmentalist. (Winter 1992). Vol.12No.4: pp.255-260. Goldberg, Donald M. "As the World Burns: Negotiating the Framework Convention on Climate Change." Georgetown International Environ- mental Law Review. (1993). Vol.5 No,2: pp.239-275. Hanneberg, Peter. "Biodiversity - A Key to Development." Envlro. (December 1992). No.14: pp.7-9. Montez, Angela C. "The Run Past the Border: Consequences of Treating the Environment Under NAFTA as a Border Issue." Georgetown Inter- national Environmental Law Re- view. (1993). Vol.5 No.2: \jjp.417-439. Pan/in, Jean. "Take Five." [The EC's newest environmental action pro- gram.] Resources. (April 1993). Vol.15 No.2: pp.3-5. Pearce, Fred. "Botswana: Enclosing for Beef." The Ecologist. (January/ February 1993). Vol.23 No.1: pp.25-29. Segal, Jillian and Rosemary Martin. "Shaming World Shipping." [Austra- lia acts to cut oil spill risk.] EnvironmentRisk. (March 1993). pp.39-41. Sklar, Leonard. "Drowning in Aid." [The World Bank's Bangladesh Flood Action Plan.] Multinational Monitor. (April 1993). Vol.14No.4: pp.8-13. Smith, Michael B. "GATT, Trade, and the Environment." (1993). Environ- mental Law. Vol.23 No.2: pp.533-544. "Sustainable Development: Grass- roots Initiatives in Bangladesh." [An interview with Farhad Mazhar, Direc- tor of Policy Research for Development Alternatives.} Multina- tional Monitor. (April 1993), Vol.14 No.4: pp.19-23. White, Allen L. et al. "Corporate En- vironmentalism in Developing Coun- tries: A Tale of Three Multinationals." International Environmental Affairs. (Fait 1992). VoU No.4: pp.338-360. For copies of these articles visit INFOTERRA in the Headquarters Library, call (202) 260-5927, or email libra ry.infoterra. . CONFERENCES Innovative Waste Management Solutions - An Out- look for the Future. October 6-8,1993, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. A forum for the exchange of social, scientific, and technical viewpoints related to the man- agement of solid and hazardous wastes. For informa- tion, contact'. Susan Clarke, Technical Seminar Coordi- nator, Technology Development Branch, Environment Canada, Unit 100, Asticou Centre, 241 Cite des Jeunes Blvd., Hull, Quebec K1A OH3, Tel: (819) 953-5227. International Environmental Laws and Regulations Conference. September 23-24,1993, Marina del Rev, California. Special attention will be given to chemical and product regulations in Europe; recent environmental de- velopments in Mexico, Central and South America, and Japan; and international compliance enforcement. For information, contact: Walter Eggers, Government Insti- tutes, Inc., 4 Research Place, Suite 200, Rockville, MD 20850, Tel: (301)921-2345. NEW BOOKS The Economic Value of Wilderness: Proceedings of the Conference. Southeastern Forest Experiment Sta- tion (USDA). 1992. SD427E35E26 1992. Mobilising International InvestmentforLatin America. Paris: OECD. 1993. HG5160.5A3M68 1993. Science, Technology and Innovation Policies - Hungary. Paris: OECD. 1993. HC300.24S35 1993. The Silent Countdown: Essays in European Environ- mental History. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. 1990. GF540S356 1990. Water: The International Crisis. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. 1993. TD345C59 1993. All of the above titles may be checked out from the International Collection at the Headquarters Library. v»v UNEP Head Librarian Carol Stiles Reference Librarians Elizabeth Behrendt Robert Hulshof Technician Jill Motto rn (202)260-5917 (202) 260-5927 (202) 260-3638 (202) 260-9357 INFOTERRA is contractor operated and managed by the Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM), Information Management and Services Division (IMSD), Information Sharing Branch. ------- |