United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Information Resources
Management
(3404)
EPA/22Q/N-94-026,/
July/August 1994
vvEPA
INTERNATIONAL
UPDATE
From the Office of Research and Development
THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
PREVENTION PROJECT - EP3
The Environmental Pollution Prevention Project (EPS) is a
joint US Agency forlntemational Development (AID)/EPA
project to promote pollution prevention in developing
countries. To date, the project has established Pollution
Prevention Offices in Santiago, Chile and Tunis, Tunisia.
Two additional offices are being established in Egypt and
Ecuador. EPS promotes pollution prevention by conducting
industrial assessments, through environmental training,
and by establishing pollution prevention information
clearinghouses in the countries. The EPS Headquarters
office in Washington, DC works closely with INFOTERRA
at the EPA Library to provide developing countries and
USAID Missionswith environmental information.
Train-the-TrainerWorkshop
To build international pollution prevention training capacity,
EPS conducted a week-long Pollution Prevention Instructor
Training Course from May 9-13,1994 in Washington, DC.
Subsequentto the course, the AID-sponsored participants
will offer pollution prevention training in their countries.
Course participants included consultants, government
officials, and university representatives from EPS Programs
in Chile and Tunisia, and other country representatives from
Ecuador, Egypt, Argentina, India, Zambia, and the United
Nations Environment Programme(UNEP).
Course topics included definitions and examples of pollu-
tion prevention assessment procedures and process flow
diagrams, environmental accounting, data collection, evalu-
ation of options and international pollution prevention
resources. Two industrial locations were toured by the
participants in orderto observe effective pollution prevention
programs. In addition, the participants developed training
programs and practiced teaching pollution prevention con-
cepts using participatory methods. Follow up surveys are
being developed to determine effectiveness of the course.
Pollution Prevention Assessments
EPS has recently completed five pollution prevention
assessments using US industrial experts and in-country
INFOTERRA/USA National Focal Point
consultants. Assessments were completed at a battery
manufacturing facility, two leather tanning facilities, and
two textile plants. These facilities represent a significant
portion of each country's industrial base and the companies
agreed to be participants in the EPS pollution prevention
program by signing a memorandum of understanding. The
preliminary results of these assessments are very promis-
ing and many process changes were identified that will save
the plants thousands of dollars in operating costs and
significantly reduce pollution discharges.
In the case of one tannery, a process modification costing
less than $5000 is expected to result in annual savings of
approximately $60,000 and significantly reduce chrome
effluents. The assessment at the battery manufacturing
plant identified nineteen pollution prevention opportunities
that could save over$1,875,000 in the first 24 months foran
investment of $687,000. The facility has already purchased
boost-charging equipment ($100,000) and is looking to
purchase a liquid lead atomization mill to reduce emissions
of lead oxide and improve process efficiency.
-Deborah Han/on (ORD/OEETD)
(202)260-2726
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
An increasing number of countries are realizing
the value of environmental awareness, The
EPA is frequently turned to as the source for
information on all aspects of environmental
protection. Is your office working with foreign
governments or organizations to improve the
state of the world's environment? Let your
colleagues know what you are doing! Publicize
your activities in the International Update.
Send any submissions to INFOTERRA (3404)
or email: library-infoterra. Forfurther
information please call (202) 260-5927.
3 DAYS flUlY
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JOURNAL ARTICLES OF INTEREST
"EU Tells Ukraine to Shut Down Chernobyl..." j
International Environment Reporter. 17:12
(June 15,1994), p. 507
During the signing of the Ukraine's Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement with the European Union on
June 14th, the EU Council of Foreign Ministers
requested that the Chernobyl reactor be shut down
permanently. Since the reactor provides at least 35
percent of the country's energy needs, Council Presi-
dent Theodoras Pangalos indicated that some measure
of financial aid (perhaps in the form of a loan) be given to
the Ukraine to ease the strain of locating other power
sources. Pangalos also indicated that EU member
states are unlikely to ratify the Partnership agreement
until the Ukraine signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty.
"Direct Effects of Trade on Environment Called
Small in Study Released by OECD" BNA Daily
Environment Reporter. (June 1,1994), p. A-4
A recent study conducted by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), The
Environmental Effects of Trade, reports that the direct
effects of trade upon the environment are relatively small.
The study states thatdamagesto the environment "stem
from deficiencies in the market's ability to properly value
and allocate environmental resources andthe failure to
internalize environmental costs in the prices of goods
and services". The report also indicatesthatthe negative
effects of trade will "largely depend on whetherornotthe
harmonization provisions of trade agreements allow
governments to determine the levels of risk which they
considerappropriate".
"Refugees, The Rising Flood," Newland, Kathleen.
World Watch. 7:3 (May/June 1994), p. 10-20.
Many factors are driving increasing numbers of people
from their homelands and countries of asylum are finding
it more and more difficult to accommodate them.
Factors addressed include political, economic, and
environmental difficulties as well as ethnic tensions.
Graphics include a chart of global refugees overtime and
a map depicting nations providing asylum.
"Tradeable Greenhouse Gas Allowances Could
Help Developing World, UNDP Says" BNA Daily
Environment Reporter. (June 2,1994), p. A-1
The United Nations Development Program has recently
released a report titled Human Development Report
1994. The report estimates up to US$1 trillion in new
funding from industrialized countriesto developing coun-
tries could be generated by tradeable greenhouse gas
emission allowances. The report also addresses two
problems posed by the emissions trading scheme:
1) agreement by all countries on the total amount of
greenhouse emissions allowed, and
2) determing criteria by which permits will be allocated.
"Ramos Approves Nation's First Biodiversity
Program" JPRS Report: Environmental Issues.
JPRS-Ten-94-014(May23,1994). p. 19.
President Ramos approved the Philippine Strategy for
Biological Diversity Conservation, which will focus on
sustainability, public education and the reform of legis-
lative and fiscal policies that encourage misuse of
natural resources. The Strategy proposes policies
which provide incentives for industries to adopt ecologi-
cally sound practices, including waste minimization,
recycling and resource conservation.
"Brazil's Indians Demand Their Territorial Rights,"
Lowe, Justin. Earth Island Journal. 9:2 (Spring 1994),
p. 27.
Indigenous peoples in Latin America are attempting to
reverse the loss of theirtraditional territoriesto encroach-
ing settlers and logging, energy and mining interests
with effortsto delineate and reclaim these areas. There
is much opposition from government and development
interests, but various tribes have formed a coalition and
a number of NGOs are working on their behalf and
helping tribes to delineate their own land. In many
cases, survey teams have found that areas used by
Indians are those where natural resources are best
preserved.
All materials listed above are available at INFOTERRA in
the EPA Headquarters Library.
EARTHLINK
INFOTERRA's monthly electronic news service,
• iiiii w i i—rviv* ^3 ii lummy cicuu umv« uc7Yvooc;i vioc, I
distributed via All-in-One, provides information on inter- >
I
national environmental newswithparticularfocuson the'
• activities of international organizations. J
I To subscribe to EarthLink send an email message to: •
I library-infoterra. Or call (202) 260-5927 for further I
I information. I
\
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UNEP
Reference Desk
Head Librarian
Elizabeth Behrendt
Reference Librarian
Robert Hulshof
(202) 260-5917 INFOTERRA is contractor
operated and managed by
(202) 260-5638 the Office of Information
Resources Management (OIRM),
(202) 260-3638 Information Management and
1NFOTERRA/EP3 Librarian Services Division (IN/ISD),
Lara Wjggert
(202) 260-9357 Information Sharing Branch.
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