vEPA
United States
Environmental -.Protection;
Agency^'-'.
Office of International Activities June 1998
Mail Code 2610R 160-K-98-002
http://www.epa.gov/oia/crp.htm
Environmental Cooperation in
Gentral and Eastern Europe
and the New Independent States
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-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of International Activities June 1998
Mail Code 2610R 160-K-98-002
http://www.epa.gov/oia/crp.htm
vvEPA Dark Past, Bright Future
Environmental Cooperation in
Central and Eastern Europe
and the New Independent States
Neglect, mismanagement, and overuse of the
environment and its natural resources were among
the many unfortunate byproducts of the centrally-
pianned economies in Central and Eastern Europe
and the former Soviet Union. The heavy industrial
activity characteristic of the post-World War II -
period took a heavy toll on both the region's
population and its environment. The case .of the city
of Ostrava (in what is now the Czech Republic) was-;
not unusual. By the late 1980s, Ostrava had become^
a sprawling industrial center dedicated to the .
production of coke, iron, and steel. Plumes of black _
smoke streamed into the sky, and on especially bad
days, atmospheric conditions kept the pollution ;
hemmed in over the town's 330,000 residents.; ~
Respiratory illness, cancer* and infant mortality
were on the rise.
Working closely with Czech counterparts, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was
able to help address the severe pollution problems
in Ostrava. As a result of this collaboration, the
Ostrava city government and a local coke producer
signed a landmark environmental compliance
agreement to close coke ovens and reduce air
pollution. This was only part of the story, however.
Environmental information, once very difficult to
obtain* was becoming more accessible and reliable.
Municipal of flcials were beginning to use tools
such as risk assessment to improve their decision-
making. As a result, Ostravans — and many others
in the region — are today breathing cleaner air.
: /The dismantling of the socialist bloc provided an
opportunity for the United States and other nations
to work with tne peoples of Central and Eastern
Europe (CEE) and the New Independent States of
the former Soviet Union (MS) in addressing their ,
environmental problems. The U.S. government
responded by including funding for environmental
programs in the Support for EastEuropean: ,
Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989 arid the Freedom ....
Support Act of 1991, which also authorized EPA to
assist in the effort While EPA had been involved
with several countries of the region prior to 1989,
these newU.S. initiatives greatly increased EPA's
ability to provide technical assistance, with financial
support from the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) and in partnership with
other U.S. agencies.
Although EPA takes great pride in the results of
its work since 1990, the most satisfying results have
been better environmental management practices
that Ijgss become self-sustaining. At the same time,
while EPA is glad to be "working itself out of a job"
in the region, the job is far from finished.
The following pages recount some of the
formidable environmental problems faced by the
region in 1989, and the ways in which EPA has
helped meet these challenges. In the process, EPA
is contributing to the region's recovery and its goal
of sustainable development, as weE as to the
strengthening of new democratic institutions.
A Legacy of Pollution
The outmoded, energy-intensive technologies that
were such an integral part of the CEE and NIS
region's economy in the post-war era not only
wasted resources, but also caused severe local,
regional, and transboundary pollution problems.
Government subsidies for energy and raw
materials kept prices artificially low, eliminating a
key incentive to conserve natural resources. And
while environmental laws were on the books in
many countries, their implementation and
enforcement were too inconsistent to significantly
alter behavior.
Central planning left other obstacles behind in
the region. Effective environmental management
requires easily accessible data; however, the flow of
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
RUSSIA
Integrated Risk
Management
Located In a "hot spot" of severe
environmental pollution In the
Ural Mountains, Nizhnil Tagil
(population 430,000) has the
highest rate of lung and stomach
cancer in Russia; the Incidence
of bronchial disease In children is
twice the national average. For
these reasons, Nizhnli Tagil has
been designated as an ecological
emergency zone under Russian
law. Since 1994, EPA has worked
with the U.S.-bnsed Institute for
Sustainable Communities (ISC),
along with local and national
Russian authorities, to improve
environmental conditions and
human health in Nizhnli Tagil.
Project activities have included
implementing pollution preven-
tion and control strategies at
local Industrial facilities, Intro-
ducing the use of scientific risk
assessment to local officials, and
soliciting public participation In
environmental decision making.
The results Include a 70%
reduction In the frequency and
severity of children's asthma
attacks, significant improve-
ments in the quality of the city's
drinking water supply, and
reductions In metals discharged
to the city's wastewater
treatment plants.
information in most countries in the region was
hampered by a tradition of secrecy and poor
communication between local and national agencies
and between ministries. This deficiency weakened
environmental institutions, especially at the local
level. Due to a shortage of skilled staff, local
institutions were poorly prepared to deal with the
shift of authority away from the central government
Environmental neglect in the region has resulted
in a staggering array of problems affecting the air,
surface water, ground water, soil, and coastal and
marine zones. The impacts can be found in almost
any setting; rural and urban areas, forests, and
agricultural lands. Where geography has lent itself
to concentrated industrial activity, "hot spots" of
environmental pollution have emerged, such as the
"Black Triangle" area (which includes portions of
the Czech Republic, Poland, and eastern Germany)
and the Nizhnii Tagil area in Russia. Many of these
hot spots continue to threaten human health and
impair the function of local and regional ecosystems.
The pressing need for infrastructure improve-
ments and the demands of social programs have
made competition for environmental project
funding intense. Decision makers in the region
therefore are faced with difficult choices regarding
which problems to address now and which to defer,
and how to use very limited budgets to achieve
meaningful environmental improvement
In addition, environmental issues must compete
not only for monetary resources, but also for public
attention and participation. Environmental activism
was one of the few outlets for public dissent
permitted under the old system; logically, it became
a major focus of protest in jnany countries during
transition. However, the tradition of constructive
public involvement in the region is generally
underdeveloped, and other problems (like
unemployment) are overshadowing environmental
interests. The attitude that the "environment can
waif for better economic conditions is reemerging
in some parts of the region, making the job of
environmental managers and decision makers even
more difficult
In spite of these problems, many aspects of the
region's past bode well for the future of its
environment. Vast tracts of land poorly suited for
industry have been left virtually untouched. There
is a good supply of trained scientists, engineers,
and other environmental and planning
professionals. Infrastructure in the major urban
areas often was well planned and included efficient
systems of mass transit. And given the limited
availability of goods under communism, people did
not develop the consumer habits so common in the
West, although this is rapidly changing.
Environmental conditions in the region have not
been static since 1989. The economic difficulties of
the transition led to a decrease in industrial
production and a large number of faciEty
shutdowns, which in turn translated into a
significant drop in pollutant emissions. This
improvement may be short-lived, however—
production is on the way back up, consumption
patterns are changing, and more people are
continue, the pressure is mounting on an already
compromised environment, making it essential to
continue efforts to improve environmental
protection and management throughout the region.
Partners in Transition
Although EPA had been working cooperatively
with environmental institutions in the region prior
to the fall of the Berlin Wall, such activities
increased dramatically once political change began
to take place. As work in the environmental sector
expanded, the U.S. Department of State and the
U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) requested EPA's assistance in
implementing projects in CEE, Russia, and ,
Ukraine. Tp date, total funding for EPA-led
environmental projects in the CEE and NIS regions
exceeds $60 million.
EPA's 25-plus years of domestic and international
experience has proven invaluable for the job. The
Agency is able to draw on its own experience and
experts from its headquarters and ten regional
offices, as well as from many other cooperating
agencies at the federal, state, and local level. EPA's
long list of governmental and multilateral partners
in CEE and NIS projects includes tlSAID; the U.S.
Departments of State, Commerce, Agriculture, and
Energy; the World Bank; the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD);
the United Nations (UN); the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); and the
European Union (EU). In addition to these
institutions, EPA has developed partnerships with
many state environmental agencies, non-govern-
mental organizations (NGOs), universities, as"well
as engineering and other professional associations.
CEE and NIS organizations have also played a
central role in shaping and implementing EPA's
environmental work in the region. Mirroring the
range of U.S.-based partners, CEE and NIS project
partners have included national, regional, and local
governmental organizations, as well as NGOs and
private sector interests.
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
Environment for Europe
One of the most comprehensive attempts to
coordinate regional efforts thus far has been the
Environment for Europe process, which brings
together countries committed to a sustainable
future, with a special emphasis on the CEE and NIS
regions. Environment for Europe seeks to direct
resources to the most critical environmental
problems and avoids duplication of effort It also
provides an international forum for developing new
policies and for setting regional priorities.
Since its inception in 1991, Environment for
Europe has held three conferences attended B~y the
environment ministers of alLthe member countries;
including the United States, Through; {
recommendations adopted at the 1993 ministerial:
conference held in Lucerne, Switzerland, the
Environmental Action Program for Central and
Eastern Europe (EAP) was created.
EAP activities concentrate on three major goals:
1) to promote the integration of environmental and
economic considerations to ensure sustainable
development; 2) to make the business of managing
the region's environment more efficient and
effective by "building institutional capacity'
("capacity building" refers to a broad array of..:.
activities, ranging from enhancing the skills of
individual staff members to improving an
organization's structure, management, and ; :. _ :_•
strategic planning); and 3) to conduct technical
assistance and investment programs to improve
environmental conditions in areas experiencing the
most acute human health or ecosystem threats.
EPA, in cooperation with USAID and the
Department of State, has sought to advance each of
these goals throughout the region.
Guiding Principles
EPA'aactivities in me CEE and NIS region are
guided by several fundamental principles — to
ensure that the Agency's projects not only achieve
significant environmental results, but also serve as
catalystsforother environmental improvements.
Environmental projects and programs are
developed with the following in mind:
• Problems should be prioritized based on health
risk and sound technical and econpmic principles;
• Conditions that pose serious near-term threats to
human health or ecosystems should be
addressed first;
, • Practical and low-cost solutions should be used
whenever possible;
• The public should be involved in environmental
decision making; .j.^-Z,~
"Local and national expertise should be developed
through training and professional exchange
programs; "'"•:;••_. ; " /'""""'
• Successful projects should be replicated in new
locations to buikj.expertise.arid momentum;
• Investment in environmental infrastructure
^ should be strongly encouraged; and
• Regional cooperation to address_commoff
fi-i.. . - • : '.":'•'- ,/
problems should be promoted wherever feasible.
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
KAZAKHSTAN
. TURKMENISTAN
-------
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
Environmental Solutions:
EPA Project Highlights
Since 1990, EPA has conducted oxer seventy
environmental projects in the CEE and NTS region.
The following pages present a representative sample
of EPA's accomplishments in theTregion to date.
Air Pollution
Airborne pollution has been one of the greatest
environmental risks identified in the region. The
main human health concerns are typically \;
associated with sulfur dioxide (SO2) and participate
matter, which are byproducts of various types of :
older industrial facilities, including'CQaJ-burnjng
powerplants. •
Project Teplice focused on air pollution
problems in northern Bohemia in the Czech-
Republic — part of the infamous "Black Triangle"
area. EPA, along with the Czech Ministries of
Environment and Health, monitored air quality and
conducted assessments to identify health effects
from air pollution and select the most effective
pollution abatement strategies. Analysis of
information collected by the monitoring network
demonstrated that household coal furnaces were a
major source of the airborne pollution, a finding
that convinced decision makers to seek ways to
reduce these emissions, hi response, the Czech
government accelerated its program to convert
homes from coal to natural gas by establishing a
special fund (six billion crowns or $240 million) to
subsidize conversion costs.
While air pollution may be an obvious problem in
many areas, local agencies often lack the equip-
ment needed to assess the problem and to identify
effective solutions. Under the Krakow Air
Monitoring project, EPA and Polish environmental
experts worked together to identify and measure
the major sources of industrial, residential, and
vehicle emissions. First, a network of continuous
air monitoring and meteorological instruments was
purchased and installed to provide real-time air ,
quality assessments in Krakow. As a result, several
major industries in the area sere, required to
redesign their processes; install pollution controls,
or s&t%wn.Witf the stationary source problem
now well understood, the focus of the Krakow air
project has shifted to the more challenging "non-
point" and "mobile" sources. EPA is continuing to
work with Krakow authorities to develop effective ,
pollution control strategies, especially in the
transportation sector. The success of the Krakow
air monitoring network has generated great
interest in other Polish and CEE cities.
. _.;iln addition to introducing new monitoring and
control technologies, EPA also has transferred
some very low-cost techniques, such as the "visible
emissions .evaluation" (VEE) method for air
- emission's monitoring. VEE is a qualitative but
standardized method for. deter mining the relative
severity of air pollution from stationary sources ^
r:_ba'sed on the visual characteristics of the "plume."
This inexpensive monitoring technique greatly
simplifies inspections and, when properly applied,
1 .strengthens local enforcement efforts. Tested at
the local level in Volgograd, Russia. VEE's success
prompted the Russian Federation State Committee
for Environmental Protection to expand use of the
technique to several other regions. Other
approaches tested in Volgograd, such as,ejpcussions
standards based on a given pollution control
technology, provided input to the development of
Russian air quality legislation. -:_.
RUSSIA
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
POLAND
Rural Water Quality
Water quality In rural areas Is a
particular health problem in
Poland. Agricultural practices
cause Irrigation water and runoff
contaminated with animal waste,
pesticides, and fertilizers to
enter shallow ground water
supplies that are used for
drinking. In response to this
situation, EPA sponsored the
Agriculture and Water
Quality Protection project
to demonstrate environmentally
sound agricultural and household
management practices. One of
the most effective was an animal
waste containment system that
dramatically reduces the volume
of contaminated runoff from
livestock operations. Polish
farmers In the area rapidly
embraced this and related
approaches, and what began as
four small-scale demonstration
Water Pollution
projects has now been replicated
at more than 200 Polish farms
and has attracted additional
funding from the European Union.
The World Bank also has used
these demonstration projects as
the basis for promoting a
national effort along similar lines.
GEE and NIS communities face a range of water-
related problems and health risks similar to those
of the United States, and EPA's programs have
sought to address these issues in many locations.
Providing safe drinking water to city residents
was one of the main goals of the Krakow Water and
Wastewater Improvement project This joint EPA-
Polish effort used an integrated approach to the
problem, focusing not only on improving water
treatment, but also on protecting the water's source
and developing local awareness of the issues. With
a>financing provided by the Poles, this project
resulted in the installation of modern ozonation and
chlorination equipment to disinfect the drinking
water supply for 400,000 residents. EPA-supported
watershed protection efforts, led by the University
of Iowa and the Water Environment Federation,
focused on improving the quality of agricultural
runoff and on forming the Raba River Watershed
Association. The Association has helped to improve
local water quality, and to institutionalize
environmentally sound practices in the watershed.
Finally, the U.S. non-profit association Water for
People helped establish a Polish "Blue Thumb"
group, which is a highly successful program that
educates school children on the importance of
clean water.
The Drinking Water Quality Improvement
project in Latvia's second largest city, Daugavpils,
demonstrated how to enhance the performance of
existing treatment systems without large capital
investments. Many of the improvements resulted
from no- or low-cost process modifications
recommended by EPA and Wisconsin state experts
who had evaluated the city's treatment plant
operations. In addition to the process modifications,
the EPA team provided chlorination system
equipment and upgraded laboratory capabilities.
The training of treatment plant operators and
laboratory technicians has played a key role in
making the process and equipment upgrades work.
A team of EPA, Wisconsin, and Latvian
environmental managers also tackled the problem
of how to protect future ground water supplies in
Daugavpils. The team developed a wellhead
protection plan for the city, identifying strategies for
addressing current and future threats to ground
water quality. Finally, at the request of the Latvian
government, U.S. experts assisted in the
development of a national ground water protection
strategy based on the Daugavpils experience.
In Ukraine, more than thirty million people,
including the residents of fifty urban and industrial
centers, rely on water from the Dnipro River Basin.
The Kaniv Reservoir Assessment project was
undertaken to help Ukraine's Ministry of
Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety to
protect public health and aquatic resources in the
Dnipro Basin. EPA introduced water quality
management techniques and provided equipment
for water quality monitoring and analysis. This
three-year partnership between EPA and Ukrainian
scientists improved their procedures for collecting
and analyzing water quality data, as well as for
modeling basin water quality. As a result of this
project, Ukrainian scientists are adapting these
approaches to other portions of the Dnipro as well
as to other river basins in their country.
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
Solid and Hazardous Waste
Primarily due to intensive industrialization, there
are many solid and hazardous waste sites located
throughout the CEE and NIS region. Left
uncontrolled, contaminants from these sites can
seriously impact drinking water sources, topsoil,
river and ocean sediments, and even air quality. :..:"-
Some of the most contaminated sites are often
found at active or former military bases.
To help tackle these problems, EPA is working
in two communities in Romania where industrial
wastes containing large amounts of lead were
improperly disposed, contaminating the local soils.
As a result, many of the children in these
communities have very high blood-lead levels. EPA
provided equipment and training to help local
environmental health officials assess the impacts of
lead exposure on the population and to map its
principal sources. Additional technical support was "
provided to help Romanian officials design a
cleanup plan for the most contaminated soil using
cost-effective technologies.
As part of Project Silesia, EPA and Czech
experts used risk assessment, benefit-cost analysis,
and other tools to identify safe and cost-effective
cleanup options for an abandoned coke oven
"brownfields" site in Ostrava. The site, located in
the city's center, had not been redeveloped due to
extensive ground water' cpntaniination and other
health risks. However, the strength of the analysis
provided by the EPA-Czech project team prompted
the Czech Council of Ministers to commit
approximately $40 million to clian up the site for
future redevelopment • J ;-
Rocket and jet fuel spills and leaks, along with
other military wastes disposed at the Siauliai
Airfield in Lithuania, have contaminated a shallow
ground water source used as drinking water by local
residents. This site is one of the Lithuanian
Environment Ministry's highest priorities. EPA
helped Ministry officials to assess the extent of the
contamination problem and to develop a site cleanup
and control plan. As ground water contamination
posed significant health threats elsewhereJn the
region, EPA also was asked to assist in jieveloping a
wellhead protection plan similar, to the one in
Daugavpils, Latvia. The plan helped initiate a
national ground water quality monitoring program
and promoted better cooperation among Lithuanian
environmental interests.
' ::ie
Waste Policy benSioii-"!!^
stration pfojeji wiEJnjflated
baseci parlnireT^has ;coftaucted[,.
rassistartct to improve: the ability
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of the EnvironmeM ancl ISC then
helped two cofnfnuhities to ; f
/develop and implemeMnevy solid
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programsjncluded c;iirbside
stin landfills, and
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the aWrbach is being replicated
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in additionalSornmunities: S :•: " .,
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
POLAND
BiosolMs Technology
EPA Is working with Polish
experts to use blosollds (sewage
sludge) to revegetate and
detoxify land in Katowice that
had boon contaminated by the
Improper disposal of coal mining
and metal smelting wastes. This
land reclamation technique helps
to control dust emissions and
prevent the contamination of
surface and ground water
supplies. Revcgetation also
Improves the appearance of the
affected area, and provides a
beneficial use for the biosolid
waste. Results of the
demonstration project have been
very promising, and additional
sites are now being Identified by
the Polish government to
continue the effort on its own. A
similar project Is currently
underway In Nizhni! Tagil, Russia,
to test different methods of
reclaiming land contaminated by
copper mining waste. If effective,
the reductions in airborne and
waterborno contaminants from
the site will help clean up and
protect a nearby drinking water
reservoir. The low cost and
promising results of these
projects has prompted U.S.
officials to Investigate the
application of this technique to
similar land reclamation
problems In the United States.
Technology Transfer
Technological innovations have prompted
countless changes in how environmental data are
collected, analyzed, and used to make decisions
since EPAfirst opened its doors in 1972. High
quality and accessible environmental information
has become one of the cornerstones of effective
environmental management Similar changes have
been occurring in the CEE and NIS regions, where
greater access to new technologies and information
are rapidly changing how the public and decision
makers view the environment EPA has played a
key role in this transformation by incorporating
many new environmental and information
technologies into "capacity-building" projects that
promote improvements in environmental
management institutions and greater public
involvement For example, a significant component
of previously described air quality work in Poland,
the Czech Republic, and Russia involved the
transfer of monitoring equipment and the training
of local experts in its use.
One of the main tools used to create a more
informed public and promote better decision
making is the Geographical Information System
(GIS). GIS is a computer-based mapping system
which can be used to store and display
environmental and other related information to
identify pollution sources and track trends_over
time. Use of GIS has been central to several EPA
projects in the region, including the GIS project
conducted with the Slovak Environmental Agency
(SEA). Through this project, EPA and the SEA
have built a national GIS infrastructure, enabling
environmental management decisions at the
national level to be made with more and better
information. The SEA uses the national GIS to help
local districts incorporate environmental
components into their annual urban planning
process. The GIS system also has made
environmental information more accessible to the
public, for example, by providing maps depicting
local and national environmental conditions.
Lack of adequate environmental data can
severely restrict the ability to address priority
issues. In Ukraine, radioactive contamination
resulting from the Chernobyl reactor accident and
from uranium mining clearly represents a major
environmental threat. Budget constraints and a lack
of adequate information, however, have greatly
hampered decision makers. The Radiation and
Nuclear Safety Management project was
undertaken by EPA at the request of Ukraine's
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear
Safety. The focus of the project was to provide a
means of obtaining high-quality, quick-turnaround
radiochemistry data to identify and assess potential
health threats from various radiation sources
throughout the country. The solution identified for
this problem was a "mobile radioecology
laboratory." EPA, in cooperation with the United
Nations Development Program and USAID,
provided Ukraine with one of the world's best-
equipped mobile radiation monitoring laboratories.
The EPA project team worked closely with
Ministry officials to design the lab and train its
operators. The mobile lab is now conducting on-site
contamination assessments of potential public
health threats around the country.
-------
EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
Policy Reform
rtEinrin: vc^sm
CEE and NIS governments are certainly no
strangers to the idea of reform. However,
government institutions everywhere struggle with
the effort required to integrate economic, financial,
technical, and political information into a coherent
planning process. Environmental policies have
entered this complex planning arena, but they
frequently suffer in CEE.and NIS countries due to a
paucity of information and releYantexperience _ !
within key government agencies. " ~
In the Strategic Planning project in Hungary,
EPA is assisting the Hungarian.Ministry of
Environment and Regional Planning (KTM) to
develop long-term strategic and operational plans.
EPA has trained KIM staff and managers on
benefit-cost analysis, conflict resolution, and
strategic planning. Response within KTM has been
enthusiastic, and the project already has led to
improvements in how the Ministry integjates its ._•'"
budget and program planning. The project will -
continue to assist KTM in the development and
implementation^ a comprehensive jstrategiqplati
to set national environmental and econornic goals.,
Balancing the needs of economic development
with those of environmental protection is a
challenge facing all nations, especially countries in
transition. In Estonia, this problem was brought
into focus by the mining of oil shale near the
Kurtna Lakes National Reserve. To resolve the
potential conflict between protecting the Reserve.
with the need to:obtain energy from the oil shale,
EPA and the Estonian EnvironmentalMinistry
conducted a demonstration Environmental Impact
Assessment (E|A) project for the mining operation.
Project activities included training on EIA
principles, public participation, and other "capacity-
building" efforts,The public participation process
was a novel experience for Estonia, and its success
helped the EIA project develop an economically
sound mining plan that protected the Reserve's
water resources and ecosystem. As a result of the
project, the EIA process is now part of Estonia's
national environmental policy framewojk. EPAalso
has plans to replicate the project at a proposed oil
field in Ukraine. •"--, ,; r ::
* *
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industriallzedjcityjjf Qstf aV3, in '
the CzecIT Republic. First, EPA 33
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
SLOVAKIA
Public Infortnati&n
on Toxic Releases
EPA Is assisting the Slovak
Ministry of Health to develop a
national Pollutant Release
and Transfer Registry
(PRTR). A PRTR Is a database
used to track the generation,
release, and fate of pollutants In
the environment. The PRTR will
be accessible by government,
industry, and the general public.
Goals of the project Include
boosting public awareness of the
sources of environmental risk,
promoting better compliance by
industry with applicable
emissions standards, and
improving decisions made by
government and industry on how
to manage toxic compounds. An
effective PRTR also can help
establish a dialogue between
industry and the public on how to
control pollutant releases. This
program is viewed as critical for
Slovakia, due to its degree of
industrialization and its high
concentration of chemical
manufacturers.
Technical Exchanges and
Partnerships
One of most successful capacity-building approaches
employed by EPAin the region has been the use of
professional partnerships, or "twinning." Through
twinning relationships, professional links are
established between organizations, or individuals that
promote information exchange and technical
assistance. These relationships often last long after
the formal close of a specific project
EPA has established such programs in many
countries in the region. In the Baltic countries of
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, EPA's Region 5
office in Chicago focused on improving
environmental data management capabilities. EPA
technical experts worked closely with their
counterparts to identify equipment, training, and
technical assistance needs in this area. Results of
this effort have included improvements in Baltic
area data management hardware and software,
development of CIS capabilities, and establishment
of environmental information repositories.
Similar EPA twinning programs have been
conducted successfully in a number of other
countries in the region. For example, EPA's Region
3 (Philadelphia) office, along with Polish experts,
jointly developed a Hazardous Waste Management
program which includes reclamation and
redevelopment of industrial sites. EPA's Region 1
(Boston) office and experts from Hungary worked
together to establish an alliance to promote water
quality improvements in the Altal-er Watershed
region, an area important for recreation and
tourism. Expert teams from EPA's Region 2, (JSTew
York) office worked with the Bulgarian Ministry of
Environment to improve analytical laboratory
procedures, hazardous waste disposal methods,
sewage treatment plant operations, and public
information and outreach.
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
Training and Education
Among the first needs identified by EPA when
developing its programs in the CEE and NIS region,
training and environmental education have played
key roles in the Agency's capacity building efforts. A
wide variety of training courses were developed
specifically for EPA's work in this region, ranging
from technical topics such as risk assessment and
hazardous waste management to environmental
policy, financing, and strategic planning. The
audiences targeted by these courses and educational
materials include environmental decision makers,
technical staff, the business community, and NtJOs.
In spite of the broad range of topics and
audiences, EPA's training courses share a common ,
approach — the trainings are interactive, using
real-world case studies wherever possible, and
typically are conducted as "train-the-trainer"
exercises to equip the course participants to"
become facilitators and trainers in the future. The
courses typically are conducted as intensive three-
to five-day workshops, and serve to promote
interaction among the participants who often learn
as much from''each other as from the trainers.
Recognizing the need to coordinate regional
training heeds and opportunities, EPA supported the
establishment of Environmental Management
Training Centers (EMTCs) in Bulgaria, Poland,
Russia, and Hungary, as well as^similar organizations
in Ukraine and the Czech Republic. The EMTCs not
only deliver fraining workshops, but also adapt
courses for specific local needs andlanguages,
publish training materials, and serve as general
sources ^environmental information'. Many centers
also coordinate a collaborative network of professors,
trainers, scientists, and environmental organizations
within each country. The success of the EMTCs and
the training program can in part be measured by the
fact that more than 3000 people have participated in
these courses since the program began.
Focusing onaspmewhatyoungerbutvery
important audience, EPA also has fostered extensive
environmental education.efforts in primary and
secondary schools. The Environmental Curriculum
Development project in Poland, for example, trained
teachers to develop community-based environmental
curricula and provided them with hands-on teaching
experience. Fifty of the Polish professionals trained
through this program are now not only teaching
environment in their schools, but also are leading
training workshops for another three hundred
educators. The success of this project has prompted
similar efforts to be undertaken in threeother regions
in Poland, with more likely to begin in the future.
Public Awareness
and Participation
Giving a voice to public desire for environmental
improvement can be a powerful and effective way to
bring about change in a democratic society. EPA's
activities in the region therefore have "consistently
included efforts to increase public awareriess~of
environmentalissues and to promote greater public
participation in the decision making process.
The Ecological Television Center (ECO-TV) in
LTkraine serves to do both. Established at the
request of the Ukrainian Ministry of the^ :
Environment, it produces, and broadcasts programs
on national television each week, providing up-to-
date environmental information to an otherwise
insufficiently informed public. ECQ-TV programs
cover global, national, and regional environmental
issues. The primary focus, however, has been on
community-based projects and increasing public
awareness. As a major provider of media services
for national environmental campaigns, ECO-TV has
produced programs for such initiatives as "Living
Water," which promotes grassrootsatizen action to
improve the quality of the Dnipro, River watershed.
The Blue Thumb project in Krakow, Poland
builds public awareness of, and involvement in,
drinking water issues. Sponsored by EPA and
implemented by the Regional Environmental
Education Center in KrakoHLand the U.S.-based
Water For People association, Blue Thumb works
primarily with school children to'raise public
awareness regarding critical local water issues.
Citizen's water monitoring committees, field trips to
., local water treatment plants, and the formation of
"Blue Thumb" Clubs are among the major
activities. Over sixty Blue Thumb clubs have been
formed, with more than 2,000 students
participating. Membership in Blue Thumb has
expanded to include business owners, city officials,
water and sewage utility operators, civic leaders,
and the media. Blue Thumb's success has led to the
startup of similar programs in Lviv, Ukraine.
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
RUSSIA
Ecological Art
in Niztmii Tagil
The Nlzhnil Tagil Environment
Project (described elsewhere In
this brochure) has given rise to
an unusual public awareness and
outreach project—the
Russian Children's Art
Exhibition. The Exhibition
came about when a Russian
NGO, with financial support from
EPA and the assistance of the
institute for Sustainable
Communities, organized an
ecological poster contest to
promote public awareness of
local environmental issues. The
response was unexpectedly
enthusiastic; more than four
hundred posters and drawings
were submitted by local children
and then displayed to three
thousand viewers. A selection of
these posters has formed a
traveling exhibit shown
throughout the United States,
bringing attention to the
environmental problems faced by
young people In the Russian
Federation. In addition, proceeds
from sales at the exhibit were
used to support Russian NGOs.
Community-Based
Environmental Action
While EPA has worked closely with counterpart
environment ministries to develop national action
plans and policies, it also has been recognized that
a similar process needs to be conducted at the
community level, where most environmental
management actually takes place, hi support of
this, EPA has helped pioneer Local Environmental
Action Programs (LEAPs) in the region. Through
the LEAP process, a community identifies its
environmental assets and problems, and then takes
action to address the most critical issues. The
process is built upon a foundation of public
participation, and seeks to create partnerships
between citizens, industry, NGOs, and the local
government EPA has supported several LEAP
demonstration projects in the region. In most cases,
the projects have been guided by EPA and several
U.S.-based partners—mainly the Institute for
Sustainable Communities and the Green Mountain
Institute for Environmental Democracy.
In Troyan, Bulgaria, project managers organized
a group of interested citizens into committees
which gathered environmental and health
information, evaluated the problems, and ranked
the relative importance or severity of each. The
committees identified the town's drinking water
supply problems as their highest priority. The
Troyan City Council provided financial support to
implement the water conservation measures
identified in the action plan, including a leak
detection campaign.
LEAP pilot projects also have been conducted in
the towns of Radom and Elk, Poland. These
projects successfully demonstrated how LEAPs can
be used to identify and prioritize local environmental
problems, encourage public participation, build
consensus for action, and facilitate investment The
success of the Radom and Elk projects has
prompted many other Polish communities to seek
technical assistance to start LEAPs. EPA and the
Polish National Fund for Environmental Protection
and Water Management are collaborating on a
second phase of LEAP demonstrations to further
build Polish expertise in this field.
Additional LEAP demonstration projects also are
being conducted in the towns of Oroshaza and /
Piispokladany, Hungary in cooperation with the
Institute for Environmental Managejnent In
addition, a LEAP "information network" is being
established to provide communities in the CEE
region with information on how to conduct LEAPs
of their own.
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EPA Programs in Central anci Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
Regional Cooperation
Since countries of the CEE and NIS region face
similar environmental challenges, they can benefit
tremendously by sharing their experiences. EPA
therefore encourages regional cooperation
through institution-building, technical projects,
and the development of creative solutions to
transboundary problems. ;;
The Regional Environmental Center for Central
and Eastern Europe (REG) has played a key role in
fostering this type of approach. Established in 1990
by the United States, the European Union, and
Hungary, the REG is an independent, nonprofit,
international organization located in Hungary. The
mission'of the EEC is to promote cooperation
among tjje diverse environmental interests in the
CEE region. Originally intended to support the
emergence and growth of environmental NGOs
through an active grants program, the EEC now
offers a much wider range of services to
governments, industries, and enyjrpnmental "
institutions. The EEC now has more than 100 staff,
including those in local outreach offices operating
in all fifteen CEE countries. The main REC complex
is a modefn facility located in the town of
Szentendre, on land donated by the Hungarian
government The REC has built a very strong
regional presencerand has become an important
focal point fotenvironmental policy negotiations, a
source of support for theJSTGO 'community, and ah
information resource for businesses. Since 1990,
nine additional donor countries have become
sponsors of the EEC's activities — a testament to its
visibility and success;
EPA also is supporting regional initiatives
endorsed by the nations participating in the " ;
Environment for Europe Conference held in Sofia,
Bulgaria in 1995. These includeJ2EE-wide
initiatives to address lead and urban air pollution,
and to promote the use of environmental impact
assessments (ElAs).
Lead contamination is a major environmental:
concern for the region, especially because it ,. .
disproportionately affects the health and
development of children. EPA therefore has been a
principal supporter of the Bulgarian-led regional
working group devoted to phasing out lead from
gasoline and to improving urban air quality. EPA
also is helping to coordinate the U.N. Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) lead phase-out
initiative with the Bulgarian-led effort.
Ensuring broad public review of proposed
industrial or public sector projects through the EIA
process was one of the first and most successful of
EPA's programs in the United States. EPA also sees
the EIA process as one of the primary tools by
which people of the CEE and NlSregion can review
and promote the environmental sustainability of
both national policies and local development
projects. EPA is supporting the EEC in its effort to
establish a network of EIA experts to develop
improved techniques and practices for the region.
"; EPA will continue its support of these and other
regional cooperation efforts through the next
Environment for Europe conference and beyond.
This approach will increase in importance as the
nations of ihejtegion further develop, and as their
attention shifts to regional economic integration
and the harmonization of environmental standards.
CENTRAL EUROPE
Jhe_ Regional Environmental '.,"'.':
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Exchange Service provides
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reglpnirand fnteffiitiQriaT - *
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elNvirolnmentel training institutes
throughout : the region" to promote
•i.., ,
Network seeks to improve the
training courses, expand the
curricula of individual centers,
and gain recognition for the
EMTCs from the international
•community. Finally, through their
Grants Program, the REC
has helped many new
Sy ronmential NGQs get
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EPA Programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
Future Directions
Governments participating in the June 1998
Environment for Europe Conference in Aarhus,
Denmark will be celebrating their past successes,
but they also will recognize the need to further
improve Europe's environment As nations such as
Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary join
Western Europe in strategic and economic
alliances (e.g., OECD, NATO and the European
Union), greater emphasis will be placed on the role
of the Environmental Action Program (EAP) in
countries of the NI§ and southeastern Europe. This
refocusing of priorities is reflected in the
completion of U.S. assistance programs in Estonia
and the Czech Republic, and the upcoming phase-
out in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the two
remaining Baltic states over the next few years.
Environmental programs of the type described
above are likely to continue in the NTS and
southeastern Europe at least until the end of the
decade. Future U.S. programs likely will evolve
from projects that deliver "technical assistance" to
projects that emphasize investment, sustainable
economic development, and democratization.
Global environmental issues such as climate
change and long-range transport of toxic chemicals
will likely become major areas of focus.
Responding to urgent environmental problems
such as highly contaminated "hot spots" will
continue to be an EPA priority. Many of these
activities in the NIS will take place under the
auspices of either the U.S.-Russia Binational
Commission's Environment Committee, or the
U.S.-Ukraine Binational Commission's
Environmental Working Group, both of which are
co-chaired by EPA.
The U.S. role will continue to evolve in response
to future political changes in the region.
Membership in the European Union and NATO will
change the nature of U.S. relations with CEE
nations from bilateral (country-to-country)
assistance to the promotion of their involvement in
regional and global issues. It signals that these
countries are capable of working more
independently and that the United States will play
an increasingly peripheral role in their policy
reform and capacity-building processes.
The planned refocusing of assistance initiatives to
the east will be facilitated by the establishment of a
new Regional Environmental Center network in the
NIS. EPA, along with the European Union and other
donors, is helping to set up "New REC" offices in
Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Expansion
of the network to Central Asia also is expected.
The covers of environmental magazines and
journals no longer feature soot-covered faces of
children in the Black Triangle or the faceless
statues of Krakow's monuments, dissolved by acid
rain. Some may even believe that the problems
have been solved. Unfortunately, while
environmental conditions have improved during
the past decade, this trend is being reversed due to
increased consumption and renewed economic
activity.
One of the greatest successes of U.S. and
multinational environmental cooperation in the
CEE and NIS region has been the creation of a
dialogue between the development sectors
(transport, agriculture, energy, industry) and the
environment and public health sectors. It is
essential to maintain this dialogue through
continued East-West and intensified East-East
cooperation. It is through this dialogue that the
nations of the region will grow more capable of
restoring their environment and of building a truly
sustainable future. EPA remains committed to
working closely with its partners in the region to
ensure that these challenges are met
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TURKMENISTAN
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