£EPA UNEP United States Environmental Protection Agency Administration And Resources Management United Nations Environment Programme CARIBBEAN CURRENTS Volume 3, Number 2 March 1994 EP A/220/N-94-015 .to Caribbean Currants, Volume 1tur«e> newsletter 1& assembte&by INK5XEKI Service Centre dSO faw JNKOTRRA belongs to you , the readers You are In the Currents. Please see tfae Qui* niore in^mafion. 1NFOTERRA/ Belize for their contribution Please feel free to contact one another as w materials. who lives, woj&$, or is involved in the) Region. Two. Ibis quarterly /USA, the content to send in any questions, I to the Region for inclusion butionfe0npage4for dime Villanueva of RSC for assistance or ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS FROM OTHER NATIONS Many INFOTERRA requestors are interested in information on the environmental laws and regulations of various countries. Finding this information can be challenging. One problem is that each country has its own process for developing laws and regulations. Although there are some similarities, it is often difficult to know exactly what kind of legal documents exist in other nations. Another difficulty is that there are no simple resources which provide lists of laws from around the world. You can often be of assistance to your requestors simply by helping them identify existing laws and regulations that may be of interest. Of course, everyone would like to be able to find copies of laws in their own language, but a simple list or summary can be very useful. This issue, Caribbean Currents includes a fact sheet with useful information about the U.S. legislative and regulatory processes. Also included is information on how you can obtain copies of laws and regulations. We would like to compile information on environmental laws around the Region. Please share any information you can with the RSC and we will share it with the other NFPs. Any information you can provide is useful. Please feel free to fax or call the RSC with any questions you may have. Thank you for your assistance! Printed c v. c ed Paper ------- U.S. Laws and Regulations There are two primary types of legal rules in the United States: Laws and Regulations. Laws, also known as Legislation or Acts, are established by the Congress. Regulations, also known as Rules, are established by the Agencies and Departments of the U.S. Government Federal Environmental Law in the United States exists in both Laws and Regulations. U.S. Federal Laws Public Laws are proposed in and enacted by the U.S. Congress. A Law begins as a bill in either the Senate or the House of Representatives. After a bill is passed by both the Senate and House, a joint version is created with elements of both the House and Senate bills. If that version is agreed to in both chambers, it is sent to the President for his signature. If the President signs the bill, it becomes a law. If the President vetoes the bill, the House and the Senate must override the veto for the bill to become a law. Laws can require or authorize an Agency to take particular actions. Fa* example, some regulatory powers of the Environmental Protection Agency are authorized by the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act Laws can also amend or update existing laws. Public Laws are integrated into the U.S. Code by the Office of Law Revision Counsel. The U.S. Code is divided into SO Titles, and each Title is divided into many sections. Title 42, Public Health and Welfare, contains many of the Federal laws relating to Protection of the Environment A law is referred to by its number. Many laws also have a "popular name" assigned to them (such as the Clean Air Act). U.S. Federal Regulations Regulations are put into place by the Agencies and Departments of the U.S. Government. The authority for an Agency-like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)~to establish a Regulation is granted by a Law. After a Regulation is developed by an Agency, it is reviewed by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget After this review, the proposed Regulation is printed in the U.S. Federal Register. A proposed Regulation includes a reference to the Law which authorizes the Regulation, a contact for public comment, a date after which no further comment will be accepted, and an explanation of the Regulation as well as the text of the Regulation itself. When the comment period for the Regulation has expired, the text of die final Regulation is published in the Federal Register. This notice includes the date on which the Regulation takes effect After the Regulation is in force, it is published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The CFR is divided by subject into fifty Titles. Title 40 relates to Protection of the Environment For Example: One piece of U.S. Federal Legislation relating to the environment is the Safe Drinking Water Act This Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1974 as Public Law 93-523. One part of the Act authorizes the EPA to set maximum contaminant levels for certain substances in drinking water. Title 40 of the CFR, part 141, contains the maximum contaminant levels established by the EPA. Many of these levels were put into effect in a notice in the Federal Register in December 1975, after die EPA had proposed the Regulations and responded to public comment The Law (Safe Drinking Water Act) allows EPA to set the contaminant levels. The Regulation (40 CFR 141) sets the rules which companies and citizens in the U.S. must follow. See next page for ordering information. ^ ' 1) -2- ------- Additional Information on Laws and Regulations Please note that the information contained on this fact sheet applies to Federal Laws and Regulations. All fifty States are also bound by these Laws and Regulations. There may, however, be additional regulations passed at the State level which apply to environmental issues. For information on State-specific regulation, you will need to contact the environmental department of the State you are interested in. INFOTERRA/USA would be glad to help you locate contact information for these departments. Obtaining Copies of U.S. Federal Laws There are many U.S. Federal Laws which relate to environmental issues. INFOTERRA/USA ^ provide a list of many of these Laws to assist you in identifying which ones may be of interest to you. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a copy of this list Copies of U.S. Federal Laws can be ordered from the Senate Document Room. The Document Room accepts individual requests for up to six documents per day. These publications are distributed free of charge. When ordering laws, please include a mailing label with your request to facilitate delivery. You may contact the Document Room directly at: Senate Document Room Hart Senate Office Building, B-04 Washington, DC 20S10 U.S.A. Please note that orders are accepted only by mail. Shipping and processing time for this free service may result in some delay. If you are in urgent need of the text a U.S. Federal Law, many commercial services and publications can provide this information for a fee. INFOTERRA/USA would be glad to assist you in identifying some of these resources. Obtaining Copies of U.S.Federal Regulations As indicated before, Title 40 of the CFR relates to Protection of the Environment There are currently IS volumes which comprise 40 CFR. You can purchase these volumes separately or as a set Copies of CFR volumes and copies of daily issues of the Federal Register can be purchased directly from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO accepts VISA and MasterCard. Contact GPO at: Superintendent of Documents (GPO) Washington, DC 20402 U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (202)783-3238 FAX: (202)512-2250 INFOTERRA/US A has an extensive index to the CFR. We would be happy to assist you in identifying the CFR sections which relate to your field of interest. We can also provide you with a current list of prices for the volumes for Title 40. If You Need More Help... Please feel free to contact INFOTERRA/USA for any information you need to help you identify U.S. Laws or Regulations related to your environmental work. We are happy to assist you in locating the materials you need. Contact INFOTERRA/USA at: INFOTERRA/USA U.S. EPA Headquarters Library, 3404 401 M Street SW Washington, DC 20460 U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (202)260-5917 FAX: (202)260-3923 i INTERNET: library-infoterra@epamail.epa.gov -3- ------- Welcome to The Caribbean Currents Bulletin Board. Each issue, we will publish questions or concerns of interest to Currents readers. Anyone who has materials or information that they feel will be helpful should feel free to respond. You may either respond directly to the reader who has placed the item, or send the materials to INFOTERRA/USA for forwarding. POLLUTION SOLUTION KITS Puerto Rico's Caribbean Environmental Information Center (CEIC) has been chosen to work in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation for distribution of its kit, Let's Clean Up Our Act: Pollution Solutions in Puerto Rico. The Center has already developed a distribution network to cover educators in grades K-8, librarians, science curriculum coordinators, scout leaders, and government officials dealing with the environment. Any INFOTERRA National Focal Point or Caribbean country government agency may obtain kits directly from CEIC. Please contact them at: Caribbean Environmental Information Center P.O.Box 21150 Rio Piedras, PR 00928-1150 TELEPHONE: (809)751-0239 FAX: (809) 766-1763 thanks to Maritza Alvarez of CEIC for this notice Information Needed on Recycling Programs INFOTERRA/US A receives many requests for information on recycling programs. Although we have a number of publications on recycling in the United States, we have been unable to locate information cm recycling in other countries. We would like to collect information on programs in your countries. Any materials that you can provide, including contacting information, would be greatly appreciated. We are interested in national or local programs. Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using the information on page 4 if you can provide any assistance. Thank you for your participation! Send your Bulletins to the RSC for publication in the next issue. See the Directory on page 4 for information on submitting items. -4- ------- AROUND TME REGION INFOTERRA/USA Manager Visits Belize Ms. Emma McNamara, Manager of INFOTERRA/ USA, made a working visit to Belize on September 6-7,1993 to evaluate the activities of INFOTERRA/ Belize over the past three years. The visit came about from recommendations made at the first Regional Service Centre meeting for the English and French-speaking Caribbean in June of 1991. The main focuses of the visit were: Documentation and collection scheme Referral services to and from other NFPs Outreach efforts Administrative management Future plans Ms. McNamara visited eleven government agencies, academic institutions, and non- government organizations during her trip, including leading Belizean resource data centers. Information gained from these visits included: Details of environmental legislation Major environmental problems affecting resources Development of Environmental Impact Assessment in Belize The newly legislated Environmental Protection Act, of which she received a copy Current and proposed environmental studies programs GIS capabilities in Belize Of particular interest to Ms. McNamara was the Belizean government's commitment to develop and strengthen the existing environmental institutions and resource centers. The newly established Land Information Center (LIC) aims to act as a central information base to support government planning and environmental monitoring activities. In addition, the Conservation and Environmental Data System component of LIC collects and disseminates environmental information among the various data centers in Belize. -Jaime VQlanueva, INFOTERRA/Belize Mona Island Symposium Mona Island! To the casual visitor, it seems a pristine paradise with its blue waters and coral reefs, an open-canopy dry forest, abundant bird life, limestone formations, and a turn-of-the- century lighthouse. Small in size but rich in diversity, this isolated haven has a remarkable allure. Mona Island is a protected nature reserve located approximately 50 miles west of Puerto Rico. It is still in a relatively natural, undisturbed state-a rare condition in the modern world. The beauty of the island, however, conceals the signs of suffering from its popularity. Public education and awareness are key to the sustainable management of this fragile ecosystem. On February 18,1994 the Caribbean Environmental Information Center (CEIC) brought together specialists from several island institutions to discuss issues relating to the conservation of Mona Island. The Mona Island Symposium addressed the island's resources and familiarized participants with several aspects of its ecology. The symposium program consisted of illustrated talks, photo exhibits, and video presentations. Topics addressed include: Recovery of several endangered native species Wildlife habitats of animal and plant species Cave formations Prehistoric pictographs in island caves Current legislation Participants also received an issue of BiblioAmbiente, a bibliographical listing of resources available from CEIC. During his presentation, Norman Veve, an inter- nationally know speleologist, observed that citizen participation in conservation efforts is crucial to the survival of the island's magnificent limestone formations. He stressed the need to protect both priceless history and geological formations from careless visitors. 1 Nature is subjected to accelerating impacts from humans. How can we respond to nature's needs before it is too late? CEIC believes that everyone can make a difference. Through its public awareness activities, CEIC helps to address deficiencies in public understanding of the current and future state of the natural world. The Mona Island Symposium is an example of applying these services to a specific event or process. Future talks planned include biodiversity in tropical forests and biological pollutants in the average home. -Maritza Alvarez Machin. Director. CEIC J) -5- ------- r > About the NFP Directory This directory reflects changes and additions to the INFOTERRA Directory of National Focal Points distributed by INFOTERRAJPAC, dated April 1993. Please check this information to verify that it is correct and up-to-date. If you have any changes or corrections, please notify the RSC as soon as possible. We will be happy to relay the information to the PAC. \\ NFP DIRECTORY Dr. Donald Cooper Marguerite Blemur Department of Environmental Health Services Ministere de 1'Agriculture et des Resources Naturelles P.O. BoxN-3729 et du Developpement Rural Nassau, THE BAHAMAS P.O. Box 1441 Telephone: (809)322-4908 FAX: (809) 322-3607 Port-au-Prince, HAITI Telephone: 509-22-1867 FAX: 509-22-3599 Vernese Inniss Administrative Officer (Environment) Jeanetta Phillips Ministry of Labour, Consumer Affairs and Natural Resources Conservation Dtvlson the Environment Ministry of Tourism & the Environment Marine House, Hastings 53 1/2 Molynes Road, P.O. Box 305 St. Michael, 29, BARBADOS Kingston 10, JAMAICA Telephone: (809)426-8999 FAX: (809)426-8959 Telephone: (809) 923-5155/5125 FAX: (809)923-5070 Jaime Villanueva Vanes ta Moses-Felix Fisheries Department Government Documentalist Princess Margaret Drive Ministiy of Planning, Personnel, P.O. Box 148 Establishment, and Training Belize City, BELIZE Documentation Center Telephone: 501-2-44552 FAX: 501-2-32983 P.O. Box 709 Castries, ST. LUCIA Telephone: (809)453-2005 FAX: (809)453-2506 Mr. Felix Gregoire Forestry and Wildlife Division Ministiy of Agriculture, Botanical Gardens Regional Service Centre (RSC): Roseau, DOMINICA Emma J. McNamara Telephone: (809)448-2401 FAX: (809)448-7999 INFOTERRA/USA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Library, 3404 Mavis Taylor 401 M Street, S. W. INFOTERRA Director Washington, D. C. 20460. USA c/o UNDP Telephone: (202)260-5917 FAX: (202)260-3923 P.O. Box 10960 Georgetown, GUYANA ,FAX: 592-2 62942 < ₯ Guidelines for Contributions to Caribbean Currents Any organization or individual operating or involved in the English and French-speaking Caribbean Region is welcome to contribute to the content of the newsletter. Please note that submissions should meet the following criteria: They should be relevant to environmental issues They must be of interest to or directly involve the Region They must not endorse or recommend any product or commercial service either explicitly or implicitly They must be briefpreferably under 250 words; Bulletin Board requests should be kept under 100 words They must be received by the posted deadline (see below) Please feel free to contact the Caribbean Currents coordinator if you are interested in submitting a longer article. You should contact the coordinator to discuss your topic and any size or content restrictions beforehand. Be aware that once your article is submitted, it is subject to editing as needed. Final decisions on editing and inclusion of any contributions are left to the INFOTERRA/USA Manager. Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using the address above to contribute any comments, questions, problems, or ideas. DEADLINE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO Vol. 3, No. 3: May 6,1994. JJ ------- |