US-AEP s Environmental Exchange Program and the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs co-sponsored a course on cleaner production in the pulp and paper industry in Taiwan, April 10-19. Four U.S. speakers from private industry taught the course together with presenters from Taiwan industry and academia. The course featured sessions on pollution prevention, cost benefit analysis, ISO 14000, and industrial waste minimization measures in the areas of wastewater treatment, water conservation, air pollution control practices, and energy conservation. The schedule also included a three-hour session on national reports, during which time, participants discussed the state of cleaner production in the pulp and paper industry in their home countries. Presenters and participants also attended technical tours of four paper mills. Attendees came from private industry and government in Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Illinois-based National Seal Company has confirmed the direct sale of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) landfill liner, valued at $840,000, to Ulsan Environmental Development Corporation (UEDC) of Seoul, Korea. US-AEP/Korea has been supporting the Illinois-based company for two years. In on-going meetings with UEDC officials, US-AEP/Korea detailed the capability of National Seal s environmental technologies and their cost effectiveness. In November 1994, US-AEP/Korea arranged site visits for UEDC officials through US-AEP s Environmental Exchange Program to the Fresh Kill landfill site in New York. At the request of National Seal Co. and Contech Corporation, the company s Korean agent, US-AEP/Korea coordinated and transmitted letters of support from USEPA Administrator Carol Browner and U.S. Ambassador James Laney to the Korean Ministry of Environment in early 1995.

The Malaysian Department of Environment (MDOE), in an effort to control industrial air pollution, is setting new emission standards, amending current regulations, and planning for the privatization of monitoring activities. Responding to Malaysia s initiative, US-AEP designed an environmental business exchange for Dato Dr. Abu Bakar bin Jaafer, Managing Director of Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (ASMA), to learn about a variety of air quality monitoring technologies. From March 17-28, the participant met with air quality monitoring equipment manufacturers and suppliers, visited the California Air Resources Board s Ambient Air Monitoring Laboratory to witness the different monitoring systems in use, and explored smart highways and smart vehicles concepts. The Environmental Exchange Program is implemented by the Institute of International Education.

A public-private partnership of Minnesota state agencies and businesses is using a $150,000 US-AEP/CSG State Environmental Initiative grant to help develop a Solid Waste Management Plan for the Second District of Laguna, an area of the Philippines that suffers from open dumping and burning of garbage. During a visit to the Philippines, members of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency observed the current waste problems and formed partnerships with the University of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB), the Laguna Task Force on Waste Management, and Laguna Congressman Joaquin Chipeco, Jr. According to Placida L. Venegas, MPCA Hazardous Waste Division, the next step will be to organize a neighborhood cleanup to show the businesses and the community how to properly collect, store, transport, and dispose of waste. Venegas and John Ikeda, MPCA Ground Water and Solid Waste division, met with local government officials to plan the demonstration.

US-AEP Hong Kong hosted the 14th meeting of its Steering Committee on April 24. The meeting, chaired by SCO David Katz, brought together 15 of Hong Kong's government, private sector and NGO leaders. The meeting served as a thorough introduction to the program for Benjamin Tang, the new Deputy Secretary for Environment. It was also the first time that the meeting included the environmental officer from the State Department.

USAEP, through its Environmental Exchange Program, is coordinating the travel to the U.S. of three people from Taiwan, two officials from the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and one person from China Steel, the island s largest steel producer. ITRI is a leading non-profit institute that serves as Taiwan's principal center for the development and diffusion of environmental, energy and resources technologies to serve the needs of local industries. While in the U.S., the group will visit Inland Steel/ECR to discuss the suitability of their briquetting and recycling technologies for China Steel's plants.