Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation endorses US-AEP proposal.
The 13th APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group met in
Singapore, September 30-October 2, and officially endorsed the US-AEP
project on "Industrial Environmental Performance Indicators" that will be
conducted by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Richard Sheppard and
Randy Yamada represented the US-AEP Secretariat and (1) explained how the
project would assess past and present indices for various industrial fields
and (2) announced that the U.S. would host an APEC conference in fall 1998
in California to discuss future indices that the public and private sectors
may use as cost-effective and practical benchmarks to measure an economy's
industrial environmental performance. The APEC economies agreeing to
participate on a self-funded basis in this U.S. led effort include:
Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines,
and Singapore. Other APEC economies are considering their participation and
will likely join after consultation with their leadership.
CSG aims to
extend international program.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is conducting a fact-finding trip
to Asia, September 28-October 8, to explore various ways to expand its
international role and activities. A key objective of this trip is to
examine the prospect of internationalizing the Green Developments section of
CSG's newsletter, ECOs. Abe Frank, director of CSG's Washington DC Office
and staff liaison for CSG's International Committee; Howard Moyes, CSG
deputy director for public affairs, research and information services; and
Patrick Terrien, US-AEP program operations associate, are visiting state
trade offices in South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong to discuss the value
of disseminating the experiences of states and small businesses in clean
technologies and environmental management, currently captured in ECOs, to a
broader audience. In addition, the delegation is providing a forum for Asian
governments and businesses to discuss environmental protection developments
in their jurisdictions. CSG currently administers US-AEP's state grants
program, State
Environmental Initiative.
Congress focuses on
wastewater treatment in the Philippines.
US-AEP/Philippines co-sponsored the 1997 Philippine International
Wastewater Treatment Congress and Exhibition held in Manila, September 2-3.
The congress attracted 250 participants and generated several trade leads
for the Office of Technology Cooperation. Exhibitors included the Water
Environment Association of the Philippines (WEAP)--the Philippine chapter of
the Water Environment Federation--who shared a booth with the newly formed
Philippine section of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA).
According to Technology Representative Alma Madraza, these two environmental
associations have been "very active since their inception, and they continue
to attract more members" at events like these.
California firm
to market hydrocarbon analyzers.
VIG-Industries, sponsored by the Foreign Trade Association of Southern
California, will conduct several demonstrations and one-on-one meetings with
agents and potential distributors in Taiwan, India, South Korea, and
Malaysia for the company's range of hydrocarbon analyzers. The analyzers
incorporate a flame ionization detector coupled with a customized
microprocessor and software designed to measure toxic emissions. These
analyzers can aid significantly in pollution detection and monitoring
systems. VIG proposes to demonstrate its products during the Environmental
Technology Trade Mission to Taiwan later this year. The mission will focus
on developing client relationships, first in the form of distribution and
maintenance contracts and eventually culminating into licensing agreements
in all four Asian markets. These marketing efforts are made possible through
a US-AEP Environmental
Technology Fund grant, administered by the National Association of State
Development Agencies.
Register now for
upcoming EEP events.
Following is an update of the US-AEP's Environmental Exchange Program's
fall activity schedule. For further information or to register, please
contact the person listed below at the Institute of International Education
(202-326-7706).
Environmental Extension Systems for Water Resource Management Study
Tour (United States) November 5 - 20, 1997. Develop linkages with U.S.
organizations to promote training, technology transfer and sound
environmental practices with a focus on innovative approaches to water
purification, clean technologies and pollution prevention for industrial
water usage and municipal water management. Application deadline: October
24. Contact Mila Kennett .
Environmental Extension Systems in the Cane Sugar Industry Study Tour
(United States) November 30 - December 11, 1997. Develop informational and
professional linkages with U.S. counterparts to foster an active
industrial/environmental extension system to promote training, technology
transfer and sound environmental practices in the sugar industry.
Application deadline: October 20. Contact:
Mila Kennett.
US-AEP Fellowship Program. In commemoration of US-AEP's 5th
Anniversary, 20 fellowships will be awarded for a two-year master's degree
in environmental management or engineering. Application deadline has been
extended to November 30, 1997. Contact:
Lynne Steingass .
CTEM Information
Center update.
During the month of September, US-AEP's Washington-based Clean Technology
and Environmental Management (CTEM) Information Center handled requests from
Indonesia, Malaysia, Mumbai, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand for
medical waste information packets prepared by the Center's manager, Kerith
McFadden. The information packets contain materials from the U.S. EPA, state
environmental agencies, and relevant organizations and associations. The
center responded to 17 requests last month, bring the total number to 367
since it opened in February 1996.
Farewell to . . .
. . . Stacy Bonnaffons, who served as program manager with US-AEP's Urban
Environmental Infrastructure program for the last two years. Stacy will be
joining the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service/Asian Development Bank (ADB) in
Manila as a commercial environmental specialist. As a liaison to the ADB,
she will be developing a regional marketing plan to tap the over $1 billion
of ADB's lending in the environmental sector. Stacy will be located in the
Commercial Services Liaison Office of the Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center.
