India's new policies on hazardous waste management--which include adoption of United Nations' definitions for hazardous substances, increasing the number of regulated chemicals from 680 to 60,000--prompted a delegation of seven Indian pollution control officials and industry representatives to participate in a recent US-AEP Environmental Exchange Program (EEP) activity in the United States. The exchange included attendance at the HazWaste World Conference in Washington, D.C., a three-day event that enabled the delegation to form contacts and learn about U.S. enforcement models, regulatory control management, and compliance incentives. The delegation traveled to three additional U.S. cities to study hazardous waste management techniques: Roanoke, Virginia; Chicago, Illinois; and Buffalo, New York. During a session on India's new hazwaste policies, the participating pollution control board officials (Dilip Biswas, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, and M. Devraj, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board) stated that the World Bank is helping India obtain a $30 million credit line for investment in hazardous waste management, from which $250 million in returns are expected. The loans will be issued to state governments and industrial development authorities, who will establish contracts with U.S. and other vendors for hazardous waste treatment and management services. Additional exchange participants included representatives from AIC Watson Consultants Limited, Tetratech Engineering Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Pesticides India, and Thermax. US-AEP's Environmental Exchange Program (EEP) is administered by the Institute of International Education.

Camelray, a land development corporation that operates an industrial park in Laguna, Philippines, is stepping up to the environmental management challenge. The company recently held the first in a series of forums on environmental management systems (EMS) for its Laguna businesses. Held at Canlubang Golf and Country Club on January 22, the forum drew 80 participants and introduced them to the basics of EMS and ISO 14001. US-AEP/Philippines Director Alma Madrazo presented the advantages of employing EMS in industrial operations, such as cost effectiveness, avoidance of litigation, and improvement of company image. US-AEP/Philippines reports that its participation in this and other environmental forums spreads public awareness of US-AEP's clean technology expertise, which in turn helps to project a positive message about U.S. environmental technologies.

As reported in the January 18-24 edition of the "Bangkok Post," Thailand's economic ministers have unveiled a new $1.2-billion plan to boost the competitiveness of industrial exports. Deputy Prime Minister Suvit Khunkiti said the five-year initiative aims to boost export sales, helping the country "trade" its way out of the economic crisis by improving production technology, product design, personnel training, market access, and pollution control.