Through their partnership with US-AEP, the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) and Water Environment Federation (WEF) promote the development of viable country-based, environmental professional associations. Philippines-based organizations that originated through this partnership have recently conducted events to address the country's solid waste and wastewater problems. For example, A&WMA's Philippines Section held a solid waste management seminar on March 16, sponsored by US-AEP and endorsed by the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). US-AEP supported the event by securing speakers, including Dr. Mario Villaverde, Director of the Environmental Health Service, Philippines Department of Health; Dr. Ted Topolski, President of U.S. waste management company Environmental Technologies International; and Rogelio Uranza, Director of the Solid Waste Management Office of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. The seminar attracted more than 50 representatives of local government, private companies, and nongovernmental organizations.

The Water Environment Association of the Philippines, Inc. (WEAP), with US-AEP as its sponsor, organized an extensive training program for wastewater treatment plant operators from March 16 to 29. The program included technical lectures and workshops, as well as a site visit to one of Metro Manila's major malls to illustrate points made during the preceding sessions. US-AEP helped to recruit participants for the course, which was attended by more than 30 plant operators, primarily from the manufacturing sector.

Through US-AEP/Korea's ongoing guidance and support, Bio-Genesis Tech International of Diamond Bar, California, has sold a $1.7 million mobile sequencing batch reactor to a Korean partner (name withheld). The U.S. biotechnology company was one of 11 U.S. companies that participated in a 1996 environmental matchmaker trade mission organized by US-AEP/Korea, during which meetings were held with potential Korean purchasers. Also in 1996, Bio-Genesis received a US-AEP Environmental Technology Fund grant, which further assisted the company in establishing Asian contacts. US-AEP/Korea has continued to provide counseling, receiving accolades from Bio-Genesis: "We are very grateful to Mr. Chi-Sun Lee and Mr. Sang Baek Lee [current and former Tech Rep, respectively] for their help in our approach to the Korean market."

Two recent events in Chennai, India, provided local US-AEP Technology Representative Sundaresan Subramanian with opportunities to promote pollution prevention (P2) among key audiences. First, Subramanian participated in an interview with Engineering Update, the bulletin of the Institute of Engineers (India), which printed the discussion in its March 1998 issue. He addressed topics such as the role of US-AEP in linking U.S. and Indian organizations for effective exchange of U.S. P2 technology and expertise, as well as energy conservation in the industrial sector and the re-orientation of engineering education. Second, Subramanian gave a March 26 presidential address at a seminar held by the Center for Environmental Studies at Anna University, in association with the Chennai chapter of the Indian technical sessions on the removal of toxic "total dissolved solids" (TDS) from textile effluents. The topic is Environmental Association. The event provided an important one in many areas of India, where large clusters of textile bleaching and dyeing units commonly discharge effluents containing TDS directly into the land and water.

As reported in the April 13 issue of UPDATE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted community outreach training in Thailand last month. This training, conducted under EPA's agreement with US-AEP, has led the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) and the municipality of Hat Yai to develop detailed communications strategies with partner organizations to achieve positive environmental results. Both municipalities plan to address the issue of implementing tariffs to fund wastewater treatment facilities; BMA also plans to use this strategy in several other areas. To help finalize these campaigns, EPA and US-AEP will provide additional training and technical support in both cities in mid-July.