The �sister lake� relationship between Indonesia�s Lake Toba and U.S. Lake Champlain has reached a new milestone, made possible by US-AEP�s State Environmental Initiative program. On April 27, government officials from North Sumatra, Indonesia, and the U.S. state of Vermont will formalize the alliance by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Later that week, a delegation of representatives from the Lake Champlain area will visit Indonesia to help implement a comprehensive watershed management approach for Lake Toba and recommend appropriate technologies for treating wastewater and controlling nuisance aquatic plants. The U.S. delegation includes the mayor of the city of Burlington, Vermont; representatives from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and the Lake Champlain Citizens Advisory Committee and Chamber of Commerce. This event follows an exchange held last September, during which a delegation of 22 Indonesian and NGO representatives visited Vermont to learn about U.S. watershed management. The State Environmental Initiative is managed by the Council of State Governments.

In collaboration with US-AEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently delivered several training activities in Thailand, with more planned for the upcoming months. For example, in response to a request from the Pollution Control Department of Thailand (PCD), the EPA provided air monitoring and air modeling training to the country's core of air professionals in Bangkok. These interactive, hands-on sessions are being augmented by regular consultations between PCD and EPA officials, enabling further discussion of Thai standards for air monitoring and application of appropriate air models. Later this year, PCD hopes to send several of its officials for on-the-job training at EPA facilities. Coming up May 19-21, an EPA workshop in Bangkok will focus on economic incentives for environmental protection. This event�co-sponsored by US-AEP, the Thailand Environmental Institute, and the Thai Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (OEPP)�will address the importance of making environmental investments in times of economic uncertainty.

OEPP is also sponsoring EPA experts to provide environmental impact assessment (EIA) training and "EIA for Reviewers" training in Bangkok in mid-June. This training will focus on designing EIAs that integrate environmental, economic, and social objectives. In addition, it will provide a framework for officials tasked with reviewing EIAs for their organizations. Finally, the EPA is supporting the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority�s (BMA) effort to train its police force on the principles of environmental enforcement. In June, EPA will train a core of trainers at BMA and other relevant agencies, including the national police force, for this task. BMA is adapting and translating U.S. enforcement training materials, which will be incorporated into its regular training program.

A US-AEP NGO-Business Environmental Partnership grant is helping to develop and implement voluntary business standards in Sri Lanka�s rubber industry. Nongovernmental organization (NGO) Society for People-Centered Development (SPCD) is working with Lalan Rubber Industries, which manufactures 250,000 pairs of latex gloves daily, to reduce pollution in the rubber company�s effluent. A recent report confirms that the SPCD�s efforts have helped bring about considerable improvement in Lalan Rubber�s wastewater: it is currently "far above the standards set by the [Sri Lankan] Central Environmental Authority." Additional improvements will be made gradually, as modifications recommended in the report are implemented. For example, the use of sulfuric acid for coagulation of the skim latex, which results in high sulfate levels in the effluent, will be replaced by biodegradable formic acid. And, to offset the increased cost of formic acid, Lalan Rubber will install equipment that significantly reduces the quantity of formic acid required. The NGO-Business Environmental Partnership is managed by The Asia Foundation.

The newest addition to US-AEP�s website, Export-Link: Asia Market Analysis, provides a comprehensive resource for U.S. companies interested in exporting to Asia. For example, detailed information on the economic outlook (1998-1999) in Asia will help U.S. companies understand the current financial crisis, while a step-by-step �export readiness� section provides guidance on selling products in the region. In-depth assessments of the business climate in Asia are also provided, as well as legal analysis of environmental and trade regulations in US-AEP�s ten focus economies. This is just a sampling of the information provided... to find out more, visit US-AEP�s website at https://www.usaep.org/export/index.htm.

Kerith McFadden, Manager of the Washington, DC-based US-AEP Clean Technology and Environmental Management Information Center, reports the availability of a study by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) in Washington, DC, �Barriers to Environmental Technology Innovation and Use.� The report cites current U.S. environmental regulations as a major impediment to the development of new environmental technologies and encourages the reform of environmental laws. Copies of the report are available from ELI for $30 by calling: 800-433-5120 or 202-939-3844.

Welcome to Gordon Young, the new director of US-AEP�s Office of Technology Cooperation in Malaysia. Prior to joining US-AEP, Gordon was owner and general manager of ER2, an Oregon-based company that advocates U.S. environmental products. A Peace Corps volunteer from 1970-74, Gordon served in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration/ Management from Portland State University and in Tropical Agriculture from the University of Hawaii-Manoa. He also received an MBA from the School of Business at Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.

A warm farewell to Marisa Mascolo, Research Operations Associate for the Environmental Technology Network for Asia (ETNA), who leaves the program on May 1. After two years with US-AEP, Marisa will take a short-term position with the Special Events Department at the National Hockey League before going to graduate school in the fall.