Increasingly, national governments are shifting responsibility, flexibility, and budgets for environmental policy to the state and local level. In the United States alone, the Federal government delagates 75 percent of environmental programs to the states, 95 percent of enforcement actions come from the states, and 94 percent of environmental data comes from the states. The National Environmental Policy Institute (NEPI) focused on such trends during its March 8-9 conference, "Democratizing Environmental Policy: Moving State and Local Priorities into Washington," held in Washington. 

Quite a bit of the discussion focused on energy pricing, water scarcity, and suburban sprawl. As such, Maryland Governor Parris Glendening shared with the audience his recent efforts to lead a national discussion around "Smart Growth." Recognizing that areas across Maryland will continue to grow at a rapid pace, Governor Glendening has convened a team to help coordinate and direct the state's growth more densely around already existing infrastructure such as water and sewer lines, mass transportation corridors, telecommunications towers, and schools. He reminded participants that when a local government can ensure residents a good quality of life�that is one of the best possible economic development tools. 

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman complimented Governor Glendening's efforts, noting that many of the new, exciting innovations in the area of environmental policy are coming from the states themselves. She encouraged these efforts to continue, given America's need to build upon the command and control regulatory model begun 30 years ago. Because of US EPA's success with regulations that made great strides in cleaning the environment, she believes that expectation levels have risen among U.S. consumers and residents. The U.S., she suggested, has now moved into an era where future environmental needs will be best met by "finding common ground to achieve environmental goals." Administrator Whitman encouraged audience members to provide comments that address: how EPA should structure its future relationship with states; the best innovative environmental programs led by the states; removal of roadblocks that keep successful state programs from expanding regionally. 

A co-sponsor of the conference, US-AEP hosted an international panel that discussed international issues that also happen to have state and local effects, such as global climate change and bio- technologies. Panelists included representatives from the World Bank, the State of Maryland, The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, GEMCo, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information about the National Environmental Policy Institute, visit www.NEPI.org.

The Vietnam North Carolina Environmental Trade & Technologies Initiative (VNETT) held the "Financing & Developing Environmental Infrastructure in VN: The Case of Water Supply & WasteWater Treatment" in Hanoi on March 22. The workshop was a coordinated effort between the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise (KIPE), Kenan Institute Asia, and the Institute for Market & Pricing Research (IMPR) of Vietnam's Government Pricing Department. This event participants agreed that private participation is key for sustainable development of Vietnam's water infrastructure. The regulatory system-- particularly in pricing in the water sector-- has to be adjusted to better match the demand for development.

US-AEP will actively support the USAID Mission in the Gujarat earthquake recovery and reconstruction efforts, and manage several relief programs. Working with the RUDO office in India, US-AEP has identified several activities to take place, including the following: bringing to India an U.S. technical expert on repair and retrofitting of damaged buildings, preparing a "Disaster Reconstruction Atlas for Urban Areas" that will involve community participation in adequately planning service investments, establishing an Information Center in Bhuj that will involve satellite imagery, and supporting an Indian NGO to manage the Center. US-AEP also received a request to assist geologists working in Bhuj to help them conduct a rapid geological survey which would provide subsurface information in the region of highest seismic risk category.

While most of the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts have concentrated in the Kutch area, other outside areas need similar NGO support. US-AEP is prepared to assist another region should an appropriate request be submitted.

US-AEP Taiwan invited the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administrator (TEPA), Dr. Edgar Lin to visit California private and government organizations interested in fuel cells. Dr. Lin led a ministerial delegation to California, January 8 to 12. On January 12, Dr. Lin of TEPA and Secretary Winston Hick, of the California Environmental Protection Agency signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA). The MOA promotes more transfer of technology and personnel exchanges between Taiwan and California on low or zero emission vehicles and fuel cell development. They anticipate that California-Taiwan joint ventures may begin producing fuel cell motorbikes for the public market in the near future.

The next US-AEP Policy Forum will be on Tuesday, April 17. Mr. Andrew Kennedy, Asia Analyst, and Mr. Jonathan Nash, Policy Analyst, of the Population Reference Bureau, will discuss their research on better understanding the dynamics between population and environment in the Asia region. The Forum will be held in US-AEP's conference room, at 1720 Eye St., NW, Washington DC, between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. For more information, contact Brenda Bateman at (202) 835-0333, ext. 104 or bbateman@usaep.org.

Upcoming Events

May 4-6: Mayors' Asia Pacific Environmental Summit (MAPES), a gathering of leaders and decision-makers from across the Pacific region, will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii. (info at: www.environmentalsummit.com)

May 7-11: The Asia Development Bank (ADB) Global Pavilion and the ADB annual meeting will take place in Honolulu, HI. (info at www.adb2001.org)

June 11-14: Korea's International Exhibition on Environmental Technologies, Envex 2001, will take place in Seoul, Korea. (info at www.cskorea-doc.gov)

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