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US-AEP Hosts
Filipino Governors
The United States-Asia Environmental Partnership
(US-AEP), the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA), and the
Institute of International Education (IIE) hosted governors from the
Calabarzon Coordinating Council (CCC) for a study tour of Washington, DC
solid and hazardous waste management facilities from September 6 to 8, 2001.
Located south of Metro Manila, the Calabarzon area
ncompasses the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.
These are among the fastest growing industrial regions in the Philippines.
However, economic and industrial development come at the price of
environmental problems, which must be addressed by local governments and
officials.
The Calabarzon governors � Ms. Teresita Santiago-Lazaro,
Ms. Ramoncita Ong, Ms. Rebecca Alcantara-Ynares, Mr. Wilfredo Envrega, Mr.
Hermilando Mandanas, and Mr. Ayong Maliksi � have spent nine years
formulating a plan for an integrated waste management system to address the
growing solid and hazardous waste problems in their area.
Hazardous and municipal waste management is a central
concern of the Calabarzon leaders because of the new Solid Waste Ecological
Management Act mandates local governments to develop solid waste management
(SWM) plans and establish landfills for all municipal solid wastes. The
governors have studied facilities in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy,
Scandinavia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. They have received
commitments from Oita, Japan and the Annual Asia-Kyushu Regional Exchange
Summit for projects and training in waste handling.
With the assistance of an Environmental Exchange Program
(EEP) grant, the CCC traveled to the United States to study the facilities
and operations of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
and the Montgomery County Solid Waste Transfer Station in
Derwood, Maryland. These facilities display the best practices of U.S. waste
handling techniques, and managers and other officials were instrumental in
helping the governors develop their own plans and waste handling systems.
As a result of these exchanges and site visits, the Calabarzon governors
now have an increased ability to identify best practices for waste
management. They are able to add to the database of information used by the
Calabarzon Technical Working Group to develop solutions to waste management
problems and strengthen relationships with other bodies in the Philippines
and around Asia. The study trips and tours provide the foundation for
completing the regional and local master plans for waste management and
developing a Geographic Information System plot of possible sites for
landfills and treatment facilities.
Trainees Complete
PCB Study Tour
The top 11 participants in the Training Course on
Hazardous Waste Inventory and Assessment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
held in Manila May 23-25 went on a one-week study tour in July to get a more
in-depth understanding of PCB inventory and treatment techniques. The US-AEP�s
Environmental Exchange Program (EEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) organized the tour in the San Francisco, California area for
the group of Philippine government officials.
The tour included: Pacific Gas & Electric Company�s
transformer maintenance and recycling facility; Chemical Waste Management�s
PCB storage and disposal facility and hazardous waste landfill; the Intel
Semi-Conductor Facility�s waste management practices; USEPA Region IX
hazardous waste sampling and analysis; and NASA Ames Research Center�s PCB
transformer management practices.
Participants also met with USEPA experts on PCB
remediation techniques, hazardous waste treatment technologies, the
Superfund, emergency response and risk assessment for PCB cleanup, and other
PCB/hazardous waste issues.
As a result, projects planned and follow-up activities include:
remediation and clean-up of PCB contaminated sites at Clark; overview
seminars for health facilities; site assessment project for power plants and
due diligence audits; establishment of a hazardous waste treatment, storage
and disposal facility; and amendments of the final draft of the Department
for Environment and Natural Resources� (DENR) Chemical Control Order.
US-AEP Successful at
the Philippines' Largest Tech Show
At Envirotech 2001, the premier technology show in the Philippines,
US-AEP/Philippines� Office of Technology Cooperation and the U.S. Commercial
Service continued their efforts to bring the best American technology to the
Philippines, successfully recruiting 13 environmental firms as exhibitors
and 4 more as participants for the U.S. Pavilion�s �Green Catalog Show.�
Exhibitors from California, Indiana, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Maryland and
North Carolina displayed their wide range of expertise and environmental
technologies at the show. The group also included a 5-member trade mission
from the State International Development Organization (SIDO), led by Mr.
Alan Di Stefano, Director of Global Trade for the Nevada Commission on
Economic Development.
In addition to bringing exhibitors to the Philippines, US-AEP arranged
for a 150-guest reception at the U.S. ambassador�s residence, held briefings
on business opportunities in the Philippines and with the Asian Development
Bank, held a series of technology presentations, and arranged for more than
50 one-on-one meetings between U.S. firms and local buyers seeking new
technologies and expertise. The Envirotech mission was also supported by an
Overseas Program Fund grant, provided by the National Association of State
Development Agencies.
As an added honor, the U.S. Pavilion was awarded First Prize for �Best
Booth� by the organizers of Envirotech 2001. Congratulations to Alma Madrazo
and the other members of Team Philippines for their outstanding efforts.
Policy Forum Update
The fall 2001 schedule for US-AEP�s Washington Policy
Forum has been published. The following are upcoming sessions:
October 24: "Strengthening Global Commitment to
Sustainable Development" � Mr. Anthony Frank "Bud" Rock,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International
Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
November 7: "Global Citizenship: The U.K. View on the
Role of Government and Business" � Mr. Hans J.H. Verolme,
Environmental Policy Analyst at the British Embassy
The Washington Policy Forum is held in US-AEP�s
conference room, at 1720 Eye St., NW, Washington DC, between 12:30 and 1:30
p.m. For more information, contact Chris Allen, at (202) 835-0333, ext. 105
or callen@usaep.org.
Welcome
US-AEP welcomes Mary D. Zalesny, a AAAS Fellow at US-AEP/USAID,
who is on sabbatical from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which
is operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy. Mary holds a Ph.D. in
industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Illinois.
US-AEP also welcomes Suzanne Billharz. Suzanne is the new
Director for Program Coordination and Policy in Indonesia. Welcome!
Moving Onward
US-AEP bids congratulations and best wishes to Albert
Leung, who has served US-AEP as the Tech Rep for Hong Kong. Albert is now
working for Acron International Technology Ltd., an engineering firm
dedicated to indoor air quality improvements. Albert�s new e-mail address is
albert.leung@acron.com.hk.
News to Share?
Please contact editor Scott Phillips,
sphillips@usaep.org, or Jeff
Reed,
jreed@usaep.org.
Thanks for contributions go to Alma Madrazo,
(US-AEP/Philippines), Emma Escover (US-AEP/ Philippines),
Maricel Lumaquin (IIE/Philippines) B. Byambasaikhan
(IIE/EEP), and Chris Allen (US-AEP/IRG). |
