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EPA conference adds to interagency networking
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Posted on Jun 26 2004
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Islands Office manager John McCarroll yesterday said the Pacific Islands Environment Conference successfully achieved its goal of information sharing and networking among the region’s environmental officials.
The three-day conference, which was held at the Dai Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach, ended yesterday with commitment from environmental leaders to cooperate in addressing major environmental concerns, including recycling of wastes.
“We’re really planting seeds here and hope that they’re going to bear fruit,” McCarroll said.
The EPA, several government agencies and private firms in the Pacific yesterday reached a resolution supporting the clamor by the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures and Chief Executives of Micronesia for a regional approach in recycling.
“Small Pacific Islands states have relatively low volumes of recyclable materials, which make it difficult for individual islands to market these materials because of high shipping costs,” read a resolution reached at the conference.
The EPA and other agencies agreed to provide better access to information, forums to exchange ideas and training, in connection with the goal for a regional recycling in the Pacific.
The other agencies include the CNMI divisions of Solid Waste and Environmental Quality, the Guam EPA, American Samoa EPA, and American Samoa Power Authority.
Several public and private organizations mostly from the Pacific also committed to support EPA in its pursuit for regional recycling, including the Green Island Alliance/Electricore from Virginia and the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs & Fisheries Division of Small Islands. (John Ravelo)
