Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
The following is the July/August edition of EarthLink, a bi-monthly current awareness newsletter produced by INFOTERRA/USA. EarthLink provides information on international environmental activities, publications and news of interest to EPA staff and other environmental professionals.
EPA INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
International Programme on Chemical Safety
The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), is a joint activity of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It was established in 1980 for the promotion of chemical safety. The WHO Programme for the Promotion of Chemical Safety functions as the Central Unit of IPCS and is responsible for the overall implementation and coherence of the Programme on behalf of the three cooperating organizations. One of the primary objectives of the Programme is to establish the scientific basis for assessment of the risk to human health and the environment from exposure to chemicals. This information serves as a basis on which Member States develop their own chemical safety measure to protect human health and the environment. IPCS also provides assistance to strengthen capabilities in Member States to respond to chemical emergencies, and deal with harmful health effects of exposure to chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and WHO established a new Cooperative Agreement in 1993, covering cooperation with IPCS. The new agreement strengthens and broadens the collaborative efforts of the organizations and provides a mechanism for EPA agency-wide participation in support of IPCS activities.
The Programme's work is divided into the following areas:
evaluation of chemical risks to human health and the environment;
prevention and management of toxic exposures and chemical emergencies;
methodologies for risk assessment; and
development of human resources required in the above areas.
IPCS publishes monographs and documents based on international evaluation of the health and environmental effects of chemicals, including environmental health criteria documents, health and safety guides, chemical assessment documents, and chemical safety cards. The environmental health criteria documents are issued in English with summaries in French and Spanish. These documents are written for scientific experts advising governments on chemical safety measures and on standards for health and environmental protection under conditions of chemical exposure. The health and safety guides provide a summary of the environmental health criteria evaluations in non-technical language with practical advice on medical and administrative matters.
A new IPCS initiative is the production of Concise International Chemical Assessment Documents (CICADs) which are prepared based on existing national/regional risk assessment documents. The CICADs provide a concise but complete account of all relevant data, as well as, practical and managerial advice. CICADs undergo a rigorous peer review process to ensure that documents produced in one country can be accepted and used in other countries. A number of EPA programs are actively participating in the work.
IPCS International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC) summarize essential product identifying data and health and safety information, and provide evaluated information for use on the ship floor level, in factories, agriculture and other workplaces. ICSC, produced in collaboration with the European Commission and a number of IPCS Participating Institutions including the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), are currently available in over ten languages.
IPCS has also produced an interactive computerized poisons information package called IPCS/NTOX for use in poison information centers. IPCS/NTOX consists of a database on CD-ROM and information management software. A CD-COM containing all IPCS publications, including those of chemical safety publications issued by WHO, ILO and UNEP, is under development.
Dr. William Farland (202/260-7317), the director of EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment, serves on the Programme Advisory Committee to the IPCS and is EPA's primary contact for IPCS. Dr. Herman Gibb (202/260-7313) is the Project Officer for the Cooperative Agreement.
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT NEWS
**Viewpoints expressed in the following articles do not necessarily reflect EPA policy. Mention of products does not indicate endorsement.**
**European Union**
"The Situation Laid Bare." Acid News (February 1996): 1, 4-5.
The European Commission (EC) submitted a working paper on acidification caused by sulphur emissions and nitrogen oxides to the European Union (EU) Environmental Ministers in December 1995. The EU's goal, to never exceed critical loads and levels of acid fallout, according to Acid News' review of the paper, is far from being met based on the paper's statistics. Further, the paper describes current EU efforts to reduce emissions, and suggests three scenarios for change based on levels of emissions control: (1) mild, (2) strict, and (3) best available technology (BAT). Even under the BAT scenario, acidification will continue to be a serious problem. The Environmental Ministers responded by instructing the EC to curb emissions further, and to put forth a coordinated strategy that goes beyond methods currently underway.
**International Organization for Standardization**
"One Size Fits All: Unifying ISO Management." Chemical Week, April 3, 1996, 27-36.
The current question companies are asking is how industry-wide management systems developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) can be integrated into their current management structure without duplicating efforts or generating expensive and unnecessary paperwork. In a recent survey, a vast majority of companies that achieved certification under ISO 9000, the quality standard, reported internal benefits and/or external savings. Certification did not, however, provide the benefits that some companies had anticipated. As a result, ISO 14000, an environmental standard expected to be published this year, and the anticipated health and safety standard, tentatively named ISO 20000 that is expected to be proposed in the next couple of years, are being received with a more wait-and-see attitude. Major U.S. companies such as Dow Chemical, Merck, and Union Carbide have begun limited pilot programs for ISO 14000 to support cost benefit analysis. In the absence of a mandate/demand from Government or consumers for ISO 14000 certification, many companies are not ready to fully commit to the certification process despite their recognition of the undisputed advantages of an integrated system. Union Carbide, for example, is going to "pick the good ideas from ISO 14000," and thus position itself to adopt the standard companywide later on.
**United Nations**
"28 Countries Agree to Pursue Action on Metals, Persistent Organic Pollutants." Environment Reporter, March 1, 1996, 1063.
Twenty-eight countries in the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission agreed to "proceed on international agreements to control" heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and nitrogen. The heavy metal protocol focuses on cadmium, lead and mercury, "the three most important ones..." according to the meeting chairman Lars Bjoerkbom of Sweden. The persistent organic pollutants (POPs) protocol brought twelve substances under discussion, including pesticides, manufacturing byproducts, furans from waste treatment, and chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Finally, the nitrogen protocol will address the effects of nitrogen oxides; it will go beyond acidification, to address other effects, like eutrophication and troposphere ozone formation.
**Air Pollution**
"Diplomatic Haze Pervades Air Pollution Dispute at Big Bend National Park." The New York Times, June 7, 1996, A12.
A large complex of coal-burning electrical generation plants in Mexico has been identified as the major source of the haze in Big Bend National Park, Texas, which reduces visibility from 100 miles down to an average of 23 miles, with a low of 9 miles. The Mexican plants meet Mexican standards for sulfur dioxide emissions, which are seven times less strict than in the United States (U.S.). However, Mexico does not agree that the plants are major sources of pollution, and also says it does not have the money to install scrubbers. If Mexico had the money, it says, it would spend it on other more pressing environmental problems. The case is looked upon by policy analysts as a good example of how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and its environmental side-agreements, complete with funding for enforcement, are powerless to function when one or more parties to the agreement deny that enforcement is needed. "It's a perfect example of how NAFTA never really set up anything to deal with the issue of widely differing environmental standards," said Mary Kelly of the Texas Center for Policy Studies. "The NAFTA accord only dealt with the ability of partners to take action if a country failed to enforce its own environmental laws. And that's not the situation here," she said.
**Coral Reefs**
Don Hinrichsen. "Reef Revival: How Do You Help An Ailing Coral Reef? Communities and Countries Are Trying to Find a Cure." The Amicus Journal 18 No. 2 (summer 1996):22-25.
Coral reefs are damaged by a number of factors, including destructive fishing methods, pollutants, and untreated sewage from tourist resorts. Local communities are often the first to notice the results of this, as many depend entirely on the fish populations that are supported by the reef. Some, such as the Apo Island community of the Philippine archipelago, have taken steps to repair the damage they have inflicted. Only two years after establishing a coral reef sanctuary, the fish population, which had been diminished to such a low level that the local people had to travel 30 miles away to fish, had returned to normal levels. The Apo Island sanctuary can serve as a model for other coral reef communities.
**Corporate Responsibility**
"Rain Forest Residents Sue Texaco: Drilling Left Mess in Ecuadoran Jungle." The Washington Post, July 16, 1996, A16.
A class-action lawsuit has been filed in New York City by Ecuadoran Amazon Indians and settlers accusing Texaco Inc. of polluting large areas of Ecuadoran rain forest over the last 20 years while the company developed oil wells. The case, if it proceeds, would be the first where a U.S. Court heard evidence against a U.S. company for pollution in a developing country. Court cases resulting from another notable international environmental disaster, the Union Carbide plant explosion in Bhopal, India, were heard in India. Texaco lawyers said the company abided by environmental standards mandated by the Ecuadoran government at the time of the company's operations.
**Endocrine Disruptors**
"Endocrine Disruptors: Sensationalism or Science?" Chemical Week, May 8, 1996, 29-36.
About 50 classes of industrial chemicals, pesticides, and by-products are accused of disrupting the hormonal balance of humans and animals. These "endocrine-disrupting chemicals" (EDCs) include DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, and atrazine. There is little scientific consensus on the danger. While some European countries have placed bans on specific products such as alkyl phenol ethoxylate (APE) surfactants, most regulators and legislators want to see more research. Scientists say that lack of data on the effect of specific chemicals on the human reproduction functions makes it difficult to determine how much concern the issue warrants. Research findings in animals indicate cause for worry. International and national organizations are working to set research priorities, to develop procedures, and to establish chemical screening programs. In spite of this activity, many environmental groups feel that any risk is too dangerous and demand immediate action against exposure to EDCs.
**Global Warming**
"In a Shift, U.S. Will Seek a Binding Agreement by Nations to Combat Global Warming." The New York Times, July 17, 1996, A6.
Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Timothy Wirth will present the position of the U.S. on greenhouse gas emissions on July 17, 1996 to the United Nations climate change meeting now in progress in Geneva, Switzerland. He will reportedly pursue a global agreement to adopt "realistic, verifiable and binding: targets for reduced emissions." The position marks a strengthening of the Clinton Administration's commitment to climate change issues, moving from support of voluntary reductions to fixed targets. The new position also acknowledges the link between human activity, greenhouse gases, and human health.
"Climatology: Warming Extends Growing Season." The Washington Post, July 15, 1996, A2.
Charles Keeling, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and his colleagues report in the July 11 issue of Nature that they have found evidence in the record of cyclic increases and decreases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) that points to steadily lengthening growing seasons in the northern hemisphere, a change they attribute to human-induced global warming mechanisms. Peak plant growth begins as much as a week earlier now than in past decades, they report.
"Fossil Fuel Industry Criticized by Author of Study on Health, Ecological Benefits." Daily Environment Report, July 15, 1996, A-2-3.
As the United Nation Climate Convention meetings continue, interested parties are increasing their efforts to affect the meeting outcome. Anthony McMichael, with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, accused the fossil fuel industry of "acting like the tobacco industry 30 years ago," and refusing to admit a connection between human health and global warming. European and Japanese insurance industry executives have voted to pressure governments for quick and deep greenhouse gas emission reductions. Also the government of Australia accused the European Union of withholding information it has on greenhouse gas emissions in order to improve its negotiating stance.
"U.N. Agencies Say Warming Poses Threat to Public Health." The New York Times, July 8, 1996, A2.
The World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Association and United Nations Environment Programme are about to issue a report that steps up the urgency of warnings about the public health impacts of global warming. Although the report admits that much more research is needed, it warns international climate treaty negotiators not a delay taking action on greenhouse gases, because the results of climate change may be dramatic. The report warns of increased deaths during heat spells and increased susceptibility to malaria and other insect-borne diseases for tens of millions of people in areas not prone to them today, among other dangers.
Also reported in "Global Fever: climate change threatens more than megastorms,
floods and droughts. The real peril may be disease." Time, July 8, 1996,
56-57.
**Habitat**
David Quammen. "Island Planet: Evolution, Extinction, and the Laboratories of Habitat." The Amicus Journal 18 no. 2 (Summer 1996):36-40.
An ecosystem is a delicate balance of plants and animals. Remove or isolate one species and create a risk of destroying many others that depend on it. While the general public is relatively well informed about extinction of species, very few know about biogeography, the study of the facts and patterns of species distribution. Biogeography aims to discover not only where different species are located, but why they are there. Or why not.
**Pollution Prevention**
Glenn. L. Unterberger. "Let's Make a Deal: Transferring Pollution-Reducing Credits." Natural Resources & Environment 10 no. 4 (Spring 1996):28-30, 73.
Using market-based incentives to promote aggregate pollution reduction at lower collective costs is gaining support among environmental policy makers and the regulated industry. The concept allows one company to comply with its pollution-reduction obligations by buying another company's "pollution reduction credits." The trade agreement must go beyond purchase and sale of credits. It must match the objectives and circumstances of the parties, provide adequate assurances for the parties to proceed with joint compliance/emission-reduction tactics, and comply with applicable trading program requirements. Some issues which arise are the uncertainty of the amount of credits a seller will generate, or a regulatory agency will approve for transfer; price, which can be expressed in either lump sum or per-credit basis; and terms of payment. Trading agreements may need to include annual "reconciliation" procedures after the number of credits available or needed for trading are determined.
**Radon**
"Home Radon Risk Questioned: Lung Cancer Link May be Overstated, Study Suggests." The Washington Post, July 17, 1996, A2.
The current issue of The Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported on a study by the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety which concludes that "radon exposure does not appear to be an important cause of lung cancer." According to John Boice, formerly with the National Cancer Institute, the study "raises concerns about the validity of risk for the low doses [of radon] experienced in the home. There is no question that radon causes lung cancer. The uncertainty is what is the level of risk from low dose exposures." Ramona Trovato, of EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, said the Agency would not change its current homeowner recommended intervention level of 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). If that amount of radon is found in a home, EPA recommends the installation of venting systems.
Also reported in: "New Study Questions Radon Danger in Houses." The New York Times, July 17, 1996, A15.
**Seychelles**
Nirmal Jivan Shah. "Managing Coastal Areas in the Seychelles." Nature & Resources 31 no. 4 (1995):16-33.
More than half of the world's population lives on or within 60 km of coasts, making the coastal areas of critical importance in international environmental and sustainable development issues. The Republic of Seychelles, consisting of 115 islands, has a population of 73,850. While the total land area is 455 sq km, its Exclusive Economic Zone (ranging 200 nautical miles around the island group) covers an area of 1,374,000 sq km, making the Seychelles extremely rich in marine resources. The interface between land and sea - the coastal area - is often "the most productive and richest natural 'capital' of the country," and also the area "where user conflicts for space and resources are most pronounced." Major resource use and development issues such as pesticide runoff and eco-tourism are described. Obstacles and steps to integrated coastal management (ICM) are discussed. It is cautioned that there is no one 'true way' for ICM implementation - that "recognition of not necessarily what we know, but rather what we do not know, must guide our actions..."
**United Kingdom**
C. J. Priestman and M. Pugh-Thomas. "A Role for the Public in Britain's Environmental Strategy." Ambio 25 no. 1 (February 1996):61-64.
In their overview of British laws governing public access to government collected environmental information, the authors suggest that the British Government was overly optimistic in their 1990 White Paper This Common Inheritance: Britain's Environmental Strategy which expected "the role of the public in monitoring environmental information and demanding improvements where necessary will be one of the most effective stimuli to improving the environment throughout Europe."
Tom Hellberg. "Incineration by the Back Door: Cement Kilns as Waste Sinks." The Ecologist 25 no. 6 (November/December, 1995):232-237.
Burning hazardous waste as a substitute fuel for coal in cement kilns has taken place in Great Britain since 1992. Disposing of hazardous waste in this manner is significantly cheaper than disposing of it in a specialized hazardous waste incinerator. This has resulted in pollution, health problems experienced by locals living near the kilns, and has also encouraged imports of toxic waste from other countries.
**United States-Mexico Border**
"Binational Border Program to Release Comprehensive, Five-Year Cleanup Plan." Daily Environment Report, June 13, 1996, AA-1-2.
Border XXI, a U.S.-Mexico joint environmental body, released an inventory of border environmental hot spots, and a draft framework to address bi-national environmental problems over five years. The framework divides the border area into geographic regions, and addresses problems in areas of air, water, natural resources, environmental health, enforcement, information resources, hazardous and solid waste, contingency planning and emergency response, and pollution prevention.
**United States**
"A New 'Green' Direction for U.S. State Department?" Environmental Science and Technology 39 no. 6 (June 1996):246A.
Secretary of State Warren Christopher outlined a program committing the State Department to developing strategies that would cut greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals use, enhance global forest management, and bring the Biodiversity Convention and the Law of the Sea Treaty to the Senate for a ratification vote. Part of Christopher's plan requires the State Department to create "environmental opportunity hubs" in key U.S. embassies. The hubs would assist U.S. companies to promote environmental technologies, advance sustainable development projects, and address regional natural resource issues. A conference on strategies to improve U.S. compliance with international agreements is planned at the end of 1997.
UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
Notices regarding the following international conferences have been
sent to INFOTERRA during the last few months. Notification is received
through the mail and over the Internet. The list below is not comprehensive;
INFOTERRA maintains a fairly large file of conference announcements. If
you have any questions about the conferences listed below, or would like
to consult our conferences file, please contact the INFOTERRA office (202)
566-0544 or send an e-mail request to:
library-infoterra@epamail.epa.gov.
2nd Conference on Sustainable Development: SYSTEMS ANALYSIS IN ECOLOGY
Sebastopol, Ukraine
September 9-12, 1996
Organized by Ukrainian Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Moscow
State University, Eastern and Central European Society of Mathematical
Ecology, International Society of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety,
and the International Society "Women in Science and Education." The central
conference topic is the application of systems analysis approaches to
problems of sustainable development and ecological safety. Contact: Dr.
L. A. Karelina, phone: 380 692 235210; fax: 380 692 244530; e-mail: root@sevgtu.sebastopol.ua.
Integrating and Implementing ISO 14001 in a Global Market Marina Del
Ray, California, USA
October 2-4, 1996
The conference objectives are to provide information and tools to aid
companies considering ISO 14001 implementation. Contact: CEEM Inc. phone:
800-745-05565; fax: 703-250-5313.
WEFTEC '96: The Water Environment Federation's 69th Annual Conference
and Exposition
Dallas, Texas, USA
October 5-9, 1996
Conference on water quality and pollution control. WEFTEC offers technical
education, information exchange, and networking opportunities. The meeting
will cover issues on critical water quality such as ecological risk assessment,
facility privatization, remediation, and environmental regulations, an
well as regulations across borders.
ISO 14000
IBC International Symposium
Chicago, Illinois, USA
October 10 & 11, 1996
Conference highlights include, elements of the certification process,
direct experience with implementation from an international perspective,
and using ISO 14000 as a tool to ensure consistent corporate performance
throughout the world. Supported by UNEP, and sponsored by International
Business Communications. Contact: IBC USA Conferences Inc;, phone: (508)
481-6400; fax: (508) 481-7911.
World '96 World Environmental Congress
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
October 26-29, 1996
This conference promotes environmental science, technology and business
by bringing together scientists, engineers and business professional from
industry, academia and governments world-wide. Will be held in conjunction
with the Third International Conference on Advanced Oxidation Technologies
for Water and Air Remediation (AOTs-3rd Conference) and the Second International
Conference on Ti02 Photocatalytic Purification and Treatment of Water
and Air (Ti02-Second Conference).
Using Communication to Make Environmentally Sustainable Development
Happen
Burlingame, California, USA
November 1-2, 1996
Workshop on environmental education and communications, held in conjunction
with the annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental
Education.
ECO-INFORMA '96
Lake Buena Vista Florida, USA
November 4-7, 1996
Conference focuses on worldwide communications for environmental applications,
and addresses the need to share information which promotes responsible
decision-making in environmental problem-solving. Contact: ERIM/Eco-Informa,
phone: 313-994-1200, ext. 3234; fax: 313 994 5123; e-mail: wallman@erim.org
.
ENTREE '96
Sunderland, UK
November 4-7, 1996
Conference focuses on new partnerships and initiatives for sustainable
development, and on ways in which progress towards sustainability can
be guided, measured and assessed. Contact: Mr. Paavo Taipale, UETP-EEE,
Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358 0 2291 2259; fax: 358 0 2291 2944; e-mail:
Paavo.Taipale@tek.fi or Mr.
Neil Rotheroe, Sunderland, UK. Phone: 44 191 515 2666; fax: 44 191 515
2669; e-mail: es0bde@industry.sunderland.ac.uk.
Toward Sustainable Development in the Americas Bolivia, South America
December, 1996
Western hemispheric leaders to meet for Summit on Sustainable Development.
Follow-up of 1994 Summit of the Americas. Issues to be addressed include:
environmental degradation, poverty, population trends, decline in real
wealth creation. June 1996 draft presented by Bolivian government to the
Organization of American States in preparation of the Summit is available
at: http://americas.fiu.edu.
