Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Following is the March/April 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 environment professionals.
Sections:
Article: Gigantism on the Yangtze
Internet Sites on the Three Gorges Dam
International Environment News
General
Air Quality
Climate Change
Chemicals
Treaties, International Agreements, and
Laws
Water Pollution
Pesticides
Oil and Gas: Fossil Fuels
Sustainable Development and Biodiversity
Upcoming International Conferences
INFOTERRA Information
Subscribe to EarthLink on the Listserv
Gigantism on the Yangtze
Excerpted from a New York Times Editorial
(New York Times Editorial Section, p. A30, November 15, 1997)
A milestone was reached recently when China's Yangtze River was diverted to a side channel to make way for construction of the world’s biggest dam. The Three Gorges Dam, which will cost at least $25 billion, will be 600 feet high and more than a mile wide, creating a lake nearly 400 miles long. More than 1.2 million people will be forced to move. The project will generate 18,200 megawatts of electricity, supplying a tenth of the nation's energy output.
Chinese and international observers worry that heavy silting could compromise the dam's operation and increase the risk of catastrophic collapse in a heavy flood. There are other potential problems, including water pollution from raw sewage that would be pumped into the reservoir, the loss of a magnificent stretch of the river, and the destruction of hundreds of cultural and archaeological sites, some 6,000 years old.
The environmental hazards are so great that the US ExportImport Bank has refused to finance loans for the project, and the World Bank has declined to participate. But Beijing has managed to get private foreign financing for the dam through bonds issued by the State Development Bank of China. A coalition of 45 international groups, including the International rivers Network and the Sierra Club, is calling on American financial institutions to stop underwriting those bonds.
The Three Gorges project faces major obstacles that could delay its completion. Official cost estimates have doubled in three years, and while the project remains a political symbol for China's leadership, the weight of its financial and technical problems is inescapable.
Opposition from abroad that halts the flow of foreign financing could still have an impact that would be healthy for the global environment and, in the long run, for China's people and its economy.
NOTE: Please also see the article abstracted in the “General” section of Earthlink
INTERNET SITES on the Three Gorges Dam
1) The International Rivers Network(IRN)
IRN has pages on its website devoted to the issue. These may be found
at:
http://www.irn.org/programs/threeg/index.shtml 
2) The U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank)
The Ex-Im Bank has information regarding this project as well, which
may be found at:
http://www.exim.gov/
3) Environmental Hazards and Emergency Management
This is a good discussion of the problems associated with the dam, located
at:
http://marauder.millersv.edu/
4) Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch has a summary of their publication on the Dam. There
is also ordering information available from this page.
http://www.hrw.org/hrw/summaries/s.china952.html
5) Probe International
Probe International has a page set up regarding the Dam at:
http://www.nextcity.com/ProbeInternational/ThreeGorges/articles.htm
6) South China Morning Post, Internet Edition
There is an article on the Three Gorges Dam in the South China Morning
Post Internet Edition. It is located at:
http://www.scmp.com/
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT NEWS
Auster, Bruce B. “Enviro-Intelligence: The CIA Goes Green.” U.S. News & World Report 124, No. 10 (March 16, 1998): 34.
The CIA has developed an environmental center to follow different environmental crises around the world. It is planning on swapping with Russia spy images of the Siberian forests and floodplains for pictures of the Alaskan boreal forests in order to study global warming in more detail. Other examples of the function of this new CIA office include the analysis of thepolitical effects of certain environmental disturbances and initiatives. For example, China’s Three Gorges Dam, which could displace millions of people, may have many consequences politically. (See next abstract for details.) Also, it will be important to have an idea of the direction from which other governments are coming in regard to the Kyoto Agreement of December 1997. The environmental center will function in three ways: following treaty negotiations, spotting imminent crises, and in determining what could cause long-term trouble.
“Storm on the Yangtze.” The Economist 346, No. 8060 (March 21, 1998): 45.
In 1992, two-thirds of delegates to the National People’s Congress (NPC) in China gave their approval to the Three Gorges Dam Project on the Yangtze River. This margin represents one of the closest votes of approval of any project put before the Congress. Environmentalists feel that the Congress was mislead by the dam’s supporters back in 1992. Dai Qing, the most vocal opponent of the dam, believes that the dam’s backers lied about the magnitude of the project’s problems, cost and risks, and feels the NPC must re-evaluate the project to prevent a disaster. Other opponents state that this disaster is already starting. Although the government is beginning to move the 1.2 million people whose homes will be flooded, the opponents say this process is moving too slowly and that those in charge of the resettlement have not provided jobs, homes or land to those affected. With the reservoir behind the dam scheduled to be begin being filled up with water in 2003, time is running out.
Foster, Andrea. “EPA Eyeing Changes to TRI.” Chemical Week 160, No. 12 (April 1 1998): 49.
EPA’s National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy, Toxics Data Reporting Committee, recently recommended possible changes that would require industry to provide more detailed information on emissions data under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). One possibility is for industry to provide more details about recycled chemicals, such as the number of times a chemical is recycled during the year (currently, facilities provide the total amounts of a chemical that is recycled multiple times). Another possibility is to require facilities to disclose information on how much of a chemical that is transferred to a publically-owned treatment facility is actually treated, and how much is released into the environment.
Miguel, Antonio, Thomas Kirchstetter, and Robert Harley et. al., “On-Road Emissions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Black Carbon from Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles.” Environmental Science and Technology 32, No. 4 (15 February 1998): 450.
Motor vehicles are a significant source of black carbon emissions. Past studies involving characterization of aerosols in motor vehicle exhaust have indicated that there are distinct differences in PAH emission profiles among vehicle classes. However an updated characterization is needed because of recent changes in gasoline and diesel fuel composition, and improvements in engine and emission control technologies. This study’s goal was to characterize black carbon and PAH emissions from a current fleet of both heavy-duty dieseland light-duty gasoline vehicles. Vehicle emissions were measure in the Caldecott Tunnel in the San Francisco Bay Area during the summer of 1996. Results indicated that heavy-duty diesel trucks were a major source of lighter PAH and light-duty gasoline vehicles were a major source of heavier PAH (such as benzo[a]pyrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene). In addition, particulate PAH size-resolved measurements indicated that significant fractions of diesel-derived PAH were present in both utlrafine size and accumulation modes, while emissions of gasoline-derived PAH were nearly all in ultrafine size mode.
Ostro, Bart and Lauraine Chestnut, “Assessing the Health Benefits of Reducing Particulate Matter Air Pollution in the United States.” Environmental Research 76, No. 2 (February 1998): 94.
Most people in the United States are exposed to Particulate Matter (PM) pollutants on a daily basis. The EPA has recently set new standards for PM10 (particles less than 10 æm in diameter) and has promulgated standards for PM 2.5 (particles less than 2.5 æm in diameter). Research has shown a link between mortality and morbidity with both types of PM. A threshold (a level below which health effects are minimal) has been difficult to establish. PM 10 concentrations have been reduced significantly since 1970 and most locations meet national PM10 standards. The new PM2.5 standards are more stringent and will require additional expenditures. This article examines the health and economic benefits of meeting reduced PM emissions goals. A methodology for quantifying the potential health benefits is applied. The results indicate that “relative to current air quality conditions, meeting the new PM2.5 standards can be expected to result in substantial health benefits for the U.S. population.”
“Air Pollution: Haze in Southeast Asia Could be Worst Ever, UNEP Warns.” International Environment Reporter 21, no.7 (1 April 1998): 311-312.
UNEP officials warned that Indonesian forest fires could return worse than ever this year. The underground coal peat fires were not extinguished during the wet season because of lower-than-average rainfalls. Although UNEP officials refuse to discuss possible causes of the fires, Indonesian officials blame El Ni¤o, while some critics claim that logging companies are mainly to blame for the blazes.
Kerr, Richard A., “Sea Floor Records Reveal Interglacial Climate Cycles.” Science 279, No. 5355 (27 February 1998): 1304.
Researchers have found that deep piles of sediment deposits (known as “drifts”) on the ocean floor provide a detailed history of interglacial climate cycles that go back nearly 2 million years and provide a record on multiple interglacial cycles. The record indicates that there are regular cycles of climate variation which last from 1,200 to 6,000 years. Ice core records provided some insight, showing that glacial climate was subject to violent temperature variations, between extreme cold and relative warmth within a few thousand years, and alsoshowed signs of climate variations during the past 10,000 years. However this was too short a time span to deduce whether these variations were the norm. The longer sea floor records now show that these variations were much less violent than previously thought. These cycles seem to repeat about every 6,000, 2,600 and 1,400 years, and on a more moderate level about every 10,000 years. However, the cause of these cycles is still a mystery, and researchers have no clear answers as to how increased global warming will influence these cycles.
Fairly, Peter. “Hunt for Endocrine Disruptors Is On.” Chemical Week 160, No. 11 (25 March 1998): 59.
The EPA’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC) is finalizing its toxicology testing program, which could increase the number of chemicals tested to as many as 15,000. This testing for endocrine disruptors could greatly increase the number of tests performed in the U.S., at a cost of over $100, 000 per chemical, leading to some industry opposition. However under EDSTAC’s program, chemicals selected for testing would undergo a “in vitro prescreen” to determine if they bind receptors for estrogen, testosterone and thyroid hormones. Any chemicals exhibiting positive results would then go through additional testing for three to six months. The results of these tests would be used to prioritize chemicals for a final stage of testing. The EPA is hoping that chemical producers will voluntarily participate in the program, but is prepared to mandate it if necessary. Industry representatives’ validation of the tests used to interpret the results will be essential to their voluntary participation.
Speer, Lawrence J. “Chemical Safety: Officials Agree to Harmonize OECD’s Chemical Classification, Labeling Systems.” International Environment Reporter 21, no. 5 (4 March 1998): 190-191.
This article discusses the agreement reached by officials from industrialized countries on February 13th regarding classifying and labeling chemicals, and the agreement’s focus on health and environmental hazards. Agricultural pesticide registration guidelines and forming uniform data presentations are also discussed. Because of the current procedure of testing new chemicals on animals, there were suggestions to research the procedure’s validation.
Treaties, International Agreements, and Laws
Hogue, Cheryl. “Parties to Basel Convention Adopt Two-List System for OECD Waste Exports.” International Environment Reporter 21, no.5 (4 March 1998): 185-186.
“Parties to an international treaty on trade of hazardous waste adopt language that spells out which materials are covered under a waste-shipment ban that is part of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. The decision on which wastes will be allowed to move from nations belonging to the Organizationfor Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to non-OECD countries is made at a meeting in Kuching, Malaysia.” (Abstract taken directly from International Environment Reporter)
Scott, Alex. “UNECE Ready to Sign Treaty.” Chemical Week 160, No. 8 (March 4, 1998): 33.
The protocols which would limit or ban emissions of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been finalized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). This agreement is due to be signed at the Aarhus conference in June. The treaty covers three heavy metals (mercury, lead, and cadmium) and 16 POPs. Many view this treaty as the basis for a worldwide POPs treaty, which would take place through the auspices of UNEP.
Hogue, Cheryl. “Chemical Safety: United States Planning to Sign Treaty on Prior Informed Consent, Official Says.” International Environment Reporter 21, no.7 (1 April 1998): 313-314.
An unnamed U.S. State Department official has said that the U.S. is more than likely to sign the Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (12 INER 245). This treaty will apply to 22 pesticides and five industrial chemicals. The treaty will be open for signature after a ceremony in September in the Netherlands. There are possible changes to FIFRA and TSCA that could come out of the agreement to abide by the treaty. There is also the possibility of a chemical review committee being formed in order to recommend more substances to be added to the list for prior informed consent.
Joyce, Stephen. “Czech Republic: Major Environmental Law Near Approval: Measure Expected to Go Into Force in July.” International Environmental Reporter 21, No. 6 (March 18, 1998): 289.
A bill which will affect environmental law and practices in the Czech Republic has won initial approval from the lower house of Parliament, and is expected to be approved by the Senate as well. The signing by President Vaclav Havel is expected to take place soon thereafter. If passed and signed, the bill, the Act on Chemical Substances and Preparations, will become law on 1 July, 1998, with parts of it taking effect over the next two years. This represents the first time that the Czech legal framework will have addressed the effects of chemicals on the environment and on humans in any comprehensive manner. There are some critics of the law, who state that the bill would over-regulate chemical firms and would not conform completely to EU policies. The government views the bill as a “legislative umbrella for environmental concerns regarding chemicals.”
Loague, Keith, et al., “The Challenge of Predicting Nonpoint Source Pollution,” Environmental Science and Technology 32, no. 5 (1 March 1998): 130A-133A.
Agricultural activities are the leading cause of nonpoint source pollution affecting the soil and water environments. The impact of nonpoint source pollution may be measured by quantifying the movement of contaminants through the soil. In this article, Keith Loague and his colleagues “discuss the challenge of modeling impacts using Geographic Information Systems.”
“WHO Meeting On Household Insecticides Agrees on Use, Manufacturing Guidelines,” International Environment Reporter 21, no.4 (18 February 1998): 147.
Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva to establish international standards for the manufacture and use of household pesticides. The WHO Expert Committee on Vector Biology and Control may recommend that the draft guidelines be published as official WHO specifications.
George, Richard L., “Mining for Oil,” Scientific American 278, no. 3 (March 1998): 84-85.
Oil extracted from sand in Canada provides a viable alternative to oil from Saudi Arabia. There are companies which are extracting the oil economically and in an environmentally sound manner. “...As production from conventional oil fields dwindles, oil shale and oil sand reserves may...become a major source of energy in the coming century.”
“Bilateral Agreements: Japan, U.S. Reach Cooperative Agreement On Gas Reductions in Semiconductor Sector.” International Environment Reporter 21, no.5 (4 March 1998): 226.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Japanese Environment Agency have reached an agreement to cooperate on reducing hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) used in semiconductor manufacturing processes, Environment Agency officials said February 23.” Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the U.S. Department of Commerce will hold a seminar on the areas of research and development at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor May 18th.
Sustainable Development and Biodiversity
“UN Agency to Provide Funds for ‘Sustainability’ Plans to Czech Republic,” International Environment Reporter 21, no.4 (18 February 1998): 171.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has begun a new program in the Czech Republic promoting sustainable development. The program aims to educate citizens, conduct workshops addressing specific sustainable development themes, develop guidelines for a national sustainable development strategy, and compile a national database of organizations (private and government) interested in promoting sustainable development.
van Jaarsveld, Albert S., et al, "Biodiversity Assessment and Conservation Strategies," Science 279 no. 5359 (27 March 1998): 2106-2108.
"The efficient representation of all species in conservation planning is problematic. Species distribution is usually determined by dividing the land into a grid. Then scientists look for complementary sets of grids in which each taxon is represented at least once. To determine if this approach provides useful surrogate information, species and higher taxon data for South African plants and animals were analyzed. Complementary species sets did not coincide and overlapped with higher taxon sets. Survey extent and taxonomic knowledge did not effect this overlap. Thus, the assumptions of surrogacy, on which so much conservation planning is based, are not supported."
Nellithanam, Rahul, Jacob Nellithanam, and Sarvodaya Shikshan Samiti. “Return of the Native Seeds.” The Ecologist 28, No.1 (January/February 1998): 29-33.
A radical counter-movement in central India is challenging the fraudulent claims of the proponents of the Green Revolution (an agricultural reform movement), which encouraged the use of HYV’s, fertilizers and pesticides. The counter-movement is developing practical on-farm solutions to the problems resulting from Green Revolution failure. Farmers and activists, in successfully cultivating unirrigated wheat varieties by traditional methods, have shown that to survive environmentally, socially and economically, India must reverse the Green Revolution.
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 email request to: library-infoterra@epamail.epa.gov.
1. May 17-21, 1998
ConSoil '98
United Kingdom.
The Sixth International FZK/TNO Conference on Contaminated Soil will be
held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and will
offer a platform to scientists and consultants, site owners, manufacturers
and service providers, policy makers and administrators, remediation companies,
banking and insurance companies to present and exchange news and knowledge.
Contact: Vicki Grant
Phone: 44 141 553 1930; Fax 44 141 552 0511
Email: vicky@meetingmakers.co.uk
; Web Site: http://w3.fzk.de/consoil98
2. June 3-5, 1998
6th Pacific Rim Biotechnology Conference and BioExpo'98
Hong Kong, NY.
Focusing on agriculture, medicine, environment, and opportunities, the
Conference will cover a wide range of products, equipment and services
in the field of biotechnology.
Contact: Secretariat
6th Pacific Rim Biotechnology Conference & BioExpo '98
c/o Biotechnology Research Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 23587272; Fax: (852) 23581552; Email: biotec98@usthk.ust.hk
3. July 19-25, 1998
7th meeting of the International Association for Ecology (INTECOL)
Florence, ITALY.
Focus: "New tasks for ecologists after Rio 1992". If you are
interested in the workshop on phytoremediation, please contact Prof. Nelson
Marmiroli as soon as possible.
Prof. Nelson Marmiroli
Dept. Environmental Sciences, University of Parma, V.le delle Scienze
Phone: +39 521 905606; Fax: +39 521 905606
Email: marmirol@ipruniv.cce.unipr.it
For additional information, visit http://www.dsa.unipr.it/phytonet/
.
4. September 7-11, 1998
Third International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics
Lisboa, Portugal.
The main aim of the Congress will be the discussion of all the geotechnical
aspects concerned with environmental engineering. Consequently, research,
conception, design, construction techniques, quality control, monitoring
and exploitation applied to the very many engineering works connected
with the environment protection or remediation will be dealt with.
Contact: Pedro S. Sêco e Pinto
Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil
Av. do Brasil 101
1799 Lisboa
Portugal
Phone: (351) (1) 848 21 31 or Fax (351) (1) 847 81 87
Email: 3ICEG@lnec.pt .
