INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE BRIEF

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005284816
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 19
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: May 27, 2011
• Case Number: F-2008-00831
• Publication Date: September 24, 1997

~.31~~-cam
(b)(1)
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Internatit~nal Environmental Intelligence Brief
DCI Environmental Center 24 September 1997
.Contents
Articles
Page
War Hits Con o's National Pa
China Hooked on Coal
Solomon Islands: Bri hter Pros ects for Tro ical Forests.
Brazil Stra lin to Lirnit Amazon Ex loitatio
Environmental Issues Na Chilean Government
Factors Dr. ivin Ja an's Environmental Aid to Chin
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
DATE: 17-May-2011
 Articles
US gases Draw Environmental Scrutin in Panazn
10
France's New Government Gives Boost to Environm
ental
11
Polic
Finland and Russia Join Forces to Protect K
areliyan 12
Forest
Seekin
Consensus in Kuala Lumpur on Hazardous Waste 13
Trad
Calendar
 Factors Driving Japan's Environmental
Aid to China
The generous aid package announced
during Hashimoto's recent visit to China
is evidence of Tokyo's increasing interest
in cooperation to alleviate Chinese
environmental problems, a trend in aid
policy that began in the early 1990s.
According to press reports, the package
includes loans for the installation of _
desulfurizationegoipment atcoal-burning
power plants and the establishment of a
model city--possibly in Dalian-where all
industrial and residential waste would be
recycled.
--The 0.75-percent interest rate-less
than one-third of Tokyo's usual
concessional loan rate of about
2.S percent underscores the
importance Japan attar_hes to the
package; it also will extend the loan
for 40 years, 10 years longer than
The aid package also addresses, over th_e
longer term, Tokyo's growing concern about
environmental damage in Japan from acid
rain originating in China. Irr a major speech
delivered on the eve of his China trip,
Hashimoto cited the "direct effect" of acid_
rain from China as one of the major reasons
for offering assistance to Beijing on
environmental issues. A Japanese
Government-affiliated research institute
recently produced computer simulations
showing that pollutants from not only
northeastern but also southern China
eventually can end up in Japan
Tokyo also has commercial motives for
pursuing environmental projects in China.
Although the Loans are untied, Japan's
highly developed environmental technology
industry stands to reap large benefits.
Hashimoto has a personal interest in this
industry's performance, having once headed
a Diet group set up to promote opportunities
for Japanese business in international
environmental projects.
 Sec
War Hits Congo's National Parks
Poor internal security and refugee flows
have taken their toll on Kinshasa's national
parks and wildlife, including- several
endangered species. Looters stole vehicles,
radios, and firearms from three national
parks in the eastern part of the country
eartier this year, leavin ran ers ~werless
against poachers
-Sudanese hunters have killed at least
seven of the remaining 31 white
rhinoceroses and decimated other
species in Garamba National Park,
at
el ast four en angere mountain gore as have
been killed in recent months. The World
Wildlife Fund says poachers have
slaughtered 90 percent of the park's
hippopotamuses population in the past year.
-Fleeing Hutu refugees seeking food
probably contributed to the decimation
of the park's wildlife.
Congo's new Environment 1Vlinister publicly
pledged to seek government support for _ _
conservation efforts after discussing the
plight of the parks with Ambassador
Simpson last month. Kinshasa's inability to
pay civil servants and the military, however,.
suggests conservation funding will be
scarce.
-Provincial officials and local villages
are conducting surveillance patrols to
thwart hunters and are implementing
other ad hoc antipoaching measures,
--- NGOs and local populations are
unlikely to reduce the risk to protected
wildlife without significant govern-
ment or external assistance.
the government will use the
ma ttary to suppress poaching. Park rangers
will be rearmed after receiving proper
training. The Congolese.military, however,
has its hands full with insurgencies and
insecurity in the east and is unlikely to
provide short-term relief to the parks.
 China plans to rely on its abundant
and cheap coal reserves to s~xppiy
its fast-growing demand for energy,
based on official projections. Coal
consumption-1.3 billion tons last ear-is
projected to nearly triple by 2015.
Although there are potential substitutes for
coal, these face resource, infrastructure, and
technological constraints that would increase
China's capital costs and dependence on
imported fuels while yielding only a modest
environmental benefit, according to a CIA
analysis. Beijing, however, has not found
sufficient proved reserves to increase
production of oil or gas substantially.
-China already is pursuing the most.
economically feasible hydropower
projects, including the Three Gorges
Dam.
-China relies heavily on foreign
equipment for its few nuclear and
renewable energy projects.
The l~iigher costs for alternative energy and
Beijing's reluctance to rely on foreign
energy sources probably rule out a ___
.substantial change in China's energy plans
in the near term. Signs that Beijing may be
willing to implement a modest coal-
substitution plan would include movement _
to achieve market prices for energy supplied
to state enterprises, easing of restrictions on
foreign equity involvement in energy
development and equipment sales, and
changes in environmental policy.
s~
 Solomon Islands: Brighter Prospects for
Tropical Forests?
The recent election by the legislature of
Bartholomew Ulufa'alu as the Solomon
Islands' new Prime Minister could lead to
reforms needed to curb the rapid depletion
of the islands' tropical forests.
Ulufa'alu's possible choice
of Manase Sogovare, locally regarded as a
straight shooter, as finance minister already
has logging interests worried.
(logging interests
may purposely reduce exports in the
coming months to reduce government
revenue and rom t a vote of no
confidence.
The election results'may reflect, in part,
growing popular discontent with the former
debt-ridden administration's questionable
forestry golicies and officials' alleged
corrupt business dealings with loggin
com anies.
-The Mamaloni government was unable
to enforce the code of logging
practices the country adopted early this
year. - - - -- _ -
Solomon
Islands Development Trust, an indigenous
NGO, has taken_an increasingly high-
profile political stance to complement its
environmental activism
~SIDT has been conducting polls and
pu is campaigns to increase citizen
awareness of government corruption and
illegal logging practices.
Falling tropical timber prices-spurred by
consumer preference for softwoods, the
devaluation of Asian currency, and the need
to regain foreign aid the country lost because
of its failure to adopt sustainable logging
practices-could force a more serious look
at reforms.
resources.
-Conversely, mounting financial
problems could push the incoming
government deeper into the arms of
foreign logging companies for instant
financial gratification, at the expense
of its rapidly shrinking forest
 Brazil Struggling to Limit Amazon
Exploitation
President Cardoso has tapped the Brazilian
Environmental Agency (iBAMA) to
implement his controversial forestry decree
announced last month. The measure allows
firms to buy five-year concessions to harvest
up to 5,000 hectares of_timber :followed by
a 30-year moratorium to allow reforestation.
Brasilia plans to extend similar concessions
to 26 additional Amazon national forests.
The decree enables IBAMA to gain
greater federal control over Limber
extraction; the government reports
that less than 1 percent of forests
under exploitation is subject to
congressionally required management
procedures.
IBAMA appears ill-suited to handle its
expanded mandate. Even before assuming
new missions the agency was understaffed,
underfunded, and had begun selling off
properties to finance its restructuring efforts,
The president of IBA1VlA has accused
his subordinates of overlooking
environmental abuses and falsifying
environmental impact statements in
exchange for bribes.
IBAMA's enforcement capabilities are
notoriously weak. Last year it
collected only 0.2 percent of the
environmental fines it levied.
To boost their sagging efforl:s, Brazilian
officials plan to use President Clinton's trip
in October to press for enhanced --
cooperation.
IBAMA officials are hoping to secure the
loan to several C-130 aircraft from NASA to
boost monitoring capabilities in the
Amazon.
IBA A resi ent uar o artins-t e
ninth director in five ears-is a dedicated
environmentalist,
In a controversia interview ast mont ,
he claimed that the administration's
environmental efforts are accomplishing
little, and he lamented the lack of support
for IBANXA in Congress.
 Environmental Issues Nay Chilean
Government
Smog emergencies before and during _
Congressman Gephardt's recent visit _
highlight Santiago's difficulty in grappling
with domestic and international expectations
for improved environmental performance.
Officials in Santiago-listed by the WHO as
the world's third-most-polluted city-admit
that they lack the resources t:o adequately
enforce their environmental laws
Chile prefers that environmental
provisions be laid out clearly in any
US-Chile trade accord so that they do
not arise later as nontaxiff barriers.
Chile is under growing pressure from
environmental NGOs and other interest
groups to mitigate pollution and_better
manage natural resources before negotiating
a free trade accord with the 1;JS
Santiago has e~ dared
more than 13 smog emergencies this winter,
and public outrage over pollution-rela__ted _
illnesses has led to calls for more
government action, according to press
reports. -
-The environmental agency?CONAMA
is asking the government to lower
legal thresholds of airborne
particulates-already three times
higher than acceptable US levels-and
to establish more stringent rules to
-Most political leaders, however, are
likely to resist imposing new policies,
such as proposed gasoline taxes that
industry and consumers would view as
too costly.
strains public health services.
the private sector $500,000 and severely
At the same time, pollution-related costs are
mounting. CONAMA estimates that each
smog emergency costs the government and
Public controversy over hydroelectric and
forestry projects, as well as concerns about
sovereignty, have added to the debate over
environmental policies. In June, for
example, activists occupied government
offices to protest the planned $S00 million
Ralco Dam on the Bio Bio River.
- Santiago is still trying to smooth
things over with US investors after
Chile's Supreme Court last spring
overturned the government's approval
of a major sustainable logging project
=in southern Chile.
- Environmental groups hailed
President Frei's decision to permit a
US citizen to turn private land
holdings info a nature preserve, but
logging firms and nationalist groups
claim it undermines Chile's
sovereignty and will discourage
development of the country's natural
resources, according to press reports.
combat smog by next April,
 US Bases Draw Environmental Scratiny
in Panama
The Panamanian press is focusing on -
unexploded ordnance at firing ranges, the
alleged presence of chemical weapons and
depleted uranium, and contamination of the
US World War II site of San Jose Island.
Participants at a recent environmental
conference demanded that Washington
either pay cleanup costs or compensate
Panama for the diminished value of
contaminated lands:
---The government has proposed a
memorandum of understanding
asserting that Washington's
responsibility to clean up former
military sites will extend beyond
31 December 1999, when US troops
are scheduled to leave.
-Panama City also wants to establish
anew bureaucracy to monitor
environmental issues and remediation
efforts.
Possible contamination of the reverting areas
? stirs nationalistic feelings among many
Panamanians, and the issue could become a
significant bilateral irritant. Unexploded
ordnance in the Canal operating areas would
be particularly troublesome as the treaties
stipulate that all parts of the Canal be turned
over "in operating condition."
 France's New Government Gives Boost to
Environment Policy
Jospin has demonstrated a strong interest in _
environmental issues by approving the
various initiatives of Environment Minister
and Green Party member Voynet. Since the
June election, for example, 'Voynet has
closed the Super-Phenix fast breeder reactor
program, which has been the target of broad
public criticism for oar mana ernent and
cost overruns
-She halted construction on the Rhine
Rhone canal in response to criticism
that the project would remove whole
villages in its path, according to press.
reports.
-She responded to pollution alerts in
major French cities this summer by
promoting an "eco-tax" on private
auto emissions; revenues would go
toward expanding public transport_
In addition, Voynet has taken steps
indicating the Jospin government has
decided on a more positive approach to EU
environmental actions than its predecessor.
In Brussels, for example, she endorses the
EU's program for stricter fuel specifications
on gasoline and diesel emissions, according
to press reports. _
-EU legislation on lower
emissions-which the previous
French Government did not fully
support-is expected t:o be read for
implementation by 1 Januar
Voynet probably will advocate in the
EU Environment Council that France
join Austria, Denmark, Germany, the
Netherlands, and the UK in pressing for a
10-percent cut by 2010 in the 19901eve1 of
carbon emissions from fossil fuel
combustion.
The previous French Government was
reluctant to enforce carbon emission
reductions because of expected public
opposition.
Even with Jospin's support, formidable
political, bureaucratic, and financial
obstacles to Voynet's policies remain.
Historically, the French public is not as
closely tuned to environmental issues as the
Germans and Dutch because government
programs lack specific standards and
procedural mechanisms that would bring
these issues closer to home
---The government's environmental
functions reportedly are scattered
across a number of agencies, and there
is no intermini.sterial council to
coordinate policy.
-The Environmental Ministry is weak as
compared with other ministries such
as the Infrastructure, Transport, and
Housing Ministry, which is 20 times
the size of the Environment Ministry
and receives a substantially larger
_ .share of government funding,
according to press reports.
 .Finland and Russia Join Forces to Protect
Kareliyan Forest
Finland and Russia
late last month agreed to work together
to improve logging practices in Russian
Kareliya and to protect the relic forests
along the Russia-Finland border. The two
countries plan. to set up a joint commission
as part of aFinland-financed biodiversity
program.
--The commission will define
boundaries of sites where timber
felling will be restricted or forbidden,
foIlowthrough, and corruption among
Kareliyan officials
Critics say it will take years
for a comprehensive environmental
consciousness to develop in Russia, and
vast forest stands ma.y well be lost by then.
a Russian forestry
industry inspection commission in July
reported that Russian, Finnish, and Swedish
logging companies have been logging
illegally in the Kareliyan forest.
-Finland contributed roughly 25 percent
of the Kareliyan environment
ministry's budget Iasi year.
Finland's efforts to prorriote forest ~--~ --
protection and sustainable logging practices
in Russia stem from commercial interests
and security concerns, in addition to
historical and cultural sentiments.
Kareliyan timber is
big business for Finland's wood 'industries.
-Last year, 80 percent of Finland's
timber exports were birch pulpwood
from Russian KareIiya,~
Helsinki considers
the potential for environmental
disaster in Russian Kareliya to be its
chief security threat.
Finland expects slow progress on
cooperative efforts with Russia because of_
resource ownership disputes, inconsistent
loggers have been understating
the amount of timber they harvest, falsifying
documents, and dodging taxes. Actual
logging is reportedly at least 140 percent
more than what loggers report.
 Seeking Consensus in Kuala Lum ur on
Hazardous Waste Trad
The Basel Convention's Technical Working
Group appears ready to submit at the
Conference of Parties i_n Kuala Lumpur
next month a final list of wastes that will
be banned for export starting in January
and those that can still be exported for
recycling. If the parties adopt the list, they
will end a debate that began in 1994 when
the Basel parties-at the urging of the
Nordic countries, China, and much of the__ __
G-77--agreed to ban irnmediateIy all
hazardous waste shipments from OECD
countries to non-OECD countries for
disposal and to ban wastes exported for
recycling by next year.
The debate has centered on whether to
include in the ban wastes such as scrap
metals, plastics, and paper considered
by the US and many other OECD
countries to be recpverable _ _
commodities. -' - ~:
-At the last Conference of Parties in
1995, some developing countries-led
by Brazil, Chile, South Korea, and
South Africa-broke ranks with the
G-77 on the grounds that a total ban
would deprive them of cheap
secondary materials and contravene
WTO free trade rules.
The OECD to non-OECD country ban still
stands, but a growing
number of parties want to Incorporate the_
TWG's waste lists into the legal framework
of the Basel Conventian as soon as possible.
At a meeting of the Basel Implementation
Committee in June, Chile and the EU,
among others, said they su
adoption of the waste lists,
These countries, along with Canada
and Japan, argue such an amendment
would limit the scope of the ban and
end ambiguity over which wastes are
banned from being traded.
As a nonparty to the convention, the US still
will be required to develop bilateral
agreements in order to export or import
waste for recycling. Such agreements exist
with Malaysia and Singapore, and one is
being negotiated with Brazil.
(there is growing
support for codification of the
Convention's Article 1 I that would
perrrlit bilateral hazardous waste trade
agreements to continue even after the
trade ban takes effect in January.
 Selected International Environment-Related Meetings
Date
Forum
29 September-10 October
First Conference.of Parties to the
Rome
Desertification Convention
I-3 October
First Organizational Session of the
New York
Intergovernmental Forest Forum
6 October
White House Conference on Climate
Washington
Change
7-14 October
Fifth Conference of Parties to the Basel
Kuala Lumpur
Convention
13-17 October
Ad Hoc Expert Group Meets on Biosafety
Montreal
13.22 October
Eleventh World Forestry Congress
Turkey
20.24 October
UNECElLRTAP Working Group
Geneva
Meeting on Persistent Organic Pollutants
20-31 October
Preparatory Session on Climate Change
Bonn
NATO Committee on Challenges
.,. to Modern Society (CCMS), Fall Plenary
Nineteenth Meeting of Parties to the 1972 London
London Convention for the Prevention of
Marine Pollution by Waste Dumping
APEC Workshop on Environmental Osaka
Technology Exchange
25-29 November AFEC Summit.. _ Vancouver
30 November Defense Minuisterial of the Americas .Cartagena
1-12 December Third Conference of Parties Kyoto
to the Climate Change Convention -