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EPA Hosts 23rd Pacific Islands Conference in CNMI

Release Date: 6/7/2004
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, (808) 541-2711

HONOLULU -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Pacific Islands Office is hosting a three-day conference for Pacific Island environmental officials titled "Make A Difference," June 21-25 at the Dai-ichi Hotel in Saipan.

The conference will be attended by environmental officials and government representatives from the U.S., Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of Palau.

"The conference will bring together leaders in government and industry from around the Pacific to examine environmental challenges and issues facing the Pacific Islands," said John McCarroll, chief of the EPA Pacific Southwest Region's, Pacific Islands Office. "The sessions will discuss strategies to make a difference in protecting the island environments and will provide island leaders with the latest ideas and tools on preserving fragile ecosystems."

Juan N. Babauta, Governor, CNMI; Jeremy Harris, Mayor, City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii; and Tommy Remengesau, President, Republic of Palau will all provide opening remarks.

Keynote speaker Asterio Takesy, South Pacific Regional Environment Programme Director, will highlight environmental needs and efficiencies in his speech, "Pacific Futures: A Program for Monitoring Island Sustainability."

Conference topics will include:
-Alternative Energy
-Coral Reefs and Watershed Protection
-Water Resource Assessment and Management.
-Environment and Public Health
-Improving Utility Management.
-Infrastructure Financing and Public/Private Partnerships
-Environmental Enforcement
-Recycling in Micronesia

Working sessions for the EPA, territorial environmental, utility, and public works agencies will be on June 21-22, with field trips on June 22 for conference attendees that do not attend the working sessions that day. The main conference program will take place June 23-25.

For information about the conference, registration, and hotel accommodations, please contact Carl Goldstein, EPA at (415) 972-3767; Fran Castro, DEQ at (670) 664-8500; conference coordinator, Pacific Rim Concepts LLC at (808) 864-9812 or visit, https://www.epa.gov/region9/cross_pr/islands/conf04/agenda-reg04.pdf
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