SUCCESSFUL EPA WORKSHOP CONCLUDES

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001384

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PI, OES/PCI
STATE PASS EPA TPRATHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SENV KMPI MU
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL EPA WORKSHOP CONCLUDES


1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),in
association with the International Network for Environmental
Compliance and Enforcement, the Omani Ministry of Regional
Municipalities, Environment, and Water Resources, and
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO),concluded a successful
four-day Principles of Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIA)
workshop on September 20 in Muscat. The workshop, funded by
the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI),brought
together over 35 environmental professionals from Oman,
Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen to discuss the
strengthening of environmental institutions and utilization
of best practices to protect public health and steward
environmental resources. The workshop built upon commitments
enshrined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental
Cooperation, which is a component of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade
Agreement.


2. In addition to the instruction provided by three EPA
facilitators, Colonel Sulieman al-Busaidy, Superintendent
General for Pollution Control of the Omani Ministry of
Regional Municipalities, Environment, and Water Resources,
provided opening remarks on Oman's commitment to enforce its
environmental regulations. The workshop also featured a
presentation from Saeed al-Mamary, Terminal Operations
Manager for PDO, on company efforts to recycle oil production
by-products. The EPA will follow up on the success of this
workshop in November with a training course in Muscat
tailored for reviewers of environmental impact assessments.
GRAPPO