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EPA Hosts 24th Pacific Islands Conference in Guam

Release Date: 5/24/2005
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711

HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Islands Office, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, are hosting a five-day conference, June 20-24 at the Hilton Guam Resort and Spa in Guam.

The conference will be attended by environmental officials and representatives from the U.S., Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and other countries in the Pacific.

“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, manager of the EPA Region IX, 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.”

The agenda will focus on a wide range of topics, including:

* Economic approaches to improving costly infrastructure in the Pacific Islands.
* How a poor environment impacts local business and what the private sector is doing to lead change.
* Health impacts from water pollution.
* Community and non-governmental activities to improve the environment in the Pacific.
* The latest effort to address solid waste and recycling in the Pacific.
* A panel discussion on adaptation to climate change.

Working sessions for the EPA, territorial environmental, utility, and public works agencies will be on June 20-21, with the main conference program on June 22-24.

For questions regarding the 24th Annual Pacific Island Environment Conference contact the conference coordinators, Pacific Rim Concepts LLC at 808-864-9812, prc@hawiibiz.rr.com, or Carl Goldstein at 415-972-3767, goldstein.carl@epa.gov, or Mariela Lopez at 415-972-3771, lopez.mariela@epa.gov

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