Administrator Wheeler Concludes U.S.-Brazil Environmental Framework Dialogue
WASHINGTON (November 10, 2020) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler participated in a U.S.-Brazil Environmental Framework Dialogue alongside Minister Salles of the Brazilian Ministry of Environment.
“The U.S. and Brazil share many common goals, directives, and also challenges pertaining to balancing environmental progress with economic growth,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “As the first EPA Administrator to visit the Amazon, I saw firsthand the importance of our collaboration.”
During the Dialogue, EPA Administrator Wheeler highlighted EPA’s collaboration with the Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MMA) and the Brazilian National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA), and the agency’s plans for continued cooperation on urban environmental sustainability. This Dialogue represents the full scope of U.S. and Brazilian environmental interests and agencies collaborating on the environment.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach and Secretary of National Sovereignty and Citizenship of the Republic of Brazil Fabio Marzano also announced the intent of the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Brazil to enhance cooperation on a range of critical environmental protection challenges, through the U.S.-Brazil Environmental Framework Dialogue.
Earlier this year, EPA Administrator Wheeler visited Brazil where he and Minister Salles signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on collaboration to address urban environmental issues.
Under the MOU, EPA and MMA are working together on a shared commitment to address marine litter. Last month, the Trump Administration launched The U.S. Federal Strategy for Addressing the Global Issue of Marine Litter that provides a strategic model to preemptively reduce land-based sources of waste from entering our oceans. Oceans are our shared resource and EPA looks forward to an effective partnership with Brazil to protect them.
EPA Administrator Wheeler and Minister Salles also traveled to Manaus to see first-hand the urban environmental challenges faced in that Amazon city, particularly solid waste management and marine litter.
The visit gave EPA officials a greater understanding of the unique environmental quality and public health issues in the region and helped identify areas where EPA and MMA can support each other and local environmental management efforts on this important topic. Under the auspices of the MOU, EPA and MMA are proceeding with exchanging information on priority urban issues through regular webinars.
The EPA is also working alongside the U.S. Geological Survey to develop a series of weekly online webinars to cover a host of broad-ranging issues related to water and sanitation, including development of water quality policies and standards, permit-setting, monitoring and assessment, and enforcement and compliance.