Environment Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has met the Chief Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington and briefed him on the role of EPA in Pakistan in particular the process of issuing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for all development projects in Pakistan, said an official statement. The minister said that EPA in Pakistan is the real face of Ministry of Environment and 'we work in close coordination with ministries and provincial governments.' The US Chief Administrator appreciated Pakistan's effort in the sphere of environmental protection and indicated to look in to the possible areas of cooperation with Pakistan. He said that indoor air pollution and clean fuel are their priority areas and they are very keen to reduce sulfur from the fuel. US EPA is also interested in introducing the clean city initiative and solid waste management in Asia and they will certainly encourage Pakistan in this regard. A draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged, which could be finalized after looking further into possible areas of cooperation.
