For more information on the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and
Response in the Arctic (EPPR) working group, and its goals and
mandates see their web site at:
http://www.ims.uaf.edu:8000/EPPR
or contact:
Ms. Ann Heinrich
Phone: 202/586-8165
Email: ann.heinrich [at] hq.doe.gov
The Department of Energy is the lead U.S. agency for support of
Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response in the Arctic (EPPR).
The program for the EPPR working group was established under the Arctic
Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) in 1991. The eight arctic
ministers approved the programme as a framework for taking early
co-operative action on emergency prevention, preparedness and response
in the Arctic. The EPPR working group is now under the auspices of the
Arctic Council, which was established in 1996.
The Arctic Council was established to foster international co-operation
on environmental protection and sustainable development in the Arctic.
Members of the Arctic Council are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States of
America. Permanent participants of the Arctic Council are the Inuit
Circumpolar Conference (ICC), the Saami Council, the Association of
Indigenous Minorities in the Far North, Siberia and the Far East of the
Russian Federation (RAIPON), the Arctic Athabascan Council, and the
Gwich'in Council International.
EPPR objectives include:
- improve prevention measures aimed at reducing accidents in the Arctic,
including source control management programmes; - improve emergency preparedness programmes at local, national,
regional, and international levels to ensure they are commensurate with
the level of risk that exists, including arrangements for mutual
assistance; and - improve response capabilities so that they are commensurate with
existing threats.
Other working groups under the Arctic Council include AMAP (Arctic
Monitoring and Assessment Program), CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora
and Fauna), PAME (Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment), and the
Sustainable Development Working Group. To make available the work of the
EPPR to the general public and other interested parties, DOE developed a
web site to be established as a component of the Arctic Council web
page.
The EPPR web page containing the goals, mandate, and documents of the
work group is freely available to the public at:
http://www.ims.uaf.edu:8000/EPPR.
The web page contains:
- ARCTIC GUIDE - a consolidated manual of EPPR in the Arctic
- ARCTIC MAPS - resources at risk by country
- CONTINGENCY PLANNING - national and regional regulations and
contingency plans - EMERGENCY PREVENTION - national plans, programs, regulations
- FIELD GUIDE - for oil spill response in arctic waters
- FUTURE MEETINGS;
- INDIGENOUS PEOPLE - information on national relationships, Arctic
Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat - INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS - multi- and bi-lateral, treaties,
conventions - MISSION - Ministerial declarations and directions;
- NATIONAL CONTACTS - national points of contact
- PROGRAM OF WORK - cooperative activities of the EPPR working group
- RISK ANALYSIS- of activities threatening the arctic environment
- RUSSIAN - web pages (top level only) in Russian
- STRATEGIC PLAN - plan of action for the EPPR working group
- WORKING GROUP REPORTS - EPPR working group reports.
Program Manager is:
Ms. Ann Heinrich
Phone: 202/586-8165
Email: ann.heinrich [at] hq.doe.gov