US embassy cable - 05AMMAN3358

UNCLAS AMMAN 003358 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR DARCY VETTER 
STATE PASS USAID NE/JOHN WILSON 
STATE PASS FDA/RWALLING 
STATE FOR NEA/LARSON 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL/MEDEARIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, ETRD, JO 
SUBJECT: NEW ENVIRONMENT MINISTER EAGER TO MOVE AHEAD WITH 
AGENDA 
 
REF: 2004 AMMAN 08087 
 
1.  This is an Action Request for EPA--see para. 8 for action 
requested. 
 
2.  Summary:  Newly-appointed Environment Minister Khalid 
Irani hopes to revamp his Ministry and transform it into a 
regulatory agency not charged with managing directly all 
aspects of Jordan's environment.  One of the tools he hopes 
to use is privatizing some functions currently handled by the 
Ministry.  Among the specific projects he is reviewing are 
the impact of the expiration in 2008 of the contract for 
Jordan's petroleum refinery and establishing an industrial 
waste treatment facility in the north of the country.  Irani 
is also eager to move ahead with the agenda agreed to in the 
U.S.-Jordan Joint Environmental Forum held in September 2004 
(Reftel).  End Summary. 
 
3.  On April 19, Charge called on newly-appointed Environment 
Minister Khalid Irani.  Irani had previously headed the Royal 
Society for the Conservation of Nature and has been a close 
contact of both the Embassy and the USAID Mission in Jordan. 
Irani has an energetic agenda of reforms and projects 
planned, aimed at the structure and responsibilities of the 
ministry itself and at specific projects with environmental 
ramifications. 
 
4.  Irani said that he hopes to develop an environmental code 
within the Ministry itself covering everything from water use 
to energy conservation.  He hopes he can extend such a code 
for use by other government ministries. 
 
5.  On a more strategic level, he will focus on a National 
Environmental Action Plan.  He hopes to change the ministry 
into more of a regulatory and monitoring body, one not 
burdened with serving as a centralized manager of all 
environmental decisions in the country.  He also hopes to be 
able to privatize some of the functions of the Ministry.  In 
terms of public relations, he hopes to launch a campaign 
emphasizing the importance of economic considerations in 
environmental protection and management.  He is also 
interested in promoting the positive aspects of environmental 
protection, not only in eco-tourism but in the use of green 
production techniques in manufacturing.  In the latter case, 
perhaps the US FDA could play a role. 
 
6.  Regarding specific projects, he will focus on managing 
the expiration of the government's contract with the Jordan 
Petroleum Refinery in Zarqa in 2008.  Important issues 
include the pollution generated by the facility itself and 
the need to shift to the production of unleaded gasoline for 
the domestic market.  He also hopes to 
establish an industrial waste treatment facility in the north 
of the country. 
 
7.  Regarding the issues outstanding from the September 2004 
Joint Environmental Forum meeting, Irani is very interested 
in moving ahead with the proposal to second an environmental 
economist to the Ministry.  The Ministry also continues to 
need capacity-building and assistance in developing 
environmental policies and regulations. 
8.  Action Requested for EPA:  Please advise on the status of 
the Jordanian request that a USG environmental economist be 
seconded to the Ministry of Environment. 
HALE