EPA takes an initiative in research and prevention of asthma by the "Asthma Research Strategy"

In honor of national Children's Health Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the "Asthma Research Strategy", a new initiative to advance the scientific understanding and prevention of asthma, the most common chronic childhood illness.

Approximately 3.8 million children had an asthma attack in the past year, and the total number of asthma patients is estimated to be 260 million. Environmental contaminants such as smoke, air pollution, pollen and particulate matter are known to influence the incidence and severity of asthma.

The Asthma Research Strategy will guide EPA research efforts, led by the Office of Research and Development(ORD), to address the significant issues of exposures, effects, risk assessment, and risk management of environmental pollutants relevant to asthma. The new initiative has been warmly welcome by the citizens.

China passes the Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) Act

The National People's Congress of China passed the Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) Act on Oct. 28, 2002, which will go into effect from Sept. 1, 2003.

The EIA Act consists of 5 chapters and 38 articles. The basic principles are general provisions, EIA on projects, EIA on construction projects, legal obligations, and other supplementary provisions.

The key contents of this Act deal with important issues such as the economic development plans, and also the scope and standard, as well as the processes and legal obligations of the EIA on construction projects.

EIA Act provides that China will always follow the "prior assessment and construction" regulation on large scale economic development plans to small and concrete construction projects, which will bring about positive and important impact for the sustainable development in China.