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OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
(for immediate release – Monday, February 25, 2008)
Contact: click here to email newsroom
Office: (684) 633-4116 - Fax: (684) 633-2269 - Cell: (684) 731-8989
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Lt. Gov. Ipulasi welcomes ASEPA
Enforcement and Compliance participants
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(UTULEI) – Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia today welcomed the participants of the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) Enforcement and Compliance Training at the Convention Center in Utulei.
In his welcoming remarks, Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi emphasized the importance of the training process to improve the Territory’s capability for coordinated enforcement actions by environmental compliance inspectors.
“I wish to congratulate and thank you for your participation in this very important training because it is a priority that we enhance your performance in fully carrying out your efforts to ensure consistent, effective, and coordinated enforcement,” said Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi. “I am very happy and pleased that our EPA director Fanuatele Dr. Vaiaga’e Toafa and his hardworking staff, along with our friends from off island – the USEPA Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training (OCEFT) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) – have planned this training for all of you to gain the skills to be better prepared for enforcement. I know you will enjoy it and collectively, as American Samoa Government departments and agencies, your cooperation and collaboration will be strengthened. And that is the key. If you closely work with each other as local enforcement agency partners, success is just around the corner waiting to be embraced.”
Thirty participants, from ASEPA and 8 other local government departments - Departments of Commerce, Public Safety, Health, Homeland Security / Territorial Emergency Management Coordination Office, Marine and Wildlife Resources, the Fire Department – Hazard Material Team, Port Administration - Security Unit, American Samoa Customs, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Office of Enforcement) are taking part in the highly specialized training for enforcement inspectors and officers.
Director Fanuatele said the purpose of the training is to develop and improve field inspection skills and techniques, case development, preparation and reporting, and to provide court room knowledge with an emphasis on the use of modern scientific methods and technology.
“The training is to better equip American Samoa’s environmental compliance inspectors with the skills and tools to enhance their performance, promote familiarity and cooperation with other departments and strengthen healthy working relationship amongst the participating agencies,” said Director Fanuatele. “I wish to express my sincere thanks to USEPA Region 9 for accepting our request for this very important training to improve our ability for tighter controls so that we can continue to protect and preserve our island community’s natural resources.”
---americansamoa.gov---
Photos courtesy of ASEPA
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