International Programs
EPA Programs in Ukraine
Explore our work in Ukraine:
Each of these activities are detailed below.
The Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU)
The Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) 
was established as a nonproliferation program, by an international agreement in November 1992. The Center coordinates the efforts of numerous governments, international organizations, and private sector industries, providing former weapons scientists (FWS) from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) with new opportunities for sustainable, peaceful employment. The funding Parties to the Center are Canada, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Norway and South Korea. Recipient Parties for STCU are Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan.
STCU activities include research projects, which employ scientists in the development of new science and technology, and supplemental programs, such as training and workshops. With funding from the US State Department, the US EPA has been an STCU Partner since 2001.
Dr. Lyudmila Pozdnyakova, Principal Investigator, Dr. Gene Rice and staff in the new Biosafety Level Three (BSL#3) laboratory at the Elie Metchnikoff Anti-Plague Institute, Odessa, Ukraine. This is part of the project to enable effective water treatment for health care organizations.
EPA is currently supporting three projects in Ukraine:
- Diagnostic Tools to identify causes of environmental impairments in estuarine systems of the Former Soviet Union
- Regional evaluation of metals contamination and innovative remediation technologies related to mining, in Ukraine and Georgia, and the development of innovative environmental technology for remediation of contaminated groundwater caused by mining in Ukraine.
- To enable effective water treatment for health care organizations, studies are determining conditions for the survival of strains of Francisella tularensis (a disease-causing bacteria) in water.
In addition to the research projects, EPA has funded specific environmental workshops, seminars and training programs, as well as supported travel costs to enable many STCU scientists to visit labs for training and attend international conferences.
Global Methane Initiative
The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is an international public-private initiative that advances cost effective, near-term methane recovery and use as a clean energy source in four sectors: agriculture, coal mines, landfills, and oil and gas systems.
Ukraine is a GMI partner country. A complete list of activities in Ukraine is available on the website of the Global Methane Initiative.
Past Activities in Ukraine
Beginning in 2006, EPA implemented a project to assess human health risk from the air emissions of stationary sources in Zaporizhia, one of the largest industrial centers in Ukraine. The project included collaboration with the Ukraine Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to strengthen its capacity to set environmental priorities, through the use of environmental risk assessment and economic analysis.
Analyst at work in the bacteriology section at the Elie Metchnikoff Anti-Plague Institute.
The study revealed that:
- PM10 emissions were responsible for the majority of health risk, and thus should be prioritized for risk management.
- Risk management should concentrate on a few industrial sources responsible for a significant percentage of the risk to human health.
The Zaporizhia study served as Ukraine's primary model for evaluating risk management, and led to a decision by the Zaporizhia municipal authorizes to make health risk assessments obligatory for all enterprises located in the city. The statistical findings of the Zaporizhia project also led to further support of projects by the World Bank, and the creation of the Ukrainian Risk Analysis Center in the Ukrainian Epidemiological Institute.
In addition to these efforts, EPA's past work in Ukraine generated two additional impact studies on risk analysis; a Manual on Environmental Valuation and Benefit-Cost Analysis, including a description of procedures for health risk analysis; a study of management of health risk and the value of health losses attributable to air pollution, and several case studies.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UKRAINE
Back to: Eurasia
Contacts
For additional information about EPA's work with Russia, contact:
Jane Metcalfe
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2650R)
U.S. EPA
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
Email: metcalfe.jane@epa.gov