EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler traveled to Brazil this week in part to hold bilateral meetings in Brasilia with officials at Brazil’s Ministry of Environment (MMA) and National Water Agency.
Wheeler called it “an honor” to be in the country “discuss these very important, cooperative issues, especially the reduction of marine litter,” adding that he is “excited about the opportunity to collaborate with MMA to reduce marine litter through sharing information and best practices that EPA developed under its marine litter programs.” Wheeler’s trip to Brazil will include an additional stop in Manaus for meetings to discuss efforts to combat marine litter and marine debris.
Meeting topics in Brasilia with Environment Minister Ricardo Salles included a previous EPA project with the State of Maryland and Rio de Janeiro State on marine litter in Guanabara Bay and discussion of possible next steps under the U.S.-Brazil Memorandum of Understanding regarding water quality and marine litter/ocean pollution, among other things. Wheeler also invited Salles to visit the United States.
