Release of and Invitation for Public Comments upon a Draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation (CEE) on the Construction and Operation of the New Belgian Research Station in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

The government of Belgium has circulated a draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation (CEE) on the construction and operation of the new research station in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, to all contracting Parties of the Protocol on the Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and has invited comments on the draft.

Having received this CEE, the Ministry of the Environment makes it publicly available on this web site, and invites public comments until March 31st.

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The Article 3, Annex I of the Protocol provides that when Parties plan an activity in Antarctica that is likely to have more than a minor or transitory impact on the Antarctic environment, the Parties shall prepare a draft CEE and circulate it to all Parties for comments. Parties which receive it shall also make it available to the public in their own countries.

The Japanese government has received the draft CEE on construction and operation of the new Belgian research station in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica and therefore makes it publicly available (see attachment) and invites comments to prepare the Japanese comment on this CEE.

The outline of this CEE is as follows.
(1)Title
Construction and operation of the new Belgian Research Station, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, Draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation (CEE)

(2)Prepared by:
Belgian Federal Science Policy Office and International Polar Foundation

(3)Purpose
To construct a new station which will serve as a hub for field exploration in the 20-30 degrees east sector of Antarctica where a vast territory has witnessed only brief periods of systematic investigation.

(4)Scope
･construction, operation and maintenance of the new Belgian research station in Antarctica;
･building and operation of the temporary camp required during the construction phase and
･transport and movement of cargo and personnel to the station site south of 60° S.

(5)The summary of the conclusion
Belgium considered the alternatives, and predicted and assessed the impact on the environment (atmosphere, snow, ice and wildlife, etc), and then concluded that construction and operation of the new station will have no more than minor and transitory impacts.

The Ministry of the Environment invites comments on this CEE until the 31st of March 2006. If you have any comments, we would like you to send them using one of the three following methods and the suggested format below.

The way to send comments:
(1) Direct mail: 1-2-2, Kasumigaseki Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8975 Japan
(2) FAX: +81-3-3581-3348
(3) E-mail: antarctic@env.go.jp

Format:
To: Global Environment Issues Division, Global Environment Bureau,
Ministry of the Environment
[Name]
[Address]
[Tel]
[Fax]
[Comment]
** We welcome substantive comments made from the perspective of environmental protection. Comments should be presented in English or Japanese.

For Japanese