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2.2 AMAP - The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Progamme. 



This is a governmental cooperative programme between the arctic nations under the Arctic 

 Environmental Protection Strategy (the Finnish Initiative). 



Planning has started and plans for a comprehensive monitoring program for the arctic 

 environment are expected to be ready at the end of this year. 



Most of the activity will comprise a coordination of ongoing monitoring, although there are gaps 

 that have to be filled. Monitoring of radio nuclides will be included but details are not yet known. 

 An active participation by the US in AMAP is undoubtedly one important step to be taken. 



3. Future Needs. 



The first steps to be taken do not require any new basic science initiatives. However, experts and 

 scientists would have to be involved in such actions as for instance: 



• Documentation of information on nuclear waste dumping etc. representing serious threats to the 

 arctic environment, and assessment of risks. 



As mentioned earlier the bilateral Norwegian-Russian investigations will be made available in the 

 form of a preliminary report to the meeting in November this year of the London Commission. 

 Norwegian environmental authorities will also share this information bilaterally with interested 

 countries. 



f 



• Adequate monitoring, establishing a network of monitoring stations for the marine environment 



is needed. No further comments should be needed. 



• Accumulation of radio nuclides, heavy metals etc. in marine and terrestrial ecosystems: 



Some investigations and studies of effects have been carried out, but they are far from sufficient 

 to give a complete picture of all the Arctic. 



• Another type of initiative that should be mentioned is the proposal to NACC (North Atlantic 

 Cooperative Council, a joint NATO and earlier Warsaw Pact members' forum) for a study on safe 

 scrapping of nuclear submarines and handling of nuclear waste. The intention is that the study 

 should constitute the basis for working out international guidelines, which do not exist. A whole- 

 hearted participation by USA in this effort would be most valuable. 



4. The Role oflASC. 



lASC - The International Arctic Science Committee - is a non-governmental scientific 

 organization established to encourage and facilitate international consultation and cooperation in 

 arctic research. The strength of lASC is that it embraces all fields of arctic science, covers all the 

 Arctic and promotes a circumarctic approach. All arctic countries arc members as weU as six 

 other countries having a major research activity in the Arctic. lASC is well suited to take 

 interdisciplinary science initiatives. 



