MARAD CHIEF LEADS U.S. DELEGATION TO TOKYO

MARAD CHIEF LEADS U.S. DELEGATION TO TOKYO    Capt. William G. Schubert, head of the Maritime Administration, is leading a U.S. delegation today to Ministerial Conference on Transport and the Environment in Tokyo.
   The conference, which includes senior officials from 20 of the largest trading nations, will cover transport and counter-terrorism, urban transport and the environment, development and promotion of environmentally friendly vehicles, and prevention of marine pollution. “These are worldwide issues. They require worldwide solutions,” Schubert said.
   Counter-terrorism discussions will consider actions and initiatives taken by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization.
   Urban transport and environmental discussions will cover public transportation technologies and the use of non-fossil fuels.
   Marine pollution talks will consider oil and chemical spills by substandard ships and harmful organisms in ballast water. These problems will require the cooperation of port states, the flag states that register vessels and the maritime industry, the Transportation Department said.
   Other members of the U.S. delegation are Rear Adm. Paul Pluta, assistant commandant for the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety and Environmental Protection; Margo Oge, director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality; and Bernestine Allen, director of the DOT’s Office of Transportation and Trade.