South Korea and the United States on Friday adopted procedures for the exchange of information on the environment following the signing of environmental protection agreements. At a meeting of a joint committee related to the Status of Forces Agreement, Kim Sung-hwan, director general at the Foreign Ministry's North American Affairs Bureau, and Vice USFK Commander, Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, inked the Joint Environmental Information Exchange and Access Procedures. The procedures, which went into effect immediately, call for local governments and USFK bases to inform each other when any environmental accidents take place and to conduct joint investigations. However, ordinary Korean citizens and civic group members will be prohibited from taking part in the investigations. The procedures will also allow comprehensive on-site inspections of possible environmental contamination at USFK bases to be closed under the proposed Land Partnership Plan (LPP), which envisions the USFK relocating some of its bases.