[Budget of the United States Government]
[V. Preparing For the 21st Century]
[4. Protecting the Environment]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 77]]

 
                     4.  PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

   There is a new understanding today in the world between the bonds that 
connect human beings and their natural environment. We know we have to 
preserve them, and we know that in the end economic development itself 
cannot occur unless the environment is preserved.                                                              

                                      President Clinton                                                        
                                      May 1997                                                               
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

   With the historic December 1997 international agreement in Kyoto 
calling for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, the Administration capped 
a remarkable year of environmental successes. History has shown that the 
Nation does not have to choose between a strong economy and a clean 
environment. The President's policies have contributed to five years of 
both strong economic growth and a cleaner, healthier environment.
   Along with the Kyoto Protocol, the Administration has issued new, 
more protective air quality standards to better safeguard public health 
and the environment, and has strengthened our citizens' right to know 
about toxic chemical releases. It has continued its efforts to protect 
our natural treasures, such as Yellowstone National Park, the 
Everglades, Grand Staircase National Monument, and the Headwaters 
redwoods, from environmental threats. It has secured $699 million in the 
Land and Water Conservation Fund for acquiring Headwaters Forest, the 
New World Mine near Yellowstone, and other high-priority land 
acquisitions to protect key natural, cultural, and historic resources. 
It has cleaned up more toxic waste sites in its first four years than 
the previous two administrations did in 12, and it is continuing to 
advance toward the President's goal of 900 site cleanups by the end of 
year 2001.
   While Americans want a Government that helps protect the environment 
and our natural resources, they do not want to burden business unduly, 
choke innovation, or waste taxpayer dollars. If sensibly designed and 
flexibly implemented, environmental initiatives can cost less while 
providing unforeseen economic opportunities. Americans have met 
environmental challenges because we innovate, we compete, and we find 
solutions to problems in ways that promote entrepreneurship and 
strengthen the economy.
   To implement his vision for the environment and our natural 
resources, the President is proposing an Environmental Resources Fund 
for America to support increases for many of the Nation's key 
environmental programs. The Fund provides for enhanced construction, 
maintenance, and land acquisition for national parks, forests, refuges 
and other public lands; a new multi-agency initiative to improve our 
Nation's water quality; infrastructure funding for community drinking 
water and wastewater facilities; and resources to clean up abandoned 
hazardous waste sites. The budget also includes a new, five-year $6.3 
billion program to implement the President's commitment to prevent 
global warming, as well as increased resources to protect endangered 
species, carry out pollution control programs, and preserve the global 
environment.

Approaches for Environmental Success

  Preventing Global Warming: In December, the United States reached an 
historic agreement with other nations to meet the challenge of global 
warming. The Kyoto Protocol establishes realistic, achievable, and 
binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reflects the 
Administration's commitment to use market mechanisms to tackle the 
problem in innovative and flexible ways.
   Improving Air Quality: In July 1997, the Administration took the most 
far-reaching

[[Page 78]]

steps in 20 years to improve our air quality by cutting smog levels and, 
for the first time ever, setting standards to lower the levels of fine 
particles in the atmosphere. These standards will prevent adverse health 
effects for people of all ages and may prevent up to 15,000 premature 
deaths a year.
   Reflecting the Administration's approach to regulatory decision 
making, however, the President directed that the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) implement the standards in ways that will 
maximize common sense, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. He directed 
that implementation maintain the progress underway toward cleaner air, 
reward early action to reduce air pollution, employ regulatory 
flexibility to minimize economic impacts, and recognize the substantial 
lead time needed to implement the new fine particle standard. Further, 
the President directed EPA to complete a new science review of the 
standard before imposing any new controls to meet it.

   Restoring the Everglades: The budget supports the continued Federal, 
State, local and Tribal efforts to implement the restoration project for 
the South Florida ecosystem, which the Administration began in 1993 and 
Congress authorized in the 1996 Water Resources Development Act. In 
1999, the Army Corps of Engineers will complete the Central and Southern 
Florida Comprehensive Review Study, providing long-term direction for 
restoration efforts.
   In December 1997, Vice President Gore announced the Government's 
intent to purchase (with non-Federal partners) 50,000 acres of land 
(known as the ``Talisman'' tract) on the northern edge of Everglades 
National Park. This land, formerly used for sugar farming, will serve as 
a critical buffer zone between the Everglades and the sugar plantations 
to the north, helping to re-establish the essential natural flow of 
water into the Everglades and improve water quality.
   Along with better water flows and water management, the budget 
recognizes the need for scientific guidance and land acquisition to 
restore the Everglades' hydrologic functions, providing a steady funding 
source for these needs. The budget proposes $282 million, 24 percent 
more than Congress approved in 1998, continuing the Administration's 
support for the Everglades Restoration Initiative to accelerate the 
restoration effort and provide the steady funding source for land 
acquisition, science, and modified water delivery.

   Saving Yellowstone Park: To protect Yellowstone National Park, the 
Federal Government agreed in August 1996 to acquire Crown Butte, Inc.'s 
interest in the New World Mine, whose development posed a severe 
environmental threat to Yellowstone's unique landscape and wildlife 
resources. In 1998, the Administration sought, and Congress provided, 
$65 million to proceed with this agreement, which will preserve one of 
the crown jewels of the National Park System. Crown Butte will dedicate 
$22 million to clean up contamination at the site from earlier mining 
activities. The Administration is working with Crown Butte and other 
parties to complete the acquisition.
   Protecting Headwaters Forest: In 1998, the Administration sought, and 
Congress provided, $250 million to acquire the Headwaters Forest in 
northern California, the largest privately-owned stand of ancient 
redwoods. As part of the acquisition, the Administration is committed to 
ensuring that Headwaters and its threatened and endangered inhabitant 
species are protected. As a result, the Administration is developing, 
and has made significant progress on, a scientifically and technically 
sound habitat conservation plan and an environmental impact statement. 
The Federal Government and State of California expect to acquire 
Headwaters by March 1999.
   Preserving Other Natural Resources: As part of last year's budget 
agreement with Congress, the Administration secured $699 million in 1998 
for priority Federal land acquisitions and exchanges. After financing 
the top two priorities--protecting the Headwaters Forest and saving 
Yellowstone--$362 million remained to invest in other priorities for 
parks, forests, refuges, and public lands. The Administration is 
considering potential acquisitions to restore the Elwha River in Olympic 
National Park, protect bison winter habitat outside Yellowstone, acquire 
the Baca Ranch in New Mexico, add lands to the Santa Monica Mountains 
National Recreation Area, complete the Appalachian Trail, and preserve 
key Civil War battlefields.

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   Targeting the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): In this Agriculture 
Department (USDA) program, landowners establish long-term conservation 
practices on erodible and environmentally sensitive land in exchange for 
10 to 15 years of rental payments. The 16.1 million acres accepted into 
the CRP in March 1997, out of 23.2 million acres that farmers bid, will 
increase the environmental benefits by nearly 85 percent for every 
dollar spent, compared with earlier CRP sign-ups. At the same time, 
program costs are falling, with the Department paying 21 percent less 
per acre--saving over $1.6 billion over the life of the program. Within 
the CRP, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program targets priority 
lands to better address water pollution and protect endangered species.
   Protecting Roadless Areas and Improving the Forest Road System: The 
73 million acres without roads in our National Forests have outstanding 
ecological, aesthetic, and social value. They are often the refuge of 
last resort for rare species and the source areas of municipal water 
supplies. The Forest Service is working to meet public access needs in 
an ecologically sensitive manner, ensuring that we protect these 
roadless areas for future generations. At the same time, the extensive 
Forest Service road system is rapidly eroding--risking public safety and 
contributing to environmental damage in some national forests. The 
budget proposes $218 million, a 20-percent increase over the 1998 level, 
for investments in road maintenance and reconstruction, road closures 
and obliteration, and watershed improvements that are critically 
important to salmon, water quality, and other resource management goals. 
The budget also proposes to eliminate the timber purchaser road credit 
program, and provide a stable payment to counties that is not linked to 
timber harvest volume.
  Enhancing Citizens' Right to Know: The Administration continues to 
expand the information available to citizens on substances being 
released into their neighborhoods. In the decade since community right-
to-know legislation went into effect, the law has helped spur a 43-
percent cut in toxic emissions by industry. In April 1997, the 
Administration increased by 30 percent the number of facilities covered 
by adding seven sectors that must report under the program. This 
expansion comes on top of a 1995 rule that nearly doubled the number of 
toxic chemicals that facilities must report.
   Redeveloping Contaminated Land: The Administration has established a 
Brownfields National Partnership, bringing together the resources of 
over 15 Federal agencies to help empower and revitalize communities. The 
Partnership is just one piece of the Administration's efforts to help 
thousands of communities clean up and redevelop Brownfields--abandoned 
pieces of land, usually in inner cities, that are highly contaminated 
from previous industrial use. The Partnership--which includes a $300 
million Federal investment--will leverage an expected $5 billion to $28 
billion in private investment, support up to 196,000 jobs, and protect 
up to 34,000 acres of undeveloped ``greenfield'' areas outside of 
cities.
   Restoring the Presidio of San Francisco: The Administration has 
established a Government corporation, known as the Presidio Trust, to 
rehabilitate and lease hundreds of unused buildings in the Presidio of 
San Francisco, once a military base and now a national park. The 
Presidio Trust will restore these houses and offices in a manner 
consistent with park purposes, then lease them to families and 
businesses. To cut taxpayer costs, the budget provides for the Presidio 
Trust to borrow $25 million from the Treasury in both 1999 and 2000 to 
fund these improvements, and repay the money through future lease 
receipts.
   Making the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Work: Administration reforms 
have improved the way the ESA works. Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), 
for example, give State, local, and Tribal governments and the private 
sector the flexibility to protect endangered species and conserve 
habitat, while allowing for development. HCPs will cover an estimated 
7.3 million acres by the end of 1998. The Administration is also 
providing earlier protection for species to preclude their listing as 
endangered. For instance, the Federal Government has entered into 40 
Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCAs) with private landowners or 
State and local governments, providing benefits to over 200 species and 
preventing the listing of five.

[[Page 80]]

Environmental and Natural Resource Investments

   The budget proposes to boost funding for high-priority environmental 
and natural resources programs by five percent, compared to 1998 levels 
(see Table 4-1).

   Reducing Greenhouse Gases and Promoting Energy Efficiency: Last fall, 
the President announced a nine-point plan to begin addressing climate 
change, including a five-year package of tax incentives and research and 
development spending to spur energy efficiency and help develop low-
carbon energy sources. With the historic agreement in December 1997 to 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the President now proposes a $6.3 
billion package of tax incentives and research spending. The budget 
provides $1.7 billion in 1999 for the Climate Change Technology 
Initiative, nearly doubling the 1998 level, as a down-payment on the 
President's five-year commitment. (For a more detailed discussion of the 
Administration's climate change efforts, see Chapter 6, ``Promoting 
Research.'')
   Creating the Environmental Resources Fund for America: The budget 
proposes the Environmental Resources Fund for America, an innovative 
financing mechanism for environmental initiatives. It provides $7.7 
billion, 14 percent more than in 1998, for many key environmental 
restoration programs and is financed, in part, by the proposed renewal 
of taxes that support the Superfund program. The Fund includes:
   Land, Water, and Facility Restoration Initiative: National 
          parks, refuges, forests, and public lands are the heart of the 
          Nation's natural, cultural, and historical legacy. As 
          custodians of these resources, Federal land management 
          agencies face growing demands to invest more to restore lands 
          and rehabilitate an aging infrastructure of public facilities 
          and trails. These needed investments would protect wildlife 
          habitat, maintain historic sites, and preserve the many 
          national treasures, from the Acadia National Park in Maine to 
          Independence Hall to the California Desert, that constitute 
          our legacy for future generations. The budget proposes a $92 
          million, or eight percent, increase for construction and 
          maintenance for national parks, forests, refuges, public 
          lands, and Indian schools, with which the agencies will focus 
          on top priorities and control costs through better management. 
          It also includes a broad initiative to invest more in land 
          acquisition and historic preservation--a 43-percent increase 
          in spending over the next five years from the Land and Water 
          Conservation Fund and a 12-percent increase from the Historic 
          Preservation Fund.
   Clean Water and Watershed Restoration Initiative: 
          Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the 
          Vice President last October announced a Clean Water 
          Initiative--an action plan to focus on three remaining 
          challenges to restore and protect the Nation's waterways: (1) 
          preventing polluted runoff; (2) protecting public health; and 
          (3) ensuring community-based watershed management. USDA and 
          EPA are leading an inter-agency task force to develop the plan 
          by February 14, 1998, relying on better coordination and 
          targeting of Federal activities and resources, public 
          participation, and innovative approaches to pollution control.
           The budget includes $568 million, a 35-percent increase over 
          the 1998 level, for this multi-agency initiative, including 
          more mandatory funding for USDA's Environmental Quality 
          Incentives Program to help farmers prevent polluted runoff; 
          for the Forest Service and the Interior Department to better 
          address water quality problems on Federal lands; for EPA to 
          provide grants to States to implement water quality 
          improvement projects; for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
          Administration (NOAA) to help States and local communities 
          protect their coasts from the pollution that leads to 
          degradation; for Interior's U.S. Geological Survey and USDA to 
          increase water quality monitoring and research, with a focus 
          on nutrient pollution; and for the Army Corps of Engineers to 
          begin a new riverine ecosystem initiative--``Challenge 21''--
          to plan and implement projects that restore watersheds while 
          providing flood hazard mitigation for communities.

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                                           Table 4-1.  ENVIRONMENTAL/NATURAL RESOURCES HIGH-PRIORITY PROGRAMS                                           
                                   (Discretionary budget authority unless otherwise noted; dollar amounts in millions)                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                         Dollar  Percent
                                                                                                             1997     1998      1999    Change:  Change:
                                                                                                            Actual  Estimate  Proposed  1998 to  1998 to
                                                                                                                                          1999     1999 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Climate Change Technology Initiative (DOE, EPA, USDA, DOC, HUD):                                               743       819     1,713     +894    +109%
  Spending...............................................................................................    (743)     (819)   (1,292)   (+473)     +58%
  Tax Incentives.........................................................................................  .......  ........     (421)   (+421)       NA
Environmental Resources Fund for America (EPA, USDA, DOI, DOC, Corps)....................................    6,361     6,722     7,672     +950     +14%
Priority Land Acquisition (BBA):                                                                           .......       699  ........       NA       NA
  Headwaters (CA)........................................................................................  .......     (250)  ........       NA       NA
  New World Mine (MT)....................................................................................  .......      (65)  ........       NA       NA
                                                                                                                                                        
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Operating Program.................................................    3,109     3,328     3,603     +275      +8%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
      Subtotal, All EPA..................................................................................    6,799     7,361     7,771     +410      +6%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of the Interior (DOI):                                                                                                                       
  National Park Service Operating Program................................................................    1,155     1,246     1,321      +75      +6%
  Bureau of Land Management Operating Program............................................................      674       685       726      +41      +6%
  Fish and Wildlife Service Operating Program............................................................      525       595       676      +81     +14%
  Geological Survey Water Quality Initiative.............................................................      138       134       156      +22     +16%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
      Subtotal, DOI (Select programs)....................................................................    2,492     2,660     2,879     +219      +8%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of Agriculture (USDA):                                                                                                                       
  Forest Service Operating Program.......................................................................    1,321     1,348     1,418      +70      +5%
  Natural Resources Conservation Service Operating Program...............................................      693       694       742      +48      +7%
  Environmental Quality Incentives Program (Mandatory)...................................................      200       200       300     +100     +50%
  Wetlands Reserve Program (Mandatory)...................................................................      118       176       127      -49     -28%
  Conservation Reserve Program (Mandatory)...............................................................    1,691     1,860     1,718     -142      -8%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
      Subtotal, USDA (Select programs)...................................................................    4,023     4,278     4,305      +27      +1%
                                                                                                                                                        
Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) (DOI/USDA).........................................................      159       270       270  .......  .......
Department of Energy (DOE):                                                                                                                             
  Energy Conservation and Efficiency (gross).............................................................      570       612       809     +197     +32%
  Solar and Renewable Energy R&D (net)...................................................................      247       272       372     +100     +37%
  Federal Facilities Cleanup (Environmental Management Program)..........................................    5,995     5,849     6,124     +275      +5%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
      Subtotal, DOE (Select programs)....................................................................    6,812     6,733     7,305     +572      +8%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of Defense (DOD):                                                                                                                            
  Cleanup................................................................................................    1,994     2,140     1,924     -216     -10%
  Environmental Compliance/Pollution Prevention/Conservation.............................................    2,293     2,466     2,281     -185      -8%
  Environmental Technology...............................................................................      207       219       170      -49     -22%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
      Subtotal, DOD (Select programs)....................................................................    4,494     4,825     4,375     -450      -9%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of Commerce (DOC)/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):                                                                    
  Fisheries and Protected Species........................................................................      295       319       326       +7      +2%
  Ocean and Coastal Management...........................................................................      130       172       175       +3      +2%
  Ocean and Atmospheric Research.........................................................................      228       240       234       -6      -3%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
      Subtotal, DOC/NOAA (Select programs)...............................................................      653       731       735       +4      +1%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of Transportation (DOT):                                                                                                                     
  Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality..................................................................      807     1,257     1,260       +3      +*%
  Environmental Enhancements.............................................................................      426       568       561       -7      -1%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
      Subtotal, DOT (Select programs)....................................................................    1,233     1,825     1,821       -4      -*%
                                                                                                                                                        
Endangered Species Act (DOI/NOAA)........................................................................      102       107       153      +46     +43%
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (DOE, DOC, NSF, EPA, DOT)...................................      234       227       277      +50     +22%
U.S. Global Change Research (NASA, DOE, NSF, DOC, others)................................................    1,818     1,867     1,864       -3      -*%
GLOBE--Global Environmental Education (DOC, NASA, EPA, NSF)..............................................       13        12        14       +2     +17%
Montreal Protocol (State/EPA)............................................................................       40        40        55      +15     +38%
Global Environment Facility (Treasury) \1\...............................................................       35        48       300     +252    +525%
Multilateral and Bilateral Assistance (International Assistance Programs/USAID)..........................      246       312       322      +10      +3%
                                                                                                          ==============================================
    Total \2\............................................................................................   28,313    30,086    31,500   +1,414      +5%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NA = Not applicable.                                                                                                                                    
*  Less than 0.5 percent.                                                                                                                               
\1\ 1999 includes $192.5 million for payments in arrears.                                                                                               
\2\ Total adjusted to eliminate double counts, mandatory spending, and tax incentives; 1998 estimate excludes one-time priority land acquisition.       



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           In addition, the budget proposes $143 million for California 
          Bay-Delta watershed restoration activities, the fully 
          authorized amount and a 69-percent increase over 1998 funding. 
          The program will continue focusing on basic investments to 
          begin restoring this important ecosystem, with a special 
          emphasis on acquiring critical wetlands habitat, managing 
          flood plains, enhancing fish passage, and improving habitat 
          along the Sacramento River.
   Water Quality Infrastructure: The budget proposes $775 
          million in capitalization grants for Drinking Water State 
          Revolving Funds (SRFs), which make low-interest loans to help 
          municipalities meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking 
          Water Act Amendments. These funds will help ensure that 
          Americans have a safe, clean drinking water supply--our first 
          line of defense in protecting public health. EPA also proposes 
          $1.1 billion in capitalization grants to Clean Water SRFs to 
          help municipalities comply with the Clean Water Act, thus 
          helping to reduce beach closures and keeping our waterways 
          safe and clean.
          These levels for the two SRFs make progress toward the 
          Administration's goal of providing sufficient capital for the 
          funds to offer $2.5 billion a year in financial assistance to 
          municipalities over the long run. In addition, the budget 
          proposes targeted wastewater funds for areas facing unique 
          circumstances--$50 million for Boston Harbor, $100 million for 
          Mexican border projects, and $15 million for Alaskan Native 
          villages.
   USDA Water 2000: The budget provides funds for USDA's Water 
          2000 initiative--to bring safe drinking water to rural 
          communities with some of the Nation's most serious problems of 
          water availability, dependability, and quality--within its 
          $1.3 billion for rural water and wastewater loans and grants. 
          With proposed Rural Community Advancement Program funding four 
          percent above the 1998 levels, the Administration expects to 
          fund 250 systems in 1999. Since the effort began in 1994, USDA 
          has invested almost $1.3 billion in loans and grants on high-
          priority Water 2000 projects Nation-wide.
   Superfund Cleanups: The budget proposes $2.1 billion for 
          Superfund, a 40-percent increase over the 1998 level. Combined 
          with continuing administrative reforms, these funds will help 
          meet the President's pledge to double the pace of Superfund 
          cleanups. The Administration proposes to clean up another 400 
          sites within the next four years, meaning that about two-
          thirds of the Nation's worst toxic waste dumps would be 
          cleaned up by the end of the year 2001 (see Chart 4-1).

   Extending the Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative: The budget 
proposes to extend the President's Brownfields initiative, which 
promotes local cleanup and redevelopment, bringing jobs to blighted 
areas. First, EPA would receive $91 million for grants to communities 
for site assessment and redevelopment planning and for revolving loan 
funds to finance clean-up efforts at the local level. Second, the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development would receive $50 million, 
$25 million more than in 1998, to leverage State, local, and private 
funds for redeveloping the cleaned-up sites and creating jobs. The 
President also proposes to extend the targeted tax incentive to spur 
Brownfields cleanup.
   Enhancing Endangered Species Act Efforts: The budget proposes a $36 
million increase, to $113 million, for the Interior Department's 
endangered species program, mainly for the Administration's new reforms 
to encourage private landowners to protect species. The program is 
designed to increase the number of cooperative partnerships between the 
Federal Government and States, localities, and private parties to 
recover listed species and prevent the need to list more. The budget 
also proposes a $10 million increase, to $40 million, for NOAA's 
endangered species program, mainly focused on habitat conservation 
planning.
   The budget increases funds to develop HCPs, make grants to States for 
land acquisition tied to HCPs, and provide incentive payments to 
landowners for safe harbor agreements. The funds will double the acreage 
that HCPs cover; improve the way HCPs are developed and implemented; 
extend CCAs between the Federal Government and landowners or State and 
local governments to protect 80 more species; keep 20 species off the 
endangered

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species list; stabilize or improve the status of 60 percent of listed 
species; and declassify or delist 30 threatened and endangered species.

   Funding the EPA Operating Program: The budget proposes $3.6 billion, 
an eight-percent increase over 1998, for EPA's operating program, which 
includes most of EPA's research, regulatory, partnership grants (with 
States and Tribes), and enforcement programs. The program represents the 
backbone of the Nation's efforts to protect public health and the 
environment through sound science, standard setting, enforcement, and 
other means, ensuring that our water is pure, our air clean, and our 
food safe.
   Within the operating program, the budget proposes increases of $145 
million as part of the President's water quality initiative to address 
polluted runoff; $115 million for research and conservation programs to 
cut greenhouse gas emissions; and $65 million to establish a new network 
to monitor fine particulate matter. It also proposes significant 
investments to improve Americans' right-to-know about toxic threats, by 
making information available for the 75 largest metropolitan areas in 
the country, and to address significant environmental health risks to 
children.

   Providing Multilateral and Bilateral Environmental Assistance: The 
budget proposes $322 million, three percent more than in 1998, for 
bilateral and multilateral environmental assistance. Bilateral 
assistance includes U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) 
activities to address topics such as biodiversity, and to implement 
USAID's five-year, $1 billion commitment to address climate change 
issues in developing countries. Multilateral assistance funds U.S. 
voluntary contributions to the UN environmental system and other 
international organizations to address international environmental 
activities.
   Supporting the Global Environment Facility (GEF): U.S. participation 
in the GEF is a cornerstone of our foreign policy on the environment. 
The GEF has become the world's leading institution for protecting the 
global

[[Page 84]]

environment and avoiding economic disruption from climate change, 
massive extinction of valuable species, and dramatic collapse of the 
oceans' fish population. The $300 million proposal for 1999 includes 
$193 million for contributions previously due and $107 million for the 
initial contribution to the GEF's second four-year replenishment 
program, from 1999 to 2002. U.S. funding for these items is crucial if 
the Nation hopes to continue influencing GEF's policies and lending 
strategies.
   Expanding the Federal Facilities Cleanup and Compliance: The Federal 
Government continues to address the huge challenge of cleaning up 
Federal facilities contaminated with radioactive or hazardous waste. The 
Energy Department (DOE) faces the most complex and costly problems from 
over 40 years of research, production, and testing of nuclear weapons 
and reactors. The Defense Department's (DOD) problems, meanwhile, 
include hazardous wastes like those found at industrial and commercial 
sites.
   The budget proposes $6.1 billion for DOE's Environmental Management 
program, including $277 million for the Uranium Enrichment 
Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund. The budget also proposes $517 
million to continue to privatize waste remediation at such sites as the 
Hanford (WA) and Idaho facilities, through which DOE pays for the 
delivery of treated waste that meets approved specifications. 
Privatization will help speed cleanups, reduce health risks, and cut 
costs at these sites.
   DOD, which operates one of America's most diverse and successful 
environmental programs, is focusing its efforts on reducing relative 
risk at its active and closing installations. As of early 1998, it is 
conducting studies or clean-ups at 688 military installations and 2,721 
formerly-used properties. Moreover, it has determined that 14,399 sites 
require no further action. DOD also is making progress in its compliance 
and pollution prevention, conservation, and environmental technology 
programs. The budget proposes $4.4 billion for all DOD environmental 
activities; the decrease compared to the 1998 level is largely due to 
the completion of several one-time projects and of clean-ups at several 
closed bases. The Administration is committed to making all current and 
former DOD property safe and clean.