[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     RECYCLING AND PERMANENT PAPER

                                 ______


                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 1994

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record a 
recent letter from the Federal environmental executive to the New York 
Public Library on the subject of the administration's commitment to the 
use by the Government of permanent paper. Recently, a letter from New 
York Public Library President Paul LeClerc, New York Public Library 
Trustee Barbara Goldsmith, and Association of American Publishers 
President Nicholas Veliotas was sent to the White House Office of 
Environmental Policy seeking a clarification that the President's 1993 
Executive order on Recycling did not conflict with Public Law 101-423's 
requirement to use permanent paper for Government documents of enduring 
value. As my colleagues know, this policy on permanent paper was one 
developed and enacted by Congress, and I applaud the administration for 
unequivocally stating its commitment to meeting the goals of the 
permanent paper resolution as the Federal Government moves to an 
increased use of recycled paper. I would like to introduce into the 
Record the administration's response in order to make completely clear 
that there is no conflict between these highly important goals.

                                             Office of the Federal


                                      Environmental Executive,

                                    Washington, DC, July 19, 1994.
     Mr. Paul LeClerc,
     President, the New York Public Library,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Mr. LeClerc: As the Federal Environmental Executive 
     appointed by authority of the President's Executive Order On 
     Recycling, I am in receipt of your communication regarding 
     the necessity to ensure that the federal government's use of 
     recycled paper not be perceived to be in conflict with P.L. 
     101-423's requirement to use permanent paper for documents of 
     enduring historical value. I am writing to assure you that 
     there is no such conflict, and to tell you of the steps this 
     Administration is taking to ensure that the recycled paper 
     requirements are not implemented in such a way as to result 
     in the inappropriate use of acidic paper.
       The Administration is completely aware of and strongly 
     supports the Joint Resolution on permanent paper and its 
     goals. Paper which contains recycled material and is either 
     permanent or alkaline is available for purchase, and it is 
     our intention to continue to use these papers for documents 
     of enduring value.
       I will be working with the individual agencies to develop 
     specifications to fulfill the goals of the Executive Order 
     and the Joint Resolution. Executive Order 12873 called for 
     the appointment of Agency Environmental Executives for each 
     Executive department and major procuring agency, in addition 
     to a Federal Environmental Executive within EPA, the position 
     to which I have recently been appointed. I intend to transmit 
     a copy of this letter to all Agency Environmental Executives 
     in order to restate our position that the requirements for 
     use of recycled paper are not to conflict in any way with the 
     concurrent requirement for permanent paper use. Furthermore, 
     I am meeting this week with the Agency Environmental 
     Executives, and I intend to discuss and reaffirm our 
     commitment to the use of permanent or alkaline paper during 
     this meeting. I will be continuing to work closely with these 
     executives to ensure on-going sensitivity to this issue as we 
     implement Executive Order 12873.
       I very much appreciate your interest and concern for the 
     permanence of historical documents, and applaud your efforts 
     to reduce the use of acid papers by the federal government. 
     We fully share your concern, and I look forward to continuing 
     to work with you on issues of recycling and paper permanence.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Fran McPoland,
     Federal Environmental Executive.

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