[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 117 (Monday, September 8, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN:
  S. 1152. A bill to establish a National Environmental Technology 
Achievement Award, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.


      The National Environmental Technology Achievement Award Act

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I'm introducing legislation to 
establish a National Environmental Technology Achievement Award.
  The annual award would be presented jointly by the EPA and the 
Department of Commerce to recognize our Nation's premier environmental 
technology advancement. Specifically, the award would recognize the 
major technological improvements in the prevention and cleanup of 
threats to the Nation's air, land, and water resources. The yearly 
prize would include a financial award to be raised from the private 
sector.
  In order to achieve our Nation's environmental protection goals in 
the face of a growing population and expanding economy, we must develop 
more efficient and effective technologies to reduce and cleanup 
pollution, including advanced smokestack emission controls, improved 
water treatment systems, and manufacturing processes which reduce 
waste, just to name a few.
  While the financial rewards for developing such technology are 
presumably large, a national award would provide additional incentive 
to innovators and would highlight the importance of such advancements 
to our Nation.
  The bill would create a 14-member volunteer board to set the award 
criteria; design the award; establish a monetary prize; raise funds; 
develop a consideration and selection process; and select the annual 
recipient.
  The board would be comprised of the Administrator of EPA, Secretary 
of Commerce, National Science Advisor, Director of the National Science 
Foundation, Secretary of the Interior, or their designees. In addition, 
the panel would include three representatives from academia; three 
representatives of industry; and three representatives from 
environmental and conservation organizations. One in each category 
would be chosen by the President, one by the Speaker of the House and 
one by the majority leader of the Senate.
  The bill is supported by the Environmental Defense Fund, the National 
Parks, and Conservation Association; the World Wildlife Fund and other 
environmental groups. I urge my colleagues to support this simple, but 
I believe appropriate and helpful, initiative.
                                 ______