[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 50 (Wednesday, April 29, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E705-E706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               EARTH DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 29, 1998

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, April 29, 1998 into the Congressional Record.

              Earth Day 1998: The State of Our Environment

       Twenty eight years ago, on the very first Earth Day, I 
     stood on the lawn of the Indiana University commons and 
     talked with students about a wide variety of environmental 
     issues, from pulling tires out of rivers to marching in 
     Washington for a better environment. Those of us who 
     celebrated the first Earth Day were convinced of two things: 
     the environment was a mess, and a lot of work was needed to 
     do something about it.
       What began as a teach-in in Bloomington and other 
     communities has grown into a national event involving tens of 
     millions of people across the country. The environmental 
     movement has transformed our environment and our national 
     politics. Environmental issues come up all the time in my 
     work with constituents--from students talking about global 
     warming and the future of the planet to public officials 
     talking about upgrading water and sewer facilities in their 
     communities. Environmentalism has firmly taken root in our 
     political system.
       On this, the 28th anniversary of Earth Day, we can take 
     great pride in the advances that have been made in 
     environmental protection. We have succeeded in reducing the 
     levels of lead and other dangerous pollutants from the air. 
     Lakes and rivers, once so contaminated they could catch on 
     fire, now support large fish populations. Forests are 
     rebounding. Endangered species, like the eagle and the 
     buffalo, have been saved from extinction and are now 
     thriving.
       Hoosiers strongly support cleaning up our air, water, and 
     land, and they want to leave the environment safe and clean 
     for the next generation. They do not want to cut back on our 
     environmental investment. Hoosiers do not say to me that we 
     have too many parks, or that the air and water are too clean. 
     They recognize, however, that we face new environmental 
     challenges as we head into the 21st Century and need to adopt 
     new strategies to build on our successes.


                        The environmental record

       This country has achieved substantial gains in 
     environmental protection over the last three decades. The 
     Clean Air Act, passed in 1970, has dramatically reduced air 
     pollution levels even though we drive twice as many cars 
     twice as many miles. In the last decade, emissions of lead 
     declined by 89%, particulates by 20%, sulfur dioxides by 26%, 
     and carbon monoxide by 37%. Congress revised this law in 1990 
     to strengthen the ability of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency, states and the private sector to work cooperatively 
     to improve air quality, particularly in cities with 
     significant pollution problems. The new law also aims to 
     reduce pollutants which cause acid rain and contribute to 
     global environmental problems, including ozone depletion and 
     global warming.
       We have also made gains in water quality. The Clean Water 
     and Safe Drinking Water Acts have succeeded in sharply 
     reducing pollution in our rivers, lakes and streams while 
     improving the quality of drinking water. Since 1972 the 
     number of people served by modern sewage treatment facilities 
     has almost doubled and the level of pollution discharged by 
     municipal treatment plants has declined by 36%.
       Our record on conserving critical lands and wildlife 
     habitat is noteworthy. Many of our forested areas have been 
     expanding, not contracting. The national forest system 
     encompasses about 192 million acres, including the Hoosier 
     National Forest in southern Indiana. We have also protected 
     endangered species from extinction, and have largely curbed 
     the dumping of hazardous materials.


                               Challenges

       Despite our achievements, we face daunting environmental 
     challenges. First, a growing population and expanding economy 
     continue to put stresses on our environment. Species continue 
     to disappear; the tall-growth forests in the Northwest 
     continue to decline; fishery stocks in our rivers and coastal 
     areas are shrinking; and the list goes on. The challenge will 
     be to continue our economic gains without jeopardizing the 
     environment and public health.
       Second, the environmental challenges are more complicated. 
     For example, controlling the run-off of chemicals from 
     thousands of farms and city streets, which is necessary to 
     improve water quality, is difficult. Furthermore, many 
     environmental problems, like global warming, ozone depletion, 
     and threats to our fisheries, are global in nature, but 
     achieving global consensus on any issue is not easy.
       Third, our environmental laws need updating. Most 
     environmental programs are of a ``command and control'' 
     variety. The federal government sets regulations which the 
     public and private sectors must follow. This approach made 
     sense when we needed to make substantial gains in 
     environmental quality. Now that we have achieved those 
     improvements, the question is whether we should stay with the 
     current system, which can be costly and cumbersome, or take a 
     more flexible approach.


                              New approach

       I believe we need to rethink how we regulate the 
     environment. This does not mean repealing current standards. 
     The American public firmly rejected efforts in Congress a few 
     years ago to weaken key environmental laws. Rather, they want 
     a sensible role for government, one which includes less 
     regulation while improving environmental protection.
       I believe the following principles should, where 
     appropriate, guide future policy on environmental regulation 
     with the objective of making such regulation more flexible, 
     less costly and less complex:
       First, we should find market-based solutions to 
     environmental problems. Such an approach might entail 
     providing incentives to private business or local governments 
     to meet or exceed environmental standards; or it might 
     involve creating a system of marketable pollution permits. 
     Second, we should encourage cooperation between the federal 
     government and the regulated community. Environmental 
     regulation will always involve some tension between the two, 
     but the federal government can take steps to minimize such 
     conflict by working cooperatively with businesses, land-
     owners and other private interests to find solutions.
       Third, we should give more discretion to state and local 
     governments in managing environmental problems because they 
     are often closer to the problems, and may have better ideas 
     about solving them in innovative, cost-effective ways. 
     Fourth, we should allocate federal resources to the most 
     pressing environmental problems, particularly in an era of 
     tight federal budgets. Too many federal dollars are wasted on 
     programs of marginal social or economic benefit. Federal 
     agencies

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     should conduct risk assessment, based on scientific evidence, 
     and cost-benefit analysis before implementing new 
     regulations.

     

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