January 15, 1965
Page 732
FEDERAL INSTALLATIONS POLLUTION
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I introduce, for appropriate reference, a bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, and the Clean Air Act, to provide for improved cooperation by Federal agencies to control water and air pollution from Federal installations and facilities and to control automotive vehicle air pollution. The bill, which had its origin in a suggestion by the junior Senator from Delaware [Mr. BOGGS], is cosponsored by him, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. BAYH, Mr. BREWSTER, Mr. FONG, Mr. GRUENING, Mr. KENNEDY Of Massachusetts, Mr. MILLER, Mr. MONRONEY, Mr. PEARSON, Mr. RANDOLPH, Mr. RIBICOFF, and Mr. WILLIAMS of New Jersey.
The bill which I am introducing would provide the following in the water pollution control field:
First. The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare may establish standards of water quality for discharges from Federal installations.
Second. There would be authorized appropriations to install, maintain, and operate waste disposal systems at Federal installations. Funds appropriated would be administered by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and be made available to other Federal agencies as required.
Third. There would be authorized a program for the training of personnel to operate and maintain waste water treatment facilities.
Fourth. Each Federal agency would be required to inform the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare of their waste disposal practices and the Secretary in turn would make an annual report to Congress on programs carried out.
In the field of Federal air pollution control the bill would provide for the following:
First. The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare would be authorized to establish classes of potential air pollution sources for any Federal installation and to enter such building, installation, or property for inspection purposes.
Second. There would be authorized appropriations to install, maintain, and operate devices or other means of controlling air pollution from Federal installations. Funds appropriated would be administered by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and be made available to other Federal agencies as required.
Third. There would be authorized a program for the training of personnel to operate and maintain air pollution control devices or other means of controlling air pollution and the Secretary would be required to report to Congress annually on the status and effectiveness of actions taken.
Fourth. It would be required that, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1965, and for each fiscal year thereafter, all automotive vehicles purchased for any of the Federal executive departments must be equipped with a device which would prevent or reduce pollutants from exhaust discharges to standards prescribed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
The portion of this bill dealing with water pollution control activities at Federal installations was dealt with in part in S. 649 of the 88th Congress. However, after considering the nature and magnitude of the problem of water pollution from Federal installations, as well as the problem of air pollution at such installations, it became apparent that it would be best to make these and other related matters the subject of separate legislation.
The cooperation of Federal departments and agencies in controlling the wastes from buildings, installations, or other property, which find their way into our water courses and into our atmosphere, has not been equal to the leadership role in water and air pollution control rightfully contemplated for the Federal Government. Surely, if we expect private industry, municipalities, and others to make investments in facilities to protect and preserve our air and water resources we cannot, in all fairness, ignore Federal sources of pollution.
It is recognized that much is being done by many Federal agencies in studying ways of coping with the problems, but there is no coordinated aggressive program of determining the extent of air and water pollution from these sources, providing means of correcting them, and operating and maintaining facilities to control pollutants.
It has been found that Federal installations in December of 1960 discharged 46.1 million gallons per day of untreated sewage directly into surface waters and the ground. This untreated sewage should be subjected to treatment as soon as possible, even though the total untreated sewage discharged constitutes only 3 percent of the total estimated 1,500 million gallons of untreated municipal sewage that directly reaches surface waters and the ground. In addition, it is reported that about 88 million gallons per day of untreated industrial waste waters is discharged into surface waters and the ground. Much the same situation exists with respect to air pollution. Thus, it is evident that Federal agencies have not requested or utilized funds in adequate quantities to take care of the problem. For this reason, it is my proposal that the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare be assigned the responsibility of coordinating necessary control programs and administering funds appropriated for both air and water pollution control activities at these installations.
In other legislative proposals an effort is being made to attack the problem of air pollutants being emitted by the millions of automotive vehicles operating on our Nation's streets and highways. Again, the Federal Government can and should, by its own example, encourage the provision of air pollution control systems on vehicles purchased for its own use.
I would like to note that the General Services Administration, which procures for civilian use about 35,000 automotive vehicles annually for nationwide use, has already taken steps to have all 1966 model motor vehicles, purchased by them, equipped with exhaust control systems. This agency is to be commended for taking this action which I expect was prompted as a result of the adoption of the Clean Air Act in December of 1963. I feel strongly that the action by the General Services Administration should be implemented by congressional approval and further that all vehicles purchased for military use should come equipped with air pollution suppression systems.
The ultimate responsibility of whether we do or do not eliminate air and water Pollution from Federal installations and vehicles under Federal control rests with Congress. The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare would advise Congress of the source of pollutants, the need for control measures, and request the necessary appropriations to carry on necessary programs.
I ask unanimous consent that the complete text of the bill, and a section-by-section analysis be printed in the RECORD at this point.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill will be received and appropriately referred; and, without objection, the bill and section-by-section analysis will be printed in the RECORD.
The bill (S. 560) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, and the Clean Air Act, as amended, to provide for improved cooperation by Federal agencies to control water and air pollution from Federal installations and facilities and to control automotive vehicle air pollution, introduced by Mr. MUSKIE (for himself and other Senators) , was received, read twice by its title, referred to the Committee on Public Works, and ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: