CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE

March 20, 1968

Page 7098

S. 3201 -- INTRODUCTION OF BILL RELATING TO EXTENSION OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL PROGRAM

Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, today I am introducing, for appropriate reference, a bill to extend for another year the provisions of the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965. This legislation was an important segment in the President's recent message "To Renew a Nation."

As you know, this message offers proposals to preserve and renew this country's basic resources of land, air, and water. These three resources are indispensable to preserving the most important resource of all -- our human resources -- since the strength and productivity of the American people are dependent upon water and air which are safe to drink and to breathe, and a safe and healthy environment.

In his message the President pointed out that the millions of tons of rubbish, garbage, and trash this country discards every year "mars the landscape in cities, suburbia, and countryside alike. It breeds disease-carrying insects and rodents, and much of it finds its way into the air and water"

The solid waste disposal program was authorized by the Congress in 1965. Under that authorization the Public Health Service has made grants to 38 States to conduct thorough surveys of municipal solid waste disposal practices and problems and to develop comprehensive State plans. Demonstration projects have been started in 61 communities throughout the Nation to test new methods of disposing of solid wastes in a manner which would avoid polluting air and water, and the landscape. In some instances, these projects are also exploring how metals and other materials can be salvaged for further use. In others, the objective has been to attain these goals and also to reduce the very high costs which are characteristic of the outmoded and unsanitary methods which are now in wide use.

This year the President has asked for a simple, 1-year extension of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, coupled with "a comprehensive review of current solid waste disposal technology." The review would be directed toward a reduction in the "present high costs of solid waste disposal" and strengthened "government-wide research and development in this field."

One of the President's objectives is "to convert waste economically into useful materials."

I share the President's objectives on this program. Up to this point, most of our attention has been directed at improving the techniques of getting rid of solid wastes -- that is, to remove them from places where they are offensive and dangerous to the health of communities by incineration and by burial.

Neither technique is particularly satisfactory in the long run. Both contribute to pollution, and neither takes advantage of the resources contained in the solid waste.

A number of proposals have been made for recovery of organic materials, metals and other ingredients of solid waste which can be reused. There have been promising breakthroughs in technology which could make it possible to turn waste recovery into a profit making enterprise rather than a continuation of environmental damage.

For these reasons, I think it is time for us to take stock of our solid waste program and to determine how best to encourage a program of waste management rather than waste "disposal."

Mr. President, I am convinced we must find better ways of coping with the garbage, junk, and trash that deface our streets, our roadsides, and the countryside wherever we look. I believe we should give expeditious consideration to this requested 1-year extension.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The bill will be received and appropriately referred.

The bill (S. 3201) to protect the public health by extending for 1 year the provisions on research and assistance for State and interstate planning for solid waste disposal, and for other purposes, introduced by Mr. MUSKIE (for himself, Mr. RANDOLPH, and Mr. BOGGS), was received, read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Public Works.