July 7, 1969
Page 18424
CITIZENS CRUSADE FOR CLEAN WATER
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, as never before in our history Congress and the American people are deeply concerned about the asaults being made on our environment by pollution. This concern surfaced again last week when a major and unprecedented coalition of industry, labor, consumers, professional and conservation organizations, launched a citizens crusade for clean water.
The crusade was the spontaneous reaction of these groups to the woefully inadequate budget request for clean water appropriations. Their common action speaks eloquently of their conviction of the American people – that we must begin now to improve the quality of our environment. Each day others join their ranks, and I ask unanimous consent that a current listing of these organizations be printed in the RECORD along with press accounts of their activities.
There being no objection, the list and articles were ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
American Association of University Women.
AFL/CIO.
American Fisheries Society.
American Institute of Architects.
American Paper Institute.
Association of Interpretive Naturalists.
Citizens Committee on Natural Resources.
Consumer Federation of America.
Izaak Walton League of America.
Monsanto Biodize Systems, Monsanto Chemical.
National Association of Counties.
National Audubon Society.
National Fisheries Institute.
National Rifle Association.
National Wildlife Federation.
Society of American Foresters.
South Jersey Shellfishermans Association.
Sport Fishing Institute.
The American Forestry Association.
The Conservation Foundation.
The League of Women Voters of the United States.
The National Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
The Sierra Club.
The Wilderness Society.
The American Institute of Planners.
The Wildlife Society.
Trout Unlimited.
United Auto Workers.
United Steelworkers of America.
U.S. Conference of City Health Officers.
U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Wildlife Management Institute.
[From the Washington Post, June 9, 1969]
ONE BILLION DOLLARS FOR CLEAN WATER URGED
Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel pleaded with a U.S. Senate subcommittee yesterday to appropriate a full $1 billion authorized for community sewage plants next year, instead of the $214 million sought by the Nixon Administration.
Mandel was a key witness for the Citizens Crusade for Clean Water, a group of three dozen national and local organizations that opened a clean water campaign yesterday.
Budgetary stresses resulting from the Vietnam war have kept Federal outlay slow, despite large authorizations voted by Congress in the 1966 Clean Water Restoration Act.
Mandel said his State's water cleanup program "Will die" unless the Federal Government begins giving the states and communities the money it promised them under the 1966 law.
Maryland, he said, had planned community treatment plants and set up a sanitary facilities fund on the basis of an anticipated $57.5 million in Federal grants from fiscal 1968 to 1971, but would get only $14 million at the current rate of Federal appropriations.
"The sanitary facilities fund will go broke early in fiscal 1970 unless Federal appropriations are increased," the Democratic Governor said. He added, "Our people are fed up with billion-dollar talk and million-dollar action."
Mandel's demand for the full appropriation was echoed by Douglas Merrifield, of St. Joseph, Md., who spoke for the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors, and by spokesmen for other groups sponsoring the crusade.
The grants would actually generate far more than $1 billion in construction, since communities normally match them 50-50 or better. Municipal sewage is one of the major sources of water pollution in the United States.
The request for $1 billion in appropriations was endorsed by Senate Air and Water Pollution Subcommittee Chairman Edmund S. Muskie (D-Me.) and Senior Republican J. Caleb Boggs (R-Del.).
When Allen J. Ellender (D-La.), presiding at the hearing as chairman of the Senate Public Works Appropriations Subcommittee, asked Muskie for a figure that would have a "realistic" chance of getting through Congress, Muskie said, "Some $600 million can be effectively spent, I'm informed."
The three-dozen groups that have come together to form the Citizens Crusade for Clean Water include the Conservation Foundation, Wilderness Society, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Natural Resources Council of America, United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO, National League of Cities, League of Women Voters, National Association of counties, Izaak Walton League, Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation and National Audubon Society.
[From the Evening Star, June 9, 1969]
ONE BILLION DOLLARS TO CLEAN UP WATER ASKED BY CITIZENS CRUSADE
(By Roberta Hornig)
A coalition of conservation and labor groups and state and local government officials today opened a campaign to put pressure on the Nixon administration to come up with the money needed to clean up the nation's water.
The "Citizens Crusade for Clean Water" will seek immediately to get Congress to appropriate $1 billion to help states and municipalities build sewage treatment plants. This represents the dollar gap between what Congress said it would spend to combat water pollution when it passed a clean water act in 1966 and what it has appropriated.
The group already has sent a telegram to President Nixon, pleading for more funds for cleaner water.
MANDEL TO TESTIFY
Delegates from the group, which represents more than 35 organizations having a membership estimated at about 10 million, were appearing at a special hearing before the Senate subcommittee on public works:
Among those scheduled to testify was Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel.
The coalition is made up of groups that often disagree, but have joined forces on the clean-water issue to galvanize public support.
PUT ASIDE DIFFERENCES
The committee's coordinator, J. W. Penfold, head of the Izaak Walton League of America, told a press conference:
"Our differences in objectives, programs, purposes, policies and procedures have all been put aside for the moment so as to join our voices in a single demand upon which we all agree."
The organizations represented include the AFL-CIO, American Fisheries Society, American Forestry Association, American Institute of Architects, Association of Interpretative Naturalists, Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, Citizens Committee on Natural Resources, and Conservation Foundation.
Also, the Consumer Federation of America, Izaak Walton League, League of Women Voters, National Association of Counties, National Audubon Society, National League of Cities, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, Sport Fishing Institute, United Auto Workers, U.S. Conference of City Health Officers, U.S. Conference of Mayors, United Steelworkers of America, Wilderness Society, Wildlife Management Institute, and Wildlife Society.
SUPPLY STAFF AID
Penfold said the coalition has no budget, but that each organization is providing some staff aid.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act authorizes $1 billion to be spent for treatment-plant construction in fiscal 1970 alone. It begins July 1.
But in budgets proposed by both the Johnson and Nixon administrations, only $214 million in spending was recommended.
Interior Secretary Walter J. Hickel, who is in charge of cleaning up waters, made a apecial plea for $600 million, but got nowhere.
At today's press conference, a spokesman for the coalition released a tabulation by states showing that local governments have grant applications totaling $2.5 billion on file with the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration.
[From the Christian Science Monitor, June 12, 1969]
COALITION PROMOTES CLEAN WATER (By Robert Cahn)
WASHINGTON – A new nationwide coalition of citizen groups organized to fight water pollution is making its presence felt in places that count.
Representing 35 organizations – with more joining every day – the Citizens Crusade for Clean Water has made its first goal getting some of the money due cities to help finance waste-treatment plants.
On June 6, citizen groups which represent more than 6 million people sent a telegram to President Nixon.
They urged the President to increase his 1970 budget request for waste-treatment construction from $214 million to the full congressional authorization of $1 billion.
On June 9, leaders of the crusade took their cause to the Senate public Works appropriations subcommittee.
VARIETY OF INTERESTS
Now they are working in their communities, explaining the problem to citizens and urging that the pressure of public opinion be brought to bear on the President and on Congress through thousands of telegrams and letters.
The coalition is a mixture of groups that often are not on the same side of issues. Among organizations in the crusade are the AFL-CIO, United Automobile Workers, United Steel Workers of America, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, United States Conference of Mayors, League of Women Voters of America, Wilderness Society, National Audubon Society, National Rifle Association, National Wildlife Federation, Conservation Foundation, Consumer Federation of America, Izaak Walton League, and Citizens Committee on Natural Resources.
In addition, several industrial corporations including Monsanto Chemical Company and the American Paper Institute are lending their support to the coalition.
The problem, which is being severely felt in delays for construction of waste-treatment plants in many cities, exists because of a growing money gap between what Congress has authorized, and what the administration recommends and what Congress appropriates.
The Federal Government, under the Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966 and later amendments, agreed to put up from 35 to 85 percent of construction funds for city sewage-disposal plant construction. In many cases, the city puts up 25 percent, the state matches with 25 percent, and the Federal Government puts up the remainder.
HUGE BACKLOG OF REQUESTS
As of March 31 this year, a backlog of $3.2 billion existed in requests from states on pending applications to the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (FWPCA) for assistance. The Johnson Administration had requested only $214 million, and despite the urging of Interior Secretary Walter J. Hickel for $600 million, the Nixon administration's 1970 budget kept to the $214 million figure.
Meanwhile, 14 states that have been advancing the federal share to cities in anticipation of federal funding, are being left in difficult positions. At the present time these states, including New York, Connecticut. Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania and Michigan, are out $635 million in these advances.
Miss Olga M. Madar, United Automobile Workers representative on the citizen crusade, explained the plight of her own state, Michigan.
"Last November, the people of Michigan, with a 70 percent ‘yes’ vote, passed a $335 bond issue for treatment abatement, Miss Madar said. Legislation has just been enacted by the state as to how the money shall be appropriated. But under the present federal request totaling $214 million, Michigan would be allowed only a little over $7 million.
MOBILIZATION URGED
"This is the time to mobilize citizen support. The people are willing to pay for the pollution problem that has accumulated through no fault of their own.
"The UAW intends to work in all of our communities through political-action lines. We will be getting out the information to our membership and asking them to exert pressure on the federal government.
"In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel said even though the state had set up a sanitary-facilities fund, so much money had to be advanced to cities that the fund would go broke early in fiscal 1970 unless federal appropriations were increased.
"If the reason for deferring construction of these plants is so save money, this is shortsighted," Governor Mandel said. "Costs are increasing about 15 percent a year. If we delay five years, the cost will be double."
The new citizens crusade was organized following a meeting last April of the Natural Resources Council of America, a society of major national and regional conservation organizations. The meeting had been briefed by David Dominick, new director of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, who had explained the shortage of federal funds and the effects on states and cities.
IDEA SPREADS QUICKLY
After the meeting, the executive committee of the resources council decided to look into the possibilities of forming a citizen coalition. The idea caught on, and by early June, 26 organizations had joined in the effort. The citizens crusade is being coordinated by Joseph W. Penfold.
The shortage of funds for water-pollution control is somewhat embarrassing to President Nixon, who has been stressing the urgency of cleaning up pollution, both before and after his election.
Mr. Nixon's own postelection task force on resources and the environment had been highly critical of funding for water pollution control.
"The gap between need and appropriations in the air and water pollution programs is critical and growing," the task force advised Mr. Nixon in its report.
"We attach the highest importance to these programs, and believe that adequate funding will remain a major key to their effectiveness," the report continued. "The annual uncertainty of appropriations of adequate funds for the cost share disrupts orderly local planning and financial arrangements and breeds distrust of the federal government."