February 26, 1970
Page 4978
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AIR AND WATER POLLUTION, COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, most of the legislative proposals contained in the President's environmental quality message have been referred to the Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution of the Senate Committee on Public Works. There are also other bills pending before the subcommittee, and I intend to introduce additional air and water pollution control legislation in the next 2 weeks.
In order to meet authorization expirations and provide adequate opportunity for a full review of the pending legislation, hearings have already been scheduled. Last week the subcommittee began a new series of hearings on the Resource Recovery Act of 1969 (S. 2005) ; the National Materials Policy Act, an amendment to S. 2005 proposed by Senator BOGGS; and the administration proposal for a study of recovery, reuse, and recycling of solid wastes.
From March 16 through March 26, the subcommittee will hold hearings on air pollution legislation, including the administration bill (S. 3466) S. 3220, and additional legislation which I will introduce shortly. I hope that Members of the Senate who wish to testify on this legislation will be able to appear on March 16. Secretary Finch and other representatives of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare have been asked to testify on March 17 and 18 on the pending legislation and the activities on the National Air Pollution Control Administration.
The comprehensive nature of the proposed amendments to the Clean Air Act will necessitate hearing many witnesses. Therefore, I request that the subcommittee be permitted to sit throughout each day if necessary.
Interested individuals and organizations who wish to be heard or to file a statement on this legislation should inform the subcommittee as soon as possible. Although an effort will be made to hear all witnesses who desire to appear, it may be necessary to require submissions of some testimony for the RECORD.
The second week of hearings on air pollution will include joint hearings on the Air Quality Improvement Act (S. 3229) with the Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment of the Senate Commerce Committee. Two days of hearings will be held on the provisions of that legislation concerning aircraft, vessels, and other moving sources of air pollution and on those provisions concerning noise pollution. The subcommittee has requested testimony on March 24 and 25 from the Secretary of Transportation, other agencies in that Department, and other interested Federal agencies and individuals.
The Senator from Michigan (Mr. HART), chairman of the Commerce subcommittee, has been asked to be cochairman of those hearings.
Following the testimony from witnesses on S. 3229, the subcommittee will spend the balance of the second week considering the general air pollution legislation.
Following completion of the Washington hearings on air pollution, the subcommittee will hold hearings in San Francisco on March 30 on the Resource Recovery Act (S. 2005) and on March 31 in Los Angeles on the air pollution legislation.
The subcommittee will then begin hearings on April 20 on pending water pollution control legislation. Those hearings are scheduled to extend for at least 2 weeks. Members of the Senate again will be invited to appear on the first day. Administration representatives will be asked to testify on April 20 and 21 on the pending legislation and activities of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration. Public witnesses will be heard during the weeks of April 27 and May 4.
Following the water pollution hearings, I hope that the subcommittee will begin consideration of the legislation introduced by Senator BAKER and myself to establish a national environmental laboratories system. This legislation is vital and should have full and complete hearings. A number of similar proposals which have been ordered in addition to the measure which Senator BAKER and I have introduced will be discussed. Those hearings should begin in June and continue through much of the summer. During the consideration of the National Environmental Laboratories legislation, the subcommittee will consider several specific technological problems which underwrite the need for this legislation.
The subcommittee also will continue hearings on S. 3042 relating to the underground use of nuclear energy and will hold hearings on other environmental control legislation as announced.
Additional field hearings will be scheduled and will be announced at a later date.
Mr. President, unless otherwise noted in the weekly announcements of the hearings, the subcommittee will commence its hearings each day at 9:30 in room 4200 of the New Senate Office Building.