October 1, 1976
Page 34809
NO NEW POLLUTION FUNDS
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I am extremely concerned that there will be no authorization for funds for water pollution construction grants during fiscal year 1977. The House has refused to negotiate toward achieving a compromise on water pollution funding. Our bill authorized a 1-year extension of the program and $5 billion in water treatment grants to insure that momentum toward cleaning our waters is not lost.
In September, the Senate passed the Public Works Committee's amendments to S. 2710, to which the complicated and controversial House water pollution amendments had been added. At that time, I told the Senate that our amendment was austere and that I would fight for an austere position in conference. Our position, based upon time constraints imposed by consideration of the Clean Air Act, was to defer until next year all but the absolutely essential issues.
We have conferred with the House. We have negotiated in good faith. We have offered more than an austere bill. We have agreed to compromise on issues the Senate has yet to consider. But each of our efforts has been frustrated.
As we have attempted to confer with the House of Representatives to obtain enactment of that bill; the House has insisted on adding to this simple funding extension bill a series of special interest provisions which can only be characterized as environmental pork barrel.
The House of Representatives said that the price of a bill to continue this important national water cleanup program is wholesale abandonment of important environmental objectives and adoption of provisions, the risk of which could be more program mismanagement, and further delay in our water clean up efforts. This price is too high.
Mr. President, because of the intransigence of the House, 34 State water pollution control programs will find the Federal flow of dollars dried up. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a list of those States — compiled by the National Governors Conference.
The people out in the field who really need this money — town managers, mayors, selectmen, and State officials were counting on us. They do not understand why they were captive to the complicated negotiations of a conference committee; they only know that the Federal Government made a commitment to clean water in 1972; and they have made commitments in response. I hope the House will join us early next year to honor that commitment.
There being no objection, the list was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows :
ACCORDING TO NATIONAL GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE SURVEY
STATES AND EARLIEST RUNOUT DATE
Alabama, January 1977. Alaska, January 1977. Arizona, January 1977. Arkansas, April 1977. California, April 1977. Colorado, January 1977. Delaware, January 1977. Florida, July 1977.
Georgia, May 1977.
Hawaii, September 1976. Idaho, January 1977. Illinois, March 1977. Iowa, July 1977.
Maine, September 1976. Michigan, September 1977. Minnesota, March 1977. Mississippi, April 1977. Montana, April 1977 Nebraska, October 1976. Nevada, January 1977.
New Hampshire, April 1977. New Jersey, January 1977. New Mexico, October 1976. New York, July 1977. North Carolina, June 1977. North Dakota, December 1976.
Ohio, June 1977.
Oregon, December 1976. Rhode Island, July 1977. Texas, January 1977. Utah, January 1977. Washington, January 1977. Wisconsin; September 1977. Wyoming, September 1976.