June 4, 1979
Page 13240
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I rise in support of the resolution Senator HUDDLESTON has placed before the Senate. It is abundantly clear to each Member of this body that our Nation must turn to an increasing degree to coal to meet our energy demands. Use of coal as fuel for utility boilers should be encouraged.
That coal must be clean coal, and it can be. We know that uncontrolled coal development and combustion carries a very high price: Degraded air quality, unpredictable climate changes, acid rain, and related human health and ecological effects.
Increased technological efforts will have to be undertaken so that breakthroughs which will allow more coal to be burned with a minimum of adverse ecological and human health effects. We have coal, located in both eastern and western regions of the Nation, which can be used now. Our priorities should be to mine that clean coal now and continue our efforts to improve cleanup technology for future years when cleaner fuels are gone. We must implement presently available technological improvements and redouble our scientific effort to improve on pollution control technology.
This Nation has committed itself to a nationwide policy of maintenance and attainment of clean air. We have within the American scientific community the expertise to see that the clean air goals of the country can be achieved while at the same time fulfilling our Nation's energy needs.
The people of the United States have the desire, the commitment, and the ability to develop coal in an environmentally sensible way in the future. Commitment to this resolution carries with it a commitment to the long-term health of the Nation's citizens.
Our attention has been riveted on energy supply and demand and development technology since the 1973 oil embargo. Since then we have tried many energy approaches. We have found that "full speed ahead without regard to recognized and significant side-effects," is not an acceptable solution to our energy problem. Let us join together to develop a sound energy policy which is also environmentally responsible.