III

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 154

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Government

should encourage other governments to draft and participate in regional

treaties aimed at avoiding any adverse impacts on the physical environment or environmental interests of other nations or a global commons

area, through the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments,

where appropriate.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 19 (legislative day, JULY 10), 1995

Mr. PELL submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States

Government should encourage other governments to draft

and participate in regional treaties aimed at avoiding

any adverse impacts on the physical environment or environmental interests of other nations or a global commons

area, through the preparation of Environmental Impact

Assessments, where appropriate.

Whereas in 1978 the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 49,

calling on the United States Government to seek the

agreement of other governments to a proposed global

treaty requiring the preparation of Environmental Impact

Assessments for any major project, action, or continuing

activity that may be reasonably expected to have a sig-
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•SRES 154 IS

nificant adverse effect on the physical environment or environmental interests of another nation or a global commons area;

Whereas subsequent to the adoption of Senate Resolution 49

in 1978, the United Nations Environment Programme

Governing Council adopted Goals and Principles on Environmental Impact Assessment calling on governments to

undertake comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments in cases in which the extent, nature, or location of

a proposed activity is such that the activity is likely to

significantly affect the environment;

Whereas Principle 17 of the Rio Declaration on Environment

and Development, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, states

that Environmental Impact Assessments as a national instrument shall be undertaken for proposed activities that

are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment and are subject to a decision of a competent

national authority;

Whereas on October 7, 1992, the Senate gave its advice and

consent to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to

the Antarctic Treaty, which obligates parties to the Antarctic Treaty to require Environmental Impact Assessment procedures for proposed activities in Antarctica;

and

Whereas the United States is a signatory to the 1991 United

Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention

on Environmental Impact Assessment in a

Transboundary Context, a regional treaty that calls for

the use of Environmental Impact Assessments as necessary tools to minimize the adverse impact of certain ac-
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•SRES 154 IS

tivities on the environment, particularly in a

transboundary context: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that—

2 (1) the United States Government should en3 courage the governments of other nations to engage

4 in additional regional treaties, along the lines of the

5 1991 United Nations Economic Commission for Eu6 rope’s Convention on Environmental Impact Assess7 ment in a Transboundary Context, regarding specific

8 transboundary activities that have adverse impacts

9 on the environment of other nations or a global com10 mons area; and

11 (2) such additional regional treaties should en12 sure that specific transboundary activities are under13 taken in environmentally sound ways and under

14 careful controls designed to avoid or minimize any

15 adverse environmental effects, through requirements

16 for Environmental Impact Assessments where appro17 priate.

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