Date: 1982-03-24
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I am introducing a bill today to amend the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act is the fundamental environmental statute of the United States. The act affects a large portion of our entire national economynot simply the quality of the air we breatheand is a factor in practically all substantial economic. environmental. or energyrelated undertakings in our country. There is broad support for a sound Clean Air Act. The foundation of the act is the primary and secondary ambient air quality standards that protect the health and welfare of the public along with a substantial "cushion" of safety. The legislation that I am intro. ducing today protects and defends that foundation. I believe there Is a consensus In the Congress for many of the improvements to the act that would be made by my bill. I recognize that some portions of this legislation may make greater changes in the operation of the existing act that some Members of this body would wish. I further recognize that there are some provisions in this bill that some Members feel do not make a great enough change In the current law. On balance. I belicve that this bill can add considerably to the ongoing discussions concerning the act which the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is conducting. I believe that this bill presents a coherent approach for the members of the committee. if they so desire. to examine in concert with the material already before them. That. of course. is solely the prerogative of tne committee itself to determine. At this time. I would like to commend the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Senator ROBERT STAFFORD. and my distinguished colleague from West Virginia. Senator JENNINGS RANDOLPH. who serves the committee as the ranking minority member. and formerly as chairman. They have labored long over various aspects of many proposals for changes in the current Clean Air Act. With a statute of such complexity. and such farreaching ramifications. the process that they have been participating in on the committee has been an arduous one. It is my earnest hope to work with these outstanding Senators. the members of the committee. and other Members of this body toward a sound and satisfactory resolution of this matter. It is in that spirit that I offer this legislation today. The bill pursues several goals: To offer the individual States a greater. more meaningful. and more responsible role in the implementation of the Clean Air Act without damaging the responsibilities of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. to provide. where necessary. a reasonable extension of time for the States to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act. if certain steps are taken to show further progress toward cleaner air. and recognize certain very difficult economic situations that are affected by the operation of the act. or which have been proposed for inclusion in the act. My primary focus in seeking to address the economic effects of the Clean Air Act has been. as my colleagues are aware. the acid precipitation issue. The bill that I am introducing today includes provisions similar to S. 2027. a bill that I introduced on January 28. 1982. Those provisions would accelerate the ongoing Federal research effort into the causes and ef. fects of acid precipitation and deposition. and authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to submit recommendations for remedial action. if any. when the study is completed and Its results fully evaluated. This is a matter of very great importancenot only to me but to many other Senatorsand especially 1o the people that we represent. The effects on my State of certain proposals. advanced in good faith by fine Senators. would be an economic tragedy. This tragedy has been defined in testimony before congressional committees by representatives of the United Mine Workers of America as taking the form of as many as 89.000 lost jobs in Appalachia and the Midwest. The economic effects In terms of higher utility bills and the ripple effect from massive unemployrr ent in the coalfields would punish a region of the country that is already reeling from the highest unemployment in America. The approach that my bill takes to acid precipitation is fair. It deserves serious consideration. I urge my colleagues to carefully consider the approach to refining the Clean Air Act set forth in this legislation. I will work to defend a sound. strong. and workable Clean Air Act. The following is a short factsheet that highlights other portions of the bill. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed at this point in the RECORD.