ENVIRO NMEN TA L
NEWS
S U MM A R Y feb™r*6 • i974
Office of Public Affairs U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460
EPA IGNORES WHITE HOUSE ON CLEAN AIR
In article titled, "Government Agencies Struggle to Keep Going in Face of
Watergate," Wall St. Journal (1/30/74) claims EPA officials "openly fight to persuade
Congress to reject White House recommendations for relaxation of clean-air laws."
Quotes agency official: "The Office of Management and Budget sent the message to the
Hill without bothering to clear it with us, so we said, 'Forget it, we'll ignore
it.1" Says Sansom resignation "partly because of White House failure to resolve num-
erous conflicts EPA has had with other agencies." Sansom cites "the frustration of
trying to participate in the formulation of national policy while the country is
burdened with Watergate."
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CAMPAIGN SPENDING BILL COULD CRIPPLE ENVIRONMENTALISTS
Although N.Y. Times (2/3/74) says some environ:-ei-tal leaders feel '74 will be
"toughest year yet" because of energy crisis and Watergate, it also quotes Marion
Edey, coordinator, League of Conservation Voters, who worries not about Americans
blaming ecology movement for energy shortages (only 2 per cs-'t did in recent Gallup
Poll), but about proposed provision of Federal hlections campaign Bill favoring incum-
bents over challengers ("our bag"), by limiting individual, committee contributions
to $3,000. Ms. Edey says limit easily circumvented by industry, labor organizations
with many diverse branches, but will foil smaller, issus--oriented citizen groups.
Also, costs of fund raising to be charged against contribution ce-.'ling, crippling en-
vironmental organizations dependent on mail solicitations.
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RESERVE MINING NOW FACES AIR POLLUTION CHARGES
In case Knight newspaper chain calls "most important environmental suit ever
tried," District Court judge rules federal government can amend its water pollution
complaint against Reserve Mining Co. to include air pollution charges, reports N.Y.
Times (2/2/74). U.S. started proceedings against Reserve Mining, Silver Bay, Mum.,
several months ago to stop company from dumping 67,000 tons of waste taconite rock in-
to Lake Superior every day. Reserve's attorneys oppose^ air amendment, claim no feder<
power over inlrasta'.e air pollution.
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STATES SUE NIXON ON SEWAGE IMPOUNDMENT
Washington, Pennsylvania file class action suit in D.C. Distri
ct Court on be-
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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS SUMMARY
half of D.C., all states and territories, seeking release of $9 billion in water pollu-
tion control funds impounded by feds . Also, Illinois files separate suit in U.S. Dis-
trict Court for impounded $196 million (Oregon Journal . 1/23/74,) Wash. Star, 1/3/74),
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DDT BAN: EPA NEMESIS?
In light of Forest Service request for DDT use against tussock moth infestation
in Pacific Northwest, approval of bill by House Agricultural Committee transferring DDT
regulatory power from EPA to Agriculture Dept., EPA holds hearings, comes under "heavy
fire" from Oregon, Idaho Congressmen, notes Wash. Post (2/2/74), N.Y. Times (2/2/74).
Sen. McClure (R-Idaho) says ban "a mistake of staggering proportions," costing nation
"$83 million in loss of marketable timber, $240 million in income and employment lost,
and unmeasurable losses in terms of watershed and game habitat damaged." Rep. Hansen
(R- Idaho) says Ag Committee "on the verge" of reporting bill permitting DDT use in tus-
sock emergency. However. Charles Walker, acting chief of environmental quality, Bureau
of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, says, "Compelling e/idence from laboratory and field
studies demonstrates the adverse impact of DDT on fish and birdlife."
IN OTHER PESTICIDE DEVELOPMENTS. EPA gives Colorado State University $363,000
to study pesticide effects on humans in western U.S. Long-term monitoring will include
examinations of farmers, factory workers exposed to pesticides daily (Denver Post, 1/24/
MAYORS WANT DOUBLE PROPOSED TRANSIT AID
While applauding Nixon's first-time recommendation that federal funds be used
for mass transit operations, U.S. Conference of Mayors wants double his urban transit
fund proposal, to $3 billion a year, plus $600,000 annually for operating subsidies,
observes Wash. Post (2/1/74). Citing energy crisis, Mayors ii'so urge one-time appro-
priation of $400,000 to build new buses.
IN RELATED DEVELOPMENTS. N.Y. Times (2/1/74) calls Nixon's commitment to over-
all mass transpo assistance, mostly for capital improvements, inadequate: "If the au-
tomobile-riding public is to be lured back to public transportation.. .major investments
will have to be made. . .throughout the nation in new and_improved facilities and equip-
ment. Yet Mr. Nixon's program, as described so far by hederal transportation officials
offers only modest increases in the $2 billion over-all .. .program that has been developed
over the past few years."
IN OTHER TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENTS. J'What we now need, .urgently," says Wash.
Post (1/24/74), "is rapid passenger service expansion and improvement. . .Congress. ..
should now make a further substantial investment in railroad travel. It seems essentia
to... survive the energy crisis in reasonably go?d health." ---- L.A.'s mass-transit ex-
periment, 10-cent flat Sunday bus fare to anywhere in city, so successful that L.A.
county supervisors urge Southern Cal . Rapid Transit District to extend program at least
through June, with $575,000 subsidy (Christian Science Monitor, 1/30/74).
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CALIFORNIA BOTTLE BILL GATHERING STEAM
Over strong opposition by labor groups, Calif. Assembly Natural resources and
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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS SUMMARY
Conservation Committee approves measure (1) Requiring 5-cent bottle deposit, (2) makini
pop-top cans illegal, and (3) requiring container labeling to facilitate returns (L.A.
Times. 1/24/74)
IN RELATED DEVELOPMENTS. Oregon Supreme Court asked to review State Appeals
Court decision upnoiaing constitutionality of Oregon's bottle bill (see 1/9/74 News
Summary),notes Euaene. Ore. Rpnistpr-fiiiarri (I/17/741 In letter to Wash. PosT
(1/29/74) Rep. Vigorito (D-pa~.;, cai is on House Interstate and Foreign Commerce "Commit
tee to hold hearings on first federal bottle bill, (which he introduced in '70). Says
fuel saved by banning non-returnables could heat two million homes for eight months,
operate nearly 1.7 million cars averaging 10 m.p.g. for 10,000 miles. Adds that 6re-
qon Bottle Bill demonstrates net increase in jobs resulting from this type of law,
due to collection required for re-use of bottles "Recycling is a process whose time
has come," says syndicated financial columnist Sylvia Porter in Wash. Star (1/29/74 &
1/30/74). Provides answer to dangerous depletion of our key minerals. Local collect!
centers not economically successful, but scrap collection and sale by communities is:
"Higher prices for raw materials are directly spurring recycling because the value of
scrap, recyclable material; (2) inequities in fed procurement policies with "virgin
only" specifications; and (3) tax discrimination between recyclable, virgin material.
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EPA AXES STEAM CAR CONTRACTOR
Agency cancels $900,000 contract with William Lear, designer of Learjet, for
development of steam-powered car, reveals Wash. Post (1/31/74). EPA says contract
canceled due to failure in mee-'.ing government timetables. Also reported in Wall Str
Journal, 1/31/74). . .EPA selects Scientific Energy Systems Inc. for $2 million contract
to continue developing steam car (Wall St. Journal . 2/5/74).
FOREST VS. PHOSPHATE
Looming shortage of phosphate (important fertilizer ingredient) could lead to
strip mining 28,000 acres of Fla.'s Osceola National Forest, wiping out, "according to
expert testimony," the best habitat for several threatened species, and severely reduc
ing timber production on permanent basis, warns Christian Science Monitor (1/23/74).
Four companies apply for leases, but state officials denounce mining, sue to block it.
OFFSHORE DRILLING STILL DANGEROUS
CEQ head Peterson tells House subcommittee that oil drilling technology has
improved since '69 Santa Barbara spill, but still not good enough, and potential for
oil spills caused by human error "remains high" (Wash. Post. 1/31/74).
IN OTHER OIL DEVELOPMENTS. Public hearings on Pitts ton Co. proposal for $350
million oil refinery/oil tanker port at Eastport, Me. end 1/23/74, relates Portland,
Me. Press Herald (1/24/74). Pittston, refinery opponents now have month to file sup-
pi ementaTargumihts , then another week for rebuttal, with final decision by state De-
partment of Environmental Protection by March 29 or earlier.
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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS SUMMARY
RECLAMATION REIGNS?
Coal companies have never worked so hard at reclaiming strip mined land, feels
Christian Science Monitor (1/16/74), primarily because: (1) Their officials are fearful
of unfavorable environmental publicity, and (2) most state laws now make reclamation
imperative.
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COLORADO BRACES FOR OIL SHALE DEVELOPMENT
Colorado House State Affairs Committee unanimously approves bill creating
special fund to help state cope with oil shale development problems, says Rocky
Mountain News. (1/23/74). All monies from shale transactions will be put into special
fund supervised by state treasurer Environmental Defense Fund attorneys say state
laws ill-prepared to face development pressures: "The major decisions about oil shale
development are being made by a very strange coalesence of forces, most of them out-
side of Colorado." (Denver Post, 1/16/74) Despite "the prospect of mountains of
slag and a huge consumption of wate?" the Federal Bureau of Land Management has not put
any restrictions on methods of oil shale extraction in Colo., and has not required com-
panies bidding on the land to investigate any new processes of technology (Colorado
Springs Sun, 1/16/74) Environmental Defense Fund lawyers warn Colo, legislators that
oil shale development may exhaust state's remaining water supply, also might deteriorat
Colo. Rivpr to point of harming agricultural irrigation (Rocky Mountain News. 1/17/74).
AEC'S RAY PROMISES STEPPED-UP SAFETY EFFORTS
AEC chairman Dixy Lee Ray and reactor safety head Herbert Kouts tell Christian
Science Monitor (1/15/75) that past AEC safety efforts have been insufficient, and that
agency "is moving to re-establish its credibility in the field of reactor safety among
its own staff as well as scientists in the industry." Both "adamant" that series of
long-delayed safety tests be run.
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