Enviro-Newsbrief September 21, 1995
The following is a daily update summarizing news of interest
to EPA staff. It includes information from current news sources:
newspapers, newsletters, and other publications. For more
information, contact the EPA Headquarters Library at (202) 260-
5921, or e-mail LIBRARY-HQ.
**Viewpoints expressed in the following summaries do not
necessarily reflect EPA policy**
** BUDGET **
G.O.P. To Offer A Temporary Spending Plan. The New York Times,
September 21, 1995, p. B9. GOP Proposes Stopgap Spending Bill,
Imposing A Deeper Cut Than Its Budget. The Wall Street Journal,
September 21, 1995, p. A5.
The Republican continuing resolution proposal, introduced
yesterday, would result in temporarily deeper cuts to federal
spending than the main budget appropriations bills for fiscal
year 1996. This is because each federal program would be funded,
under the proposal, at the lowest of one of three levels: the
House 1996 recommendation, the Senate 1996 recommendation or the
current 1995 budget level. "Thus, agencies like
the...Environmental Protection Agency would have to adapt at
least temporarily to the deep cuts enacted by the House--whatever
the more moderate Senate restores in the interim."
The Clinton Administration is distancing itself from the
continuing resolution proposal. White House spokespersons say a
resolution must be "clear, without any riders attached to it, and
one that meets spending targets and is not biased toward either
side's priorities," and that "we would have a problem with a bill
that targets presidential priorities even in the short term."
Republican leadership, in making the proposal, acknowledges
that a "veto confrontation" over the 13 major appropriations
bills and a government shutdown should be avoided, but may be
under pressure from conservative House and Senate members to
"drive a hard bargain with the president."
** OZONE **
G.O.P. Bills Aim To Delay Ban On Chemical In Ozone Dispute. The
New York Times, September 21, 1995, p. A20. Lawmakers Move To
Check CFC Phaseout: House Republicans Play Down Links Between
Chemicals And Depletion Of Ozone Layer. The Washington Post,
September 21, 1995, p. A13.
House Republicans are trying to delay or cancel the ban on
domestic production and sale of CFCs that the United States
#
agreed to, and the Senate ratified in treaty form in 1993.
Representatives John Doolittle (R-CA) and Tom DeLay (R-TX) have
each introduced legislation: Doolittle's would delay the ban from
January 1, 1996 to January 1, 2000, while DeLay's would cancel
the ban altogether. The Post reports that both lawmakers are
"critics of the federal role in environmental protection. Both
also have strong ties to the nation's chemical manufacturers,
including major CFC producers."
Both lawmakers called into question the connection between
CFCs and the decline of the ozone layer. During a House hearing,
Sallie Baliunas of the George C. Marshall Institute and Fred
Singer, retired from the University of Virginia, "disputed the
contention that ozone depletion inevitably led to observable
increases in ultraviolet radiation." However, most ozone experts
"have concluded that the negative impact of CFCs and similar
chemicals on the ozone layers is well documented."
DuPont, once the largest manufacturer of CFCs, and now a
major producer of CFC substitutes, opposes delaying or cancelling
the ban on production. "Turning back the phaseout at this time
would be totally counterproductive," said a company spokesperson.