Ask the Scholar

Document scope · 1 page
doc
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory. For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
323150306
label
Talking Points -- Environment, 2/9/89
core
doc
dtoType
document
pageCount
1
Source metadata
Source extras
naId
323150306
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
0bfac965645d95df
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s): FOIA Number: S FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential Library Staff. Record Group/Collection: George H.W. Bush Presidential Records Collection/Office of Origin: Speechwriting, White House Office of Series: Speech File Draft Files Subseries: Chron File, 1989-1993 OA/ID Number: 13475 Folder ID Number: 13475-008 Folder Title: Talking Points -- Environment, 2/9/89 Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: G 25 6 1 2 2/9/89 TALKING POINTS ENVIRONMENT The President proposed a vigorous nine-part agenda for protecting the environment. 1. Strengthening our Commitment to Cleaner Air. The President will propose legislation to reauthorize the Clean Air Act, ensuring progress toward meeting air quality standards in the Nation's major cities. The Administration will ask Congress to establish an acid rain program that will obtain significant SO2 and NOx emission reductions, balancing competing interests, by specified dates. The President will work to achieve the worldwide ratification of the historic Montreal Protocol. 2. Preserving and Expanding Recreation Lands. The President proposes funding to buy land for parks and protected areas; his request is for the FY89 level of $206 million, beginning in 1990 and continuing through the outyears. 3. Developing Offshore Oil and Gas While Protecting the Environment: The President believes that oil and gas development of America's offshore areas is necessary, however, drilling will be permitted only in an environmentally sound manner. The President will direct that an interagency task force be established to review environmental concerns over adverse impacts of sales in three environmentally sensitive areas. By January 1, 1990, the task force will report its recommendations concerning: -- sale area #91 off northern California; -- sale area #116 off southern Florida; and -- sale area #95 off southern California. Until that time these sales will be postponed. 4. Speeding Hazardous Waste Cleanup: The President will reinvigorate the Superfund hazardous waste program by directing EPA to take a number of actions. Use its judicial enforcement authorities to collect triple damages from polluters unwilling to clean up their wastes. Pursue more cost recovery cases sooner. Use its emergency cleanup authority more often. Environment, Page 2 5. Fighting Ocean Pollution: The President is committed to clean oceans. The President will direct EPA to negotiate quickly compliance agreements with existing dumpers to end ocean dumping by the end of 1991. The FBI and EPA will be instructed to pursue criminal actions against illegal dumpers of medical wastes and EPA will be directed to issue major fines against ocean discharge permit violators. 6. Preserving Our Wetlands: America must better protect its wetlands, which are now recognized as being among the most productive ecological systems. The President will immediately establish a wetlands task force under the Domestic Policy Council. The task force will recommend ways to revise and strengthen the current Presidential executive order on wetlands protection. This will include establishment of no net loss as a national goal. 7. Enhancing Water Quality: Our water -- especially our groundwater -- must be protected. o The President proposes an increase in funding of $64 million for coordinated Federal water quality programs. Building on an interagency base of $226 million, the 1990 programs will address critical needs in water quality assessment, research, and public education. 8. Reducing the Growing Volume of Waste: This country must make every effort to stem the rising tide of garbage and industrial waste. O Additional EPA research funds will be used to expand the demonstration of promising pollution prevention and waste minimization technologies. EPA will vigorously enforce environmental laws restricting waste disposal. 9. Fostering International Cooperation on the Environment: The President will ensure that U.S. will take a leadership role in seeking increased international involvement in addressing environmental issues. The President will convene an international conference on the environment and will direct the Treasury Department to promote environmental considerations as a factor in lending decisions of multilateral development banks. EPA Administrator Bill Reilly and Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan will work with the President to make sure that our nation remains America the beautiful. #