policy direction in energy matters and program management. They also cover several activities that cannot be allocated by program, such as energy conservation activities within Department of Energy installations and facilities. Legislation is proposed to handle the decontamination and decommissioning of inoperative radioactively contaminated facilities such as research reactors that are no longer needed or obso

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

National Needs Statement:
• Protect the public health and welfare by assuring a clean
environment with special emphasis on the protection
of air and water quality and the control of particularly
injurious pesticides, hazardous wastes, and toxic sub-
stances.
• Provide for the conservation and development of public
lands, water, timber, and other natural resources.
• Ensure the provision of recreational opportunities to the
Nation's people and the preservation of natural areas,
historic sites, and fish and wildlife.
• Improve our knowledge and understanding of the atmos-
phere and the Earth's structure, environment, and re-

SOurceS.

Intelligent stewardship of America's natural resources and environment on behalf of all the Nation's people is a prime responsibility of government. Government at all levels must work together to protect our most important resource—human health—from the hazardous effects of toxic substances and other pollutants. The resources of the commons— our air, water, and land—must be preserved and enhanced in order to support future economic growth as well as life itself. The Government also must provide intelligent management of the public lands. These resources, which belong to all citizens, must not be carelessly squandered in disregard of sound environmental principles. At the same time, the Government must assure that minerals, timber, and other resources on the public lands are developed prudently for the benefit of all. Finally, the Government helps to preserve the places and things that give the Nation continuity by safeguarding important elements of our Nation's natural, historic, cultural, and scientific heritage. To help meet our national needs for using and preserving our natural resources and improving the environment, the budget proposes that $12.2 billion in 1979 be spent for the following major missions: • Pollution control and abatement: to cooperate with and assist States in controlling and reducing air, water, and land pollution so as to protect the public health and welfare: $5.6 billion.

Water resources: to develop and manage water resources so as
to balance economic benefits with the need to preserve the
environment: $3.4 billion.
Conservation and land management: to develop and manage
land resources so as to provide for a variety of uses of federally
owned lands and to encourage conservation on private lands:
$1.6 billion.
Recreational resources: to provide our people with recreation
opportunities and to preserve the best of our natural and his-
toric heritage: $1.5 billion.
Other natural resources: to increase our understanding of the
Earth and its surroundings: $1.3 billion.

To help carry out these missions, special emphasis is given in this budget to:

Substantially increasing personnel and funding, including grants,
to protect the quality of the Nation's drinking water.
Materially strengthening our efforts to improve the quality of
this country's air and water through increased Federal activities
and grants to States.
Accelerating control of air and water pollution caused by Federal
facilities that are identified to be in violation of pollution stand-
ards.
Initiating in 1978 and increasing in 1979 cooperative efforts with
the States to regulate surface mining of coal to prevent permanent
land degradation and to reclaim land previously damaged by
such mining.
Initiating the national heritage program to protect unique natural
areas and historic sites for the enjoyment of current and
future generations.
Significantly increasing the appropriations from the land and
water conservation fund to $725 million for grants for land
acquisition and development and for Federal purchase of lands
to enhance outdoor recreational opportunities.
Reviewing Federal lands for the possible addition of areas to the
national wilderness preservation system to protect their wil-
derness characteristics.
Expanding efforts to develop the ability to understand and antic-
ipate climatic fluctuations so that the Nation can better prepare
for the effects of climatic anomalies.

The major missions in this function are supported by the programs as shown in the table on the following page.

Pollution control and abatement.—The mission of controlling

and

reducing air, water, and land pollution is carried out by the

Federal Government both directly and through State and local

MEETING RATIONAL NEEDS 117

NATIONAL NEED: USING ANP PRESERVINo. NATURAL RESOURCES. AND
IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT

(Functional code 300: in million* of dollars)

9 actual estimate estimate estimate

Pollution control and abatement:

Sewage plan" construction grant program"--- 4,500 3. 530 *. 135 5,000
Regulatory” isearch prow”. 1,024 750 812 905 987
Oil pollution liability and compensation fund
(proposed kolation).--------T --- 180 ------- T. 50 50
_--T __ – T --
Subtotal pollution control and abato
...~~ 5,704 *. 279 4,947 5,615 6. 037
== == = == ==
w.” 3,284 3. 24, 3, 686 3. 39, 3. 461

== -Conservation and land managemen" Managemen" of national forests and forestry

........ 1,570 1,109 1,516 1,407 1,575 Management of public lands----------T 386 367 362 382 379 Surface mino olamation--------T 109 ------. 48 70 198 conservation of agricultural lands--------- 388 468 685 432 403 Other, including offsetting receipts-------" " –697 –665 –532 –711 –687 _- ~T _--T Subtotal, conservation and land man" ...----------" 1,755 1,279 1. 079 | 579 | 869 Recreational resource** Land and wato" conservation fund--------- 755 344 472 554 589 Operation of recreational resources------T 1,003 670 851 980 1,049 Migratory bird conservation (proposed leg...~" 11 ------- ~~T 11 11 — T. — -TI subtotal, recreational resources-------- 1,769 1,014 1,323 1,545 1,649 == === === === = other natural resources----------" 1,331 973 1, 175 1,268 1,254 Deductions" offsetting receipts------- "T" —1,178 –786 —1,084 -l, 178 –1.1 63 _- ~T

governmen". who are supported by Federal financial and technical

assistanco: Outlays aro estimated to increase from $4.3 billion in 1977 to $4.9 billion in 1978 and $5.6 billion in 1979

Sewage plant construction. grants-Uo. authority of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, the Federal Governmen" pro

vides grants to State and local agencies for 75% of the costs of planning, designing, and constructing municipal wastewater treatment facilities. With over 11,295 projects currently underway, nearly all of the $18 billion authorized under the act has been obligated. The administration is committed to an additional $45 billion over the next 10 years to assure that the construction of wastewater treatment facilities meets our national water quality goals. The Environmental Protection Agency intends to spend over $19 million in 1979 to reimburse the Corps of Engineers for the supervision of construction activities on wastewater treatment facility projects. This will result in more efficient management of the construction grants program. The Corps' experience in the area of public works construction will increase safeguards against fraud and other improprieties in the use of nearly $5 billion in Federal funds annually.

Regulatory and research programs.—Consistent with its firm commitment to eliminate public health hazards, the administration proposes a substantial increase in both funds and personnel to ensure that the quality of the Nation's drinking water is adequately protected by the States and localities. A 29% increase in budget authority over the 1978 level is requested for the drinking water program. Included in the proposal is an increase of 36% in grant assistance. A sixfold increase in personnel for the enforcement program is recommended to begin expanded efforts to correct violations of standards. The administration will also propose amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act to define more precisely the respective responsibilities among the Federal Government, the States, and localities in protecting local drinking water supplies. The legislation will reemphasize the intent of the act that the States must have the primary responsibility for assuring that the standards are enforced. The administration proposes increases in budget authority of $56 million and 165 positions for the air quality program in 1979. In addition, a thorough review of the air quality program has resulted in a substantial redirection of resources to high-priority activities identified by the recently enacted Clean Air Act Amendments.These changes will result in increased emphasis on grants to States, setting of standards for new stationary sources of pollution, better enforcement of existing air quality standards, and expanded programs to study ambient air problems of photochemical oxidants and toxic fine particulates. The new positions will be devoted primarily to enforcement actions. The administration intends to integrate the Department of Transportation's transportation planning process with the Environmental Protection Agency's air quality planning requirements to ensure that