APPENDIXES SELECTED REPORTS ON WASTE MANAGEMENT, BACKGROUND MATERIAL COMPILED FOR SUBCOMMITTEE ON AIR AND WATER POLLUTION, U.S. SENATE, MAY 1968 Appendix 1. Recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences-National 2. Recommendations of the Subcommittee on Science, Research, and 4. Glenn T. Seaborg, Testimony before the United States Senate Com- Page 243 245 247 263 291 5. Athelstan Spilhaus, "Waste Management and Control," Scientist And Citizen, November-December 1967, pp. 219-223. 6. René J. Dubos, "Scientists Alone Can't Do the Job," Saturday Review, December 2, 1967, pp. 68-71. 297 7. J. R. Pierce, "When Is Research the Answer" Science 159:1079-1080 (March 8, 1968) _ _ 303 8. Federal Council for Science and Technology, "Annual Report on Gov- 9. Demonstration Project Abstracts-Solid Wastes Program_ 11. State-Interstate Solid Waste Planning Grant Listing 12. Summaries of Research and Training Grants in Solid Waste Disposal - 13. National Society of Professional Engineers, statement entitled, "The Engineering Challenge of Polution Control__ (241) 95-825 0-68-17 305 315 345 375 385 435 APPENDIX 1 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES-NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL'S COMMITTEE ON POLLUTION, "WASTE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL" The complexities of most remedial measures for pollution must be taken into account in planning new approaches; solving a local pollution problem by transferring it to another suburb, community, or state is no solution from a national or a regional standpoint. Particularly, as has been noted, greatly expanded study and research is required to identify and evaluate the options. Much new technology will be required to improve efficiency and reduce costs in the new systems that will be necessary. Action is needed to create a climate conducive to the development and implementation of better design concepts, and to the promotion of effective institutional and inter-community cooperation. The initial impetus to resolve the difficulties inherent in the economics, politics, and law of the situation can be generated most effectively at the federal level. Therefore, it is the Committee's belief that priority must be given to initial actions by which the executive branch of government can assume leadership and, through appropriate actions, promote public awareness of the importance and the opportunities of improving the management of our resources and residues. Many of the actions that are needed will, in the Committee's opinion, be catalytic, releasing and giving direction to the interest and resources now available in our industries and universities and in the affected communities. Feasibility experiments providing data on cost and on performance and desgn techniques are believed most appropriate for federal initiative and support and are critically needed. Critically needed too, are well-staffed and adequately supported programs to develop techniques for joint planning within regions, to couple need and capability in the securing of data required for efficient and realistic planning, and for the encouragement of cooperation among the communities and institutions whose participation is required. Of direct interest and concern to the federal government is the need and opportunity to organize and make available the very considerable body of data, both national and international, relating to effects, acceptable levels and standards of performance, and protocols for measurement and monitoring. Finally, the federal program of research and development should be continued and extended to include research into many legal questions relating to responsibilities and rights in the use of our water, air, and land resources. The Committee believes that the initiating role of the federal government particularly is of paramount importance. The government can demonstrate feasibility and opportunity; it can take the first essential steps toward needed standards, of both acceptable levels and technical performance; it can provide a meeting ground for industry and customer communities; and it can establish a program of incentives in its participation in the design and building of new systems. If substantial efforts are made along these lines, the Committee feels confident that the potential for the development of new technology by industry will be encouraged and realized, and that a public-utility attitude will develop in the industrial participation in the management of our residues and wastes. The following recommendations of the Committee are proposed as first steps that can be taken to meet the needs described in this report. They reflect, too, an integration of many of the specific recommendations presented in the appendixes that follow. 1. That a full-scale experimental residue-control system be planned, designed, and constructed in a new city-this system to embody the newest and best principles of recycling, re-using, and recovering residues, and to serve as demonstration model. 2. That one or more experimental, regional, environmental design groups be established to: a. Develop residue-management plans in concert with comprehensive landuse plans. b. Advise agencies and bureaus of the several federal departments as to information, data, instrumentation, and other needs of local (state, city, subregional) bodies to design and construct plans and systems. c. Assist local planners and authorities with needed data, services, and techniques to develop subplans compatible with regional design. 3. That there be provided within the structure of the federal government: a. A Center for Criteria and Standards to collect, compile, and issue critical data from national and international sources on acceptable levels of residue concentrations for guidance of regional and local bodies. b. A Development Center for the testing and evaluation of system and subsystem components, with strong ties to professional associations, industry, and state and municipal authorities. 4. That there also be provided, within the structure of the federal government, a program including contract work, to support the following: a. A legal study on legislative precedents and needs, including questions of equity, simplification of access to courts, and development of model legislation relating to society's use of national resources of air, inland and coastal waters, and land. b. Biological and ecological studies. c. Engineering studies, including economic considerations, relating to residue management. d. All relevant studies toward closing the loop from resources to user to reuse as a resource. 5. That a National Commission for Environmental Protection be established under presidental appointment to: a. Promote national awareness of the need and opportunities to preserve the health and beauty of our national environment. b. Promote better use of the resources we mine and consume. c. Draw attention to notable progress in innovation, design, and practice developed by national and local authorities and industry. d. Monitor progress of the composite national program. e. Advise the President and people of needed remedies and desired goals. APPENDIX 2 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT TO THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, "ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, A CHALLENGE TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY" III. RECOMMENDATIONS It is clear from the testimony that the goals in environmental quality can be reached only by minimizing wastes at their sources. The concept of using the "natural assimilative capacity" of the environment is not yet feasible, because it cannot be defined. Where contamination cannot be completely eliminated, precise knowledge of its effects must be obtained. Therefore: 1. To improve our knowledge of what we are about, scientific activity in ecology and related fields should be immediately expanded to provide— (a) Baseline measurements in plant and animal communities and the environmental-an ecological survey. (b) Continued monitoring of changes in the biosphere. (c) Abilities to predict the consequences of man-made changes. (d) Early detection of such consequences. (e) Knowledge of the environmental determinants of disease. 2. Ecological surveys and research should be centralized as to management in some one science-based Federal agency. The scientific activity should be performed (whether in Government laboratories or under contract by local universities and research institutes) in geographical regions which correspond generally to natural environmental boundaries. 3. To place pollution abatement on a comparable basis with other national technology programs, systems analysis and management capability should be established within the Federal Government. This approach should be used along with the "planning, programing, budgeting" technique to organize both near and long-term Federal research and operational efforts in pollution abatement. More attention should be paid to interfaces between agency missions which make the management of environmental problems difficult. 4. To improve and enhance waste treatment practice, an abatement extension service should be established by Federal funds to provide information and technical advice to local governments, regional compacts, and industry. A continuing survey of operating practices and successful industrial abatement methods should be undertaken to identify new and better technology as quickly as possible. The service could contract locally for the performance of its functions and become at least partially self-supporting through fees. 5. To stimulate the acquisition and deployment of new technology, Federal contracts for research, development, and demonstration should employ a cost recovery principle where commercial success occurs. Return of the ownership of the technology to the private sector for exploitation should be a part of contracting policy. 6. The Federal Government should undertake an analysis to identify and separate those abatement action programs which are well supported by facts and for which practical answers are available, from those problem areas where more R. & D. is needed. A public information program should make these differences clear to the Nation so that installation, enforcement, and research can each proceed on a logical timetable. Actions to decrease pollution should continue even though the ultimate criteria cannot be set at this time. 7. The Congress should endeavor to review its broad authorizations and appropriations for water, reclamation, transportation, and conservation in the context of environmental quality goals. The diversity of executive agency missions places an added responsibility on the legislative branch to avoid conflicts in large-scale engineering projects. 8. The scientific and engineering community should respond to the challenge of the pollution problem as a major opportunity to serve a public need. Work in |