Administration pushes NAFTA environment deal

Abstract

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its side agreements will bring genuine improvement to the environment of North America, according to the Clinton Administration. Testifying before the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works recently, Administration witnesses used personal experiences and dire predictions of future problems in their efforts to convince members to approve the troubled treaty. With a House vote on the agreement possible as early as Nov. 17, the Administration is still not sure it has enough votes to pass the measure. One of the primary concerns that members of Congress have with the trade pact is its impact on the environment, given what many view as Mexico's history of lax environmental protection. A so-called side agreement that is designed to strengthen the environmental protections of the treaty and assuage its opponents has been negotiated with Canada and Mexico. (For more on NAFTA, see page 18. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol ...