The 1986 Environmental Legislative Agenda

Abstract

In the concluding session of the 99th Congress, work will probably be completed on a massive reauthorization of the Superfund hazardous waste cleanup law, a major extension of the Clean Water Act, reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and possibly completion of a landmark water resources authorization bill. However, these achievements may be completely swallowed by the new Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit-reduction law, which sets the fiscal 1987 federal deficit at $144 billion and requires automatic spending cuts. Cuts of the magnitude could cause a 25% cut in the operating budget of the EPA. Other programs which could be affected by this budget reduction are discussed. They include: clean air, pesticides, water resources, public lands, endangered species, oceans and global environment.