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CRS85-517ENRp054
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CRS85-517ENRp054
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in place, or are being considered. - ' Background In contrast to the regulatory activities and resources allocated to im- prove and maintain outdoor ambient air quality in the past 20 years, indoor air quality has received comparatively less attention, except for industrial environments. However, studies have demonstrated that - most people spend 70-80% of their time indoors; - indoor pollutant
CRS85-517ENRp056
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CRS85-517ENRp056
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, Federal mandatory regulations to be enforced by States and localities, or a voluntary compliance program which includes tax credits and other incentives? - Can research programs currently underway or planned answer these questions? References National Academy of Sciences. Indoor pollutants. Wational Academy Fress, 1981. 538 2. NCAQ. To breathe clean air. Mach 1981. pp. 11; 56, 33. U.S. Congress. House
CRS85-517ENRp058
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CRS85-517ENRp058
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of acid precipitation? Would controls on utilities emitting sulfur dioxide in the Midwest mitigate acid precipitation in the Northeast? To answer these questions, the 96th Congress enacted the Acid Precipitation Act of 1980 (Title VII; Energy Security Act, P.L. 96-294). This research program is beginning to produce results, with a major interim report scheduled for 1985. Now, the second round of acid
CRS85-517ENRp055
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CRS85-517ENRp055
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own regulatory mandate which has sometimes resulted in duplication of research efforts and occasional conflicts regarding pro- posed measures. However, EPA, DOE, HHS and CPSC co-chair a 13-member in- teragency Committee for Indoor Air Quality which has recently completed a Federal indoor air strategy, to be transmitted to Congress after review and approval by the Office of Management and Budget
CRS85-517ENRp057
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CRS85-517ENRp057
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CRS-42 8. ACID PRECIPITATION Issue Over the past Congress, acid precipitation was the most actively debated air quality issue. Points of contention included the urgency of the problem and who should pay the costs of reduction. For the present, the Administration is supporting an accelerated research program, saying that imposing costly con- trol actions is premature. And even if the questions of urgency and financing cleanup are resolved, any acid precipitation legislation is likely to be just one ingredient of a more comprehensive debate on Clean Air Act amendments. Background ’Acid precipitation results from oxides of sulfur and nitrogen reacting with water vapor in the atmosphere. It has the potential--either alone or together with other pollutants-to-damage lakes and fish populations, forests, crops, soil fertility, and manmade materials. The precursor pollutants are produced primarily by the combustion of fossil fuels in powerplants, industrial boilers, and automobiles; and by smelting processes. The single greatest source of acid precipitation is believed to be sulfur in coal burned by electric utilities. Mationally emissions of sulfur dioxide are running at about 26 million tons per year. In North America, the area most vulnerable to acid precipitation appears to be our Northeast, especially New York State and New England and Canada's eastern Provinces. These areas are affected both by local sources and, it is generally believed, by emissions originating from high-sulfur coal burning utilities in the Midwest. While lake and fish damage has generated the most concern, forest decline is attracting increasing attention, with acid pre- cipitation one of the postulated causes.
CRS85-517ENRp064
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CRS85-517ENRp064
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CRS-49 a) MANAGING NONPOINT SOURCE WATER POLLUTION Issue In many parts of the United States, nonpoint sources of water pollution (pollution not discharged from a discrete, identifiable pipe or conveyance) contribute significantly to water quality problems. At issue are the adequacy of voluntary efforts to curb nonpoint source pollution, whether a more active Federal role is needed, and the appropriateness of incentives or penalties to ensure abatement. Background an estimated 30 percent of :he Nation’3 remaining water pollution problems are associated with nonpoint sources, such as agricultural and forestry lands, urban and suburban sites. Runoff from these nonpoint sources transports con- ventional and toxic pollutants into waterways. The relative importance of abating uncontrolled nonpoint sources has become more evident as, over the last’ decade, industrial and municipal point sources have achieved greater compliance with control requirements of the Clean Water Act. The principal Federal legislative mechanism for dealing with nonpoint source pollution has been section 208 of the Act, a planning tool for compre- hensive waste management. Historically, public and private interest in this program languished behind attention to point source controls. Consequently, the results of section 208 planning efforts have been mixed nationwide, as has implementation of control measures by State and local governments. Yet, State officials contend that differing degrees of attention to nonpoint pollution reflect differences in the relative importance of those sources to a State's water quality problems, rather than lack of commitment.
CRS85-517ENRp065
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CRS85-517ENRp065
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CRS-50 In considering bills to reauthorize the Clean Water Act, the 98th Congress examined the possible need for a new nonpoint source management program and, if needed, the features it might include. Senate and House committees approved bills to establish new management programs (S. 2006 and H.R. 3282); the House passed H.R. 3282 in June 1984. Three key questions raised during the debate
CRS85-517ENRp066
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CRS85-517ENRp066
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is distributed to States 9 under a statutory allotment formula. The grants program was last reauthorized in 1981 (P.L. 97-117), when Congress extended it through 7? 1985 at an annual funding level of $2.4 billion and made changes to limit Federal spending and focus the program on water quality problems. In the 98th Congress the House passed legislation (H.R. 3282) that would have increased the program
CRS85-517ENRp060
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CRS85-517ENRp060
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CRS-45 References U.S. Library of Contress. Congressional Research Service. Acid rain. IP 0134. U.S. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. Acid rain: issues of the 99th Congress. IB 85-008. National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program. Annual report, 1983, to the President and Congress. Washington: Interagency Task Force on Acid Precipitation (1984). 72 p. U.S. Congress. House
CRS85-517ENRp062
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CRS85-517ENRp062
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on Public Works and Transportation. Water Quality Renewal Act of 1984; report together with additional and supplemental views to accompany H.R. 3282. Washington, U.S- Govt. Print. Off., 198$. 91 p.— (98th Congress, 2d session. Eouse. Report no. 98-827).
CRS85-517ENRp061
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CRS85-517ENRp061
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-based approach to water pollution, especially i« the control of so-called conventional pollutants such as bacteria and nutrients. Other elements of the cleanup job envisioned by Congress when it enacted the law in 1972 (P.L. 92-S00) remain unfinished, including control of toxic pollutant discharges-where the regulatory framework is still incomplete--and nonpoint sources of pollution, which are not regulated
CRS85-517ENRp067
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CRS85-517ENRp067
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programs supported by government, the 99th Congress may re- examine the municipal grants program and options for change. In doing so, it might consider various alternatives: - continue the current program as is; - extend the current program, plus reverse certain program changes adopted in 1981; - - prepare for a phaseout of the grants program following a transition period of several years, during which
CRS85-517ENRp063
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CRS85-517ENRp063
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CRS-48 U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Clean Water Act Amendments of 1983; report together with additional and supplemental views to accompany S. 431. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1983. 61 p. (98th Congress, lst session. Senate. Report no. 98-233).
CRS85-517ENRp069
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CRS85-517ENRp069
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delegated authority for the public water sys- tem program to 52 States and territories since 1974, but as recently as 1982 the General Accounting Office found reports of some 146,000 annual violations of drinking water standards. Should the Safe Drinking Water Act play a more prominent role in ground- water protection? Although the Safe Drinking Water Act has provisions to protect groundwater, many
CRS85-517ENRp071
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CRS85-517ENRp071
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CRS-56 ll. GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AND PROTECTION Issue Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for nearly 115' million Americans-half the population. Public concern for the protection of this resource is growing as more and more cases of groundwater contamina- tion by man-made and natural toxic chemicals are being discovered in all 50 States. A variety of Federal, State
CRS85-517ENRp072
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CRS85-517ENRp072
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of a national monitoring effort, experts believe that only 1-32 of the Nation's groundwater may be contaminated. Nevertheless, a 1981 random survey by EPA of 945 public water supplies drawing on groundwater found the presence of volatile organic chemicals in 17% of the small systems sampled (less than 10,000 population) and in 29% of the larger systems. A key issue is how best to protect the Nation
CRS85-517ENRp068
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CRS85-517ENRp068
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Water Act was enacted in 1974, it has been revised twice, in 1977 (P.L. 95-190) and 1980 (P.L. 96-502). Although these "fine-tuning" amendments are perceived to have improved the Act, a number of implementation difficulties have emerged, particularly the ability of the Act to control organic chemicals from entering water supplies and to protect underground sources of drinking water
CRS85-517ENRp070
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CRS85-517ENRp070
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, 1982. March 3, 1982. 22 p. (CED-82-43). U.S. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. Safe drink- ing water, by Donald V. Feliciano. IB 83006 (updated regularly). . Underground injection of wastes, by Donald V. Feliciano ‘.‘..'?".€ ' g r 33 3Ja;3 tdpdated :agulsrL7}.
CRS85-517ENRp077
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CRS85-517ENRp077
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and spill cleanup programs, cases of cases of groundwater contamination from tank leaks have occurred, and the liability by some of these companies has at times exceeded tens of millions of dollars. References U.S. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. Leaking underground storage tanks: a potential environmental problem. Report No. 84-508 ENR, by Donald V. Feliciano. Washington, 1984. 18 p
CRS85-517ENRp073
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CRS85-517ENRp073
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policy; fifty-fifth report. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1984. 132 p. (98th Congress, 2d Session. House. Report No. 98-1136). U.S. Congress. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. Groundwater contamination and protection, by Donald V. Feliciano. IB 83091. (updated regularly). _. Groundwater: what it is, and how it is being protected. Report No. 84-15 ENR, by Donald V. Feliciano

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