Vol.14 No.40 - Slants & Trends - CEQ Projects Total Pollution Control Costs at $486.2-Billion for 1975-84 Period

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by nayy☆

“Slants & Trends” summarizes congressional and administrative actions affecting major U.S. environmental laws in the mid-1970s, including prospects for Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act amendments and related political obstacles. It reports passage and expected signing of toxic substances and hazardous waste legislation and notes funding priorities in a public works appropriations act. A CEQ estimate projects total pollution control costs of $486.2 billion for 1975-84, alongside trends in air and water quality improvements and remaining regional challenges.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Slants & Trends

Barring Some Unforeseen Miracle

Defeat of Clean Air Act Amendments

Toxic Substances Control Act and RCRA

President Ford to Sign Appropriations and Research Authorization

CEQ Projects Total Pollution Control Costs at $486.2-Billion for 1975-84 Period

Trends in Air, Water Quality Control

Vol.14 No.40 *CEQ Projects S486.2-Billion in Pollution Control Costs for 1975-84 …Page 392*Conferees Complete Clean Air Act Amendments;FWPCA Amendments Stall- …Page 393*Allied Acquitted on Kepone Conspiracy Charges,Still Faces Penalties- Page 395*U.S.Seeks $91-Million from Chrysler in Auto Emission Control Suit Page 395*EPA Revises Lead-in-Gasoline Regulations to Avoid Gas Shortages… …Page 396*Incentives Needed for Water Pollution Control Technology Development… Page 397*House Sends OCS Lands Act Amendments Back to Conference Committee Page 397 SLANTS &TRENDS BARRING SOME UNFORESEEN MIRACLE,Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Con-trol Act Amendments will not be enacted by Congress this year.House and Senate confereeson the water amendments weren't even speaking to each other as A/WPR went to press,while advocates of the new conference report on clean air were having precisely the oppositeproblem.True to his promise to filibuster the bill,Sen.Jake Garn(R.-Utah)began the debateThursday night by insisting the conference report be read aloud.Friday morning,he appearedin the Senate chamber with a healthy stack of reading material on his desk.Even if the fili-buster were broken,the bill would still face Rep.John Dingell's(D.-Mich.)threat to kill thebill in the House and the possibility of a Presidential veto. DEFEAT OF CLEAN AIR ACT Amendments will bring mixed emotions to almost everyoneconcerned.Industry in general,and Detroit auto makers in particular,are relieved that thestringent conference provisions will not become law.But they must still seek relief fromeven more stringent provisions of existing law,which prompted the amendments in the firstplace.Environmentalists,who opposed any change in existing law,had much to gain fromthe new bill's enactment,particularly on the nondegradation issue.State and local govern-ments facing tough transportation and indirect source control deadlines,however,remain atthe mercy of the regulatory process TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT and a comprehensive Resource Conservation and Re-covery Act,regulating hazardous wastes and prohibiting open dumping,were approved byCongress last week and sent to the White House for President Ford's signature.Bothbills were passed by extremely wide margins;both have the support of environmentalistsand industry.Most observers believe Ford will sign both bills;he would have ittle to gainby exercising the veto. PRESIDENT FORD WILL SIGN THE $3.7-billion Public Works Employment AppropriationsAct,which includes $480-million for sewage treatment plant construction grants to mostlyrural areas,the White House told Congressional leaders last week.Ford apparently soughtto spare Congress the formality of recessing instead of adjourning sine die so that itcould return to override Ford's expected veto.Congress also sent Ford a largely proforma environmental research authorization bill for fiscal 1976,H.R.7108,which requiresEnvironmental Protection Agency to revise annually a comprehensive five-year plan forenvironmental research,development and demonstration and transmit the document toCongress. # CEQ PROJECTS TOTAL POLLUTION CONTROL COSTSAT S486.2-BILLION FOR 1975-84 PERIOD to the President's Council on Environmental Quality.In its Seventh Annual Report,released Sept.30,CEQ estimates that capital investment will total $190-billion,operation and maintenance costs willtotal S224.2-billion,and capital costs(including interest and depreciation)will total S262-billion. Incremental pollution control expenditures,directly attributable to Federal environmental legisla-tion,will total S258.8-billion,CEQ says,with capital investment of S130.5-billion,O&M costs ofS139.8-billion,and capital costs of s118.9-billion.Estimates are “essentially the same”as last year'sprojection for 197483,CEQ says,though the dollar amounts are somewhat higher because they havebeen adjusted to take account of inflation between 1974 and 1975;becaus

FAQs

Why were Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act amendments unlikely to be enacted that year?

House and Senate conferees on the water amendments were not aligned, and the debate on the clean air conference report faced additional political constraints.

What major legislation was approved and sent to the White House for signature?

The Toxic Substances Control Act and a comprehensive Resource Conservation and Recovery Act governing hazardous wastes were approved and sent for President Ford’s signature.

What does CEQ estimate for total pollution control costs in 1975-84?

CEQ projects total costs of $486.2 billion for the 1975-84 period, including capital investment and operation and maintenance spending.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by nayy☆