96 



plored, environmental concerns and impacts were analyzed in a matrix alongside 

 energy, economic, social, and trade considerations. 



Any student of democracy and public policy must acknowledge a missing building 

 block in the list of structures in the top tier of the Federal Government. Currently, 

 EPA sits in the Cabinet room at the President's invitation but President Clinton 

 agrees that we should validate its presence as a statutory matter regardless of who 

 sits in the White House Oval Office. It is time for a permanent chair at the table, 

 institutionalizing the environment as a critical ingredient in the mix of any Federal 

 decisionmaking. 



As our children, pre-kindergarten through college, study the structures that 

 define our democracy and government, I want to make sure that an environment 

 Department is part of their original understanding of what makes our Nation 

 strong. In addition to our children, students of democracy everywhere in the world 

 should comprehend that an environment Department is key to America's identity. 

 The United States should join the majority of our major partners who count an en- 

 vironment minister as an equal among the top government tier. Not to do so sends 

 the wrong message about our government's priorities here at home; it also prevents 

 us from asserting the kind of leadership that the rest of the world is looking to us to 

 provide on environmental problems affecting the entire planet. 



In conclusion, I assure you that I believe the creation of an environment Cabinet 

 Department meems more than a new chair. Joining the Cabinet ensures direct 

 access to the President, and, consequently, a voice on behalf of citizens concerned 

 about the environment their children will inherit and industry seeking to mesh en- 

 vironmental and business concerns. An environment Department's involvement in 

 the Federal Government's domestic and international agenda will improve the qucd- 

 ity and efficiency of Federal decisionmaking as the Cabinet addresses all of the Na- 

 tion's chsdlenges. 



Finally, creation of an environmental Department signals at home and abroad the 

 highest commitment of the United States to environmental stewardship. As public 

 ofHcials we must judge ourselves not only by what we accomplish today, but by the 

 legacy we create for tomorrow. S. 171 is consistent with President Clinton's three- 

 part environmental framework: elevation of EPA to a Cabinet Department, elimina- 

 tion of the Council on Environmental Quality and reassignment of its functions, and 

 creation of an Office on Environmental Policy in the White House. 



Prepared Statement of Douglas M. Costle 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to 

 appear here this morning to testify in favor of establishing a Department of the En- 

 vironment. At the outset, I would like to present to you and submit for the record a 

 letter from five former EJPA Administrators indicating our strong support for a De- 

 partment. I congratulate you and your colleagues for spearheading this effort and 

 for your continuing leadership in protecting the environment and public health. 



As you know, I supported S. 2006 and testified before your committee on its 

 merits 2 years £igo. I enthusiastically support S. 171. Over the past 2 years I have 

 served as a member of two commission groups that have examined a broad range of 

 environmental policy issues. Participating in the activities of the National Commis- 

 sion on the Environment and the Ceimegie Commission on Science, Technology, and 

 Government has given me an opportunity to reflect on our nation's past environ- 

 mental record and the challenges we face in the years ahead. 



My serious interest in Federal organization with respect to the environment 

 began in 1969, when I directed the Ash Council study that led to the establishment 

 of the Environmental Protection Agency. Since that time the Nation has made con- 

 siderable progress in protecting the environment, but we are clearly in the early 

 stages of a long journey, and I believe establishing a Department is a critical step in 

 paving the way to the future. Fortunately, the concept of a Department of the Envi- 

 ronment has bipartisan congressional support and has been endorsed by the Admin- 

 istration. With President Clinton and Vice President Gore's commitment to environ- 

 mental protection, I believe this is an opportune time to look broadly at the organi- 

 zation of the Federal Government in this area and examine other potential improve- 

 ments as well. 



In his 1961 address at the dedication ceremony of the National Wildlife Federa- 

 tion building. President John F. Kennedy eloquently stated the ultimate purpose of 

 our environmental protection efforts. He said, "It is our task in our time and our 



