310 



by the Agency and other Federal agencies in evaluating most major proposed regu- 

 lations before they are issued. 



These efforts will be intensified under the new proposed Department of the Envi- 

 ronment so as to assure that the costs and impacts of new proposed regulations are 

 given the attention they deserve both before and after regulations are issued. I also 

 plan to insist that these reports, once prepared, be given careful attention by senior 

 Departmental policy makers to the extent allowed by law. 



Although environmental pollution control regulations cannot be made cost-free, I 

 can and will insist that the costs be held to the lowest levels consistent with the 

 laws under which we operate and the protection of the environment. By preparing 

 and using these reports at both the regulation level and the program level, I believe 

 that the environment can be improved while not increasing the costs of environ- 

 mental protection beyond the capability of our economy to pay them. 



Q. 47: One area I believe you will need to watch very carefully is the environ- 

 mental problems that exist at military bases in the U.S. that will be converted for 

 civilian purposes. Do you have a plan to work with the Department of Defense to 

 address environmental problems for the large number of military bases that will 

 be closed in the next four years? 



A. 47: Yes, EPA has a plan to work with DOD to address environmental problems 

 at closing military bases. The plan is to: 1) define the Agency's mission relative to 

 base closure; 2) define and build the type of organization/infrastructure to carry out 

 the Agency's mission; and 3) address environmental issues associated with base clo- 

 sure. This response focuses on the mission and some of the steps taken to address 

 the many issues associated with base closure. 



The mission of EPA's base closure program was defined in 1991: to protect human 

 health and the environment and return closing bases to safe and productive use as 

 soon as possible. Fundamentally, most of the issues associated with accomplishing 

 the mission can be distilled into two overriding interrelated problems: expediting 

 property transfer and accelerating site cleanup. The following are only several of 

 many actions that have been taken to address these issues: 



EPA and DOD co-sponsored a series of conferences entitled, "Military Base Clo- 

 sure: Accelerating Environmental Restoration." The conferences served as forums 

 for improving communication between DOD, EPA, states, local communities, and 

 other interested parties to facilitate cleanup and redevelopment of closing bases and 

 help resolve issues affecting the base closure process. Conference participants met to 

 discuss acceleration initiatives, risk management, real estate and redevelopment, re- 

 mediation technologies, and the development of standardized techniques relative to 

 hazardous waste cleanups at closing military bases. The team approach, i.e., the 

 close working relationship among the regulators and the installation project manag- 

 er, was stressed throughout the conferences. The conferences demonstrated that by 

 investing in a team approach, EPA, DOD, and the states can streemiline and acceler- 

 ate cleanup at closing bases. 



EPA is working closely with DOD to develop procedures for identifying unconta- 

 minated parcels at closing bases so that the parcels can be made available for reuse 

 as quickly as possible. EPA is also working with DOD to establish procedures for the 

 transfer of remediated parcels and leasing of contaminated parcels. 



Finally, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 

 309 of the Clean Air Act, EPA reviews NEPA documents and provides comments to 

 the Armed Service branches regarding the environmental affects associated with 

 proposed base reuse and disposal. 



Q. 48: President Clinton has promised a reduction of 100,000 jobs and a 14 per- 

 cent cut in Administrative costs of Federal Departments and agencies. Can you 

 comment on how you will achieve these reductions without compromising the in- 

 tegrity of environmental protection programs? 



A. 48: The Clinton Administration's deficit reduction strategy is a long-term plan 

 which will be implemented over a five year period, from fiscal year 1993-1998. In 

 the short-term, EPA has taken its share of reductions equally across the board. In 

 fiscal year 1994, EPA has limited spending in some areas, while focusing valuable 

 resources toward critical environmental programs. Through these efforts, EPA will 

 be able to attain the savings necessary for sound economic growth while securing a 

 safe and healthy environment for future generations. In addition, EPA is currently 

 in the early stages of planning a base program review of EPA activities. This review 

 will help us compare resource expenditures with national environmental priorities, 

 as a basis for future budgeting efforts. 



o 



65-774 (320) 



