3 



OPENING STATEMENT 



HEARING ON 



H.R. 3060, THE ANTARCTIC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT 



BY 



THE HONORABLE GEORGE E. BROWN, JR. (D-CA) 



RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER 



COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE 



April 18, 1996 



I congratulate the Chairman for convening this hearing to consider H.R. 3060, 

 which will allow the United States to implement the Protocol on Environmental Pro- 

 tection to the Antarctic Treaty. 



The Antarctic Treaty has been a noteworthy success for more than 35 years in 

 providing a framework for international collaboration in scientific research. The Pro- 

 tocol builds on the Antarctic Treaty to extend and improve the Treaty's effectiveness 

 for ensuring the protection of the Antarctic environment. It designates Antarctica 

 as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science, and sets forth environmental 

 protection principles and specific rules applicable to all human activities on the con- 

 tinent. 



Protection of the Antarctic environment is important both because of Antarctica's 

 intrinsic value as one of the last pristine regions of the globe and because it has 

 enormous value as a scientificc laboratory. Scientists from many nations conduct re- 

 search there in a broad range of areas in the physical and biological sciences. Ant- 

 arctica is especially important as a research platform for studies of world climate 

 and global environmental change. Environmental degradation could impair much of 

 this research. 



The Antarctic Treaty Parties have devised the Environmental Protocol to provide 

 a set of principles and procedures that will ensure that all nations institute effective 

 environmental safeguards. The Protocol has received broad support because it was 

 developed through consultation with the research community and with the non-gov- 

 ernmental organizations, which are advocates for the environment. 



The Protocol was signed in 1991 and was approved by the Senate well over three 

 years ago. It is time — it is past time for the United States to move forward to final 

 ratification. 



The remaining hurdle to ratification is to provide new legislative authority to en- 

 able enforcement by federal agencies of all provisions of the Protocol. There has 

 been disagreement in the past about how best to ensure that the provisions of the 

 Environmental Protocol are enforced, while avoiding excessive disruption to the Ant- 

 arctic research program. I am pleased that the bill under review today, H.R. 3060, 

 appears to be an acceptable compromise for balancing environmental protection con- 

 cerns against the value of the scientific research program. 



I invite our witnesses to provide their views on the bill and on the need to move 

 forward on ratification of the Environmental Protocol. 



Again, I congratulate the Chairman in moving forward with the Committee's con- 

 sideration of the legislation, and I look forward to the testimony this morning. 



The Chairman. I would also at this point indicate that we will 

 grant, by unanimous consent, any further opening statements by 

 the members that might wish to participate, since the Chairman 

 was guilty of getting us off to a very late start here. 



I apologize to the witnesses for that and I will recognize first, 

 Ms. Claussen. 



STATEMENT OF MS. EILEEN CLAUSSEN, ASSISTANT SEC- 

 RETARY OF STATE, OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRON- 

 MENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 

 STATE, WASHINGTON, DC 



Ms. Claussen. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



