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leverage our resources, and I think our work with Norway has been 

 a good example of this. 



Finally, Mr. Chairman, there is one project which we have re- 

 ferred to several times today. It is really a bridge between what 

 has emerged in public policy literature and certainly in the public 

 literature about, "What is environmental security and how does it 

 relate to national security?" The policy of the United States is that 

 environmental security is part of national security. 



In EPA, I think it is new to us to think in those terms, but the 

 very important linkage here, nexus, is that as Russia continues to 

 meet their obligations to decommission their military fleets, more 

 waste is generated. That waste is a potential threat not only to 

 their own citizens but to all the Arctic nations. 



Automatically, the two of us here from Defense and EPA have a 

 new relationship to begin to explore, and I know that from our 

 point of view, as a policy issue, this opportunity to take the small 

 leverage that EPA brings to the table and contribute to foreign pol- 

 icy development is something that we are very happy in EPA to be 

 able to do. 



In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, this has been a very successful first 

 step. This is really, for me, an opportunity and I am very pleased 

 to be here with Dr. Yablokov and Kare Bryn, people we have 

 worked with over the years. This is the beginning of the future for 

 us in terms of a new direction, and I would only like to end, I have 

 brought with me, which I will give to you for the record, copies of 

 a report done by our science board. 



I am not sure this has been made available to this committee, 

 but I do want to leave it with you, called Beyond the Horizon: 

 Using Foresight to Protect the Environmental Future by the EPA 

 Science Advisory Board, and I will give you that because in the 

 end, among the many recommendations, it says, "The United 

 States must begin to develop strategic national policies that link 

 national security, foreign relations, environmental quality, and eco- 

 nomic growth, and EPA should play a strongly supportive role in 

 this process." We are using this example and our capabilities and 

 our human resources to try and contribute in that way. Thank you, 

 sir. 



[The prepared statement of Dr. Hecht follows:] 



