Environmental Problems and Legislative Responses

No one national legislative policy on environ mental problems emerged from the Congress at the end of 1969. Congress has reacted to environmental problems in much the same manner in which it has reacted to urban- industrial problems: it has reacted to crises. Legislative assessment of environmental problems from the late 1940's to the present arose out of, but differs from, that of earlier legislative conservationists. Early "conservationists" sought primarily the preservation, development, and use of natural resources. Contemporary "environmentalists," however, are chiefly concerned with the protection and quality of man-made and natural environments for human health and welfare. The legislative environmentalists are working toward the pro tection of the quality of human life in our urbanized society from all sources of pollution. Some legislation has been passed for programs of research and development; for tech nical and financial assistance to states and localities; for fed eral action when other governmental levels fail to act; and for the elimination of some water, air, solid-waste, noise, and pesticide pollution. Numerous congressional committees and their executive-agency counterparts have become involved in making and administering multiple environmental policies which, at times, overlap or are in conflict. All this has given rise to executive and legislative action to co-ordinate and unify environmental policies, plans, and programs.