Defending the Environmental Agenda
August 1, 1996
"We, all of us, are being called to do something unprecedented.
We are being called to think about 'everything that is,' for we
now know that everything is interrelated and that the
well-being of each is connected to the well-being of the
whole..."
-- Sallie McFague
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Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-977-5500
Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
Gore's e-mail - vice.president@whitehouse.gov
White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC
20500
US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
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Contents:
IN THE MAIN RING: DRINKING WATER BILL ON THE HORIZON
YUCCA MOUNTAIN BILL SCHEDULED FOR A
VOTE
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: ENVIRONMENT SCORES HIGH IN NY TIMES
POLL
IN THE FIELD: S. DAKOTANS JOIN FORCES FOR STRONG
CLEAN WATER ACT
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MAIN RING:
DRINKING WATER BILL ON THE HORIZON
The House and Senate are expected to approve a bill that would
improve tap water standards. A vote on final passage of the
drinking water conference committee report is expected August
1st, in the Senate and August 2nd, in the House. The
House-Senate negotiated bill to rewrite the Safe Drinking Water
Act is a positive development. However, it comes after nine
votes in the House to weaken safe and clean water protections.
In fact, before this vote, 148 members of the House failed to
vote for water protection even once.
The drinking water bill is expected to contain many of the
stronger House- approved provisions from H.R. 3604. These
provisions include: citizen right to know, protections for
small water systems, and training and certification for water
system operators. The language calling for radon standards was
weakened, but it is still considered to be a step forward. The
bill also retains a number of pork barrel projects inserted by
the House Transportation Committee.
YUCCA MOUNTAIN BILL SCHEDULED FOR A VOTE
The Yucca Mountain bill, S. 1936. would transfer high-level
nuclear waste from around the country to an "interim" storage
site at Yucca Mountain Nevada. Unfortunately, the Senate voted
63-37 to create an interim storage site. However, we picked up
enough votes to sustain President Clinton's promised veto.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:
ENVIRONMENT SCORES HIGH IN NY TIMES POLL
Although we all know that the impact of environmental
protection programs on job loss has been minimal. In fact,
environmental protections often create jobs, especially jobs in
the manufacturing, transportation, communications, and utility
industries. It is heartening to hear that in a recent New York
Times poll, when participants were asked to respond to the
following statement they responded overwhelmingly in favor of
the environment.
"We must protect the environment even if it means jobs in my
community are lost because of it...."
Agree 57%
Disagree 32%
Don't Know 11%
The poll also included the following question:
Who do you trust more to protect the environment?
Clinton 48%
Republican Congress 27%
Neither 10%
Both 2%
Don't know 14%
IN THE FIELD:
S. DAKOTANS JOIN FORCES FOR STRONG CLEAN WATER ACT
The Sierra Club Northern Plains field office reports that a
successful Hog Farm Forum was recently held in South Dakota.
The forum was convened to educate family farmers on corporate
hog farm issues, educate Sen. Pressler and Rep. Johnson on the
clean water act, begin the process of coalition building with
area farmers, and show legislators that farmer's are concerned
about clean water issues.
Until this point, Johnson has not been willing to make the
environment a campaign issue, and has seen farmers concerns in
opposition to those of the Sierra Club. A petition for a
strong Clean Water Act with close to 50 farmer's signatures was
delivered to Johnson, Pressler's and Daschle's offices.
Individuals sent handwritten postcards as well. Ted Munster,
from Daschle's office, was there, and said that "this makes me
proud to be a Sierran."
The event brought out over 75 participants. Representation was
broad from independent producers to the SD Pork Producers Assn,
SD Cattlemen's Assn, Dakota Rural Action, SD Peace and Justice,
Sierra Club, state representatives, and 2 from Daschle's
office.
Media coverage included KELO TV (the largest TV station in the
area), Argus Leader (Sioux Falls), Madison Daily Leader, KJAM
radio, Mitchell Daily Republic, Yankton Press and Dakotan and
the South Dakota Magazine.
Meanwhile, the South Dakota activists continue with the letters
to the editor submissions, tabling every weekend, and preparing
for the biggest outreach event -- the Sioux Empire Fair.