Senator Bob Smith
Ranking Member, EPW Committee
Opening Statement - POPS
May 14, 2002
I want to thank the witnesses for sharing your expert
testimony with the committee. Last
Spring, with Governor Whitman and Secretary Powell at his side, President Bush
announced his support for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants – The POPs Convention. This
agreement will restrict and eliminate the production, use and/or release of 12 chemicals,
including DDT, PCBs and dioxins, that are some of the most persistent and
dangerous chemicals ever manufactured.
Because they are so mobile and accumulate in the food chain, absent
international action, they will continue to be a risk to us all.
I am pleased that the international community came together
and found a common solution. The
agreements that are the subject of this hearing were developed in cooperation
internationally and enjoy strong bipartisan support here in the United States. When we all work together, we can do great
things for our environment. I want to commend President Bush and Governor
Whitman for their leadership in pressing for this convention and delivering
their implementing legislation to Congress. I am honored to be the lead Senate
sponsor of the President’s implementing legislation, S. 2507.
I know that Senator Jeffords has also introduced his own
version of implementing legislation. The purpose of today’s hearing is to
discuss those two proposals. The two bills mirror each other with a few
differences: The Administration
proposal includes a provision to implement the PICs agreement – the Jeffords
bill does not; the Jeffords bill sets out an explicit mechanism for adding
future chemicals when and if adopted by the international community – the
Administration bill does not; and, the Jeffords bill provides a role for the
National Academy of Science and also mandates a dioxin risk assessment.
I realize that there is some controversy surrounding what
mechanism the United States should use for the addition of any new
chemicals. I was pleased when Governor
Whitman stated at our press conference announcing implementing legislation that
it is EPA’s intention to work closely with the Congress to address the adding
mechanism. I take that as a good faith
and constructive gesture to deal with this issue in a bipartisan manner. It is my hope that we can avoid partisan
rhetoric and find a good consensus answer to what appears to be the only issue
of substance left to be resolved. It is
also my hope that people will not use this single point that needs to be worked
out as an excuse to politicize this process and turn what is a strong
bipartisan effort into a political battle.
The result of making this issue partisan would be to delay the
implementation of something that EVERYONE wants. As I have said over and over again, environmental politics delays
environmental protection. Let’s keep
the tone down, work together and see if we can solve this lone issue and claim
victory on an environmental treaty that everyone believes is the right thing.