Editorial. A sometimes renewable challenge - Environmental Science

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EDITORIAL

A sometimes renewable challenge Editor James J Morgan WASHINGTON EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor Stanton S Miller Assistant Editor H Martin Malin Jr Assistant Editor Carol Knapp Lewicke M A N USCRi PT REV I E W 1 NG Associate Editor N o r m a Yess MANUSCRIPT EDITING Associate Production Manager Charlotte C Sayre Editorial Assistant Juiie Plumstead ART AND PRODUCTION Head Bacil Guiiey Associate Production Manager Leroy L Corcoran Art Director Norman Favin Layout and Production Dawn Leland Advisory Board. P. L. Brezonik, R . F. Christman, G . F. Hidy, David Jenkins. P. L. McCarty. Charles R. O'Melia, John H. Seinfeld. John W. Winchester Published by the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1155 16th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Executive Director: Robert W . Cairns PUBLIC AFFAIRS A N D COMMUNICATION DIVISION Director: Richard L . Kenyon ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT Centcom. Ltd. For offices and advertisers, see page 170. Please send research manuscripts to Manuscript Reviewing. feature manuscripts to Managing Editor. For author's guide and editorial policy, see June 1972 issue, page 523 or write Norma Yess. Manuscript Reviewing Office. In each paper with more than one author, the name of the author to whom inquiries should be addressed carries a numbered footnote reference

Early last month, Congress started a clean new slate, ideally for a better state of the union and understandably for a cleaner environment. Once again the Congress will be faced with environmental issues-energy, strip mining, land use, and solid waste. Some of them have been addressed by earlier sessions, but the list also includes power plant siting, toxic chemicals, just to mention a few. Part of its responsibility is, of course, the writing of new environmental protection laws to safeguard our vital resources, but another, perhaps more important charge -or at least ES&T thinks so-is the oversight of existing environmental laws to ensure that congressional intent is, in fact, carried out and now thwarted by the pressures of the federal bureaucracy. ES&T anticipates attention to and action on so-called remaining environmental issues that have not been addressed at the national level. But looking back over the years at earlier clean air legislative attempts, clean water tries, and improved solid waste management practices, there is a distinct observation that ideally much is promised, yet little is actually achieved-hence, the renewable aspect of all cleanup laws. Take a look at the myriad laws under which the fledgling Environmental Protection Agency operates. I s it too early to think in terms of codification of all existing environmental laws? Who needs more legislation that will expire in a few years if its intent is thwarted? How many more pieces of renewable legislation do we need? Don't misunderstand us. We commend Congress not only on its early start of the session but on its early hearings for the land use proposals now awaiting national attention. We also look forward to inroads on reorganization of committees, changes in the seniority system, and congressional procedure. In all candor, we commend its past efforts. Our very best wishes are extended for this session of Congress. Only by keeping communication lines open can there be progress, however slight it might appear at times.

V o l u m e 7, N u m b e r 2, F e b r u a r y 1973

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