The Politics of the Environment
The troubled state of the US.economy has increased concern over the compatibility of environmental and
mental programs has been as strong as it has. Yet there are signs that
environmental control
ush indicated at , environmental
quality and economic development are not inconsistent with each other. All the major industrialized countries are committed to environmental quality as a vital part of their social and economic development. The arguments about whether to pursue a high-quality environment strike me as missing the point completely. The issue is not whether we are spending too much or too little. The issue is whether we are spending public and private funds wisely. Critics are increasingly pointing to extreme regulatory decisions to discredit the entire environmental movement. Sometimes, the criticisms arise from misinterpreting data. In other cases, critics legitimately question the costs and benefits of certain activities and the priorities that were employed. EPA itself has raised the priority issue, both in its internal report Unfinished Business and through its Science Advisory Board‘s report Reducing Risk. In both reports, the authors concluded that the greatest environmental risks did not necessarily receive the largest budget and the most national attention. In a speech to the National Press Club, the EPA administrator strongly endorsed the S A B report’s recommendations to base environmental priorities on actual risks posed to humans and the natural environment. Despite this high-level support, the SAB report has not caused any substantial shif? in national resources or priorities. The critics of strong environmental programs are able to attack on many fronts. They point out the extraordinary costs of cleaning up isolated sites with little current or predicted future use. They point to cases in which huge costs are required to avert a small additional risk to health. These examples could become the $500 hammers of the environmental business. An environmental backlash could result from the combination of a sagging economy and decisions that cannot be explained to and understood by reasonably well-informed people.
W13-%36W92/0926-1717.0C1/0 @I 1992 American Chemicsl S a M y
The environmental field is certainly not unique in being subject to such potential criticism. For example, there is certainly little “economic value” in prolonging the lives of elderly people for a few months at astronomical cost. The procedural protection given to lawbreakers would not pass a benefitcost test. In fact, many societal decisions are based not on economic criteria, but on views of the sanctity of life and the rights of individuals. Certain environmental concerns am based on a smng belief that people have an inherent right to be free &om involuntary exposure to contaminants. This absolute value makes sense if the particular action is isolated and if zero risk were feasible. But in fact, environmentalproblems abound and risk is a pervasive part of everyday life. The unmet environmental needs are staggering: cleaning up air pollution, dealing with nonpoint sources of water pollution, preserving natural habitats, and coping with global problems such as climate change and ozone depletion. The funds will never be sufficient to cope with these problems in a reasonable period of time. The need to set priorities is absolutely critical. Even though public support for environmental quality appears strong, it is not limitless. If responsible regulators do not focus on the largest risks first and avoid unnecessary expenditures, they could be subject to increasing criticism. Considering the almost unanimous conclusion of experts that our current priorities are wrong, there is a good chance that a consensus will develop that certain activities are wasteful. Such a development could divert attention from real problems and undermine public confidence in environmental protection efforts.
Alvin L. Alm is director and senior vice-presidentfarenewand the environment for Science Applicatiam International C o p , a supplier of hightechnology products and services related to the envimnment, energy, h d t h , and notional security.
Envimn. Sci. Technol.. Vol. 26,No. 9,1992 17l7
