Volume 141, No. 42 covering the 1st Session of the 104th Congress (1995 - 1996) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE RECYCLING INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE ACT OF 1995” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E536 on March 7, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE RECYCLING INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE ACT OF 1995
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HON. CURT WELDON
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 7, 1995
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the Recycling Information Clearinghouse Act calls for the creation of a recycling clearinghouse within the Environmental Protection Agency's [EPA] Office of Solid Waste Management. With the monumental environmental problems this Nation faces in the future, it is imperative we examine all possible solutions to these problems.
America's garbage problem is heavy indeed. Each year we generate over 180 million tons of garbage. We discard enough paper in a year to build a 12-foot high wall stretching from coast to coast. Every hour we dispose of 2.5 million potentially recyclable plastic bottles. The EPA estimates that this amount of waste will continue to increase rapidly through the year 2000.
Our traditional method of disposing of garbage in landfills is becoming obsolete. Ten years ago in Pennsylvania, we had over 1,000 active landfills; today we have under 100. In addition to dwindling capacity, the cost to dump in landfills is skyrocketing. The latest trend in disposal technology is incineration. Unfortunately, this method has proven to be both hazardous and inefficient.
The first step in tackling our waste problem is to convert from a throwaway society to a recycling one, by shifting our focus from waste disposal to waste reduction. Although we possess the technology to recycle 80 to 90 percent of glass and aluminum, we recycle only 13 percent of our garbage annually. Recycling is cleaner and more energy efficient than both landfills and incineration.
Having set up the first comprehensive recycling program in Pennsylvania, I know recycling works at the local level. Our recycling programs have provided substantial savings in county disposal costs. The key to success is information. The success of Delaware County should be made available to other officials who are interested in setting up their own programs.
My legislation would create a clearinghouse of information on the national level in the EPA. The bill would authorize $500,000 to be matched by the private sector. The clearinghouse would provide easy access to information regarding recycling to any interested State or local officials through a toll-free hotline. Technical assistance would be disseminated through seminars and other resources.
Although the clearinghouse will not eliminate the waste problem, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Recycling can be a clean, cost-effective means of dealing with our garbage glut. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of the Recycling Clearinghouse Information Act.
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