CABINET COUNCIL ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT MINUTES MARCH 13 AND 22, 1985 MEETINGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M00539R002303860001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 14, 2009
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 1, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
ROUTING SLIP;
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WASHINGTON'
CABINET AFFAIRS STAFFING MEMORANDUM
4/1/85 --------------
Date: Number: Due By:
Cabinet Council on Natural Resources and Environment Minutes
CEA
CEQ
OSTP
ALL CABINET MEMBERS
Vice President
State
Treasury
Defense
Justice
Interior
Agriculture
Commerce
Labor
HHS
HUD
Transportation
Energy
Education
~ONtr~
CIA
USTR
Chief of Staff
GSA ^ ^
EPA ^
NASA ^ ^
OPM ^ ^
VA ^ ^
SBA ^ ^
Deaver
Mc Farlane
Svahn
Chew (For WH Staffing)
Executive Secretary for:
CCCT
CCEA
CCFA
CCH R
CCLP
CCMA
CCNRE
Attached for your information are the minutes of the March 13.
and March 22 meetings of the Cabinet Council on Natural
Resources and. Environment.
^ Alfred H. Kingon
Cabinet Secretary
456-2823
(Ground Floor, West Wing)
I^ Don Clarey
^ Tom Gibson
^ Larry Herbolsheimer
Associate Director
Office of Cabinet Affairs
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CABINET COUNCIL ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
March 13, 1985, 2:00 p.m.
Roosevelt Room
MINUTES
Participants: Hodel, Block, Herrington, Thomas, Hill, Brown,
Wright, Niskanen, Svahn, Verstandig, Davis, Clarey, Ravan,
Risque, Gall, Smith, Malone, Johnson, Dawson, Habicht.
Secretary Hodel brought the meeting to order and called upon
Administrator Thomas to brief members of the Council on EPA's
proposed legislation reauthorizing the Clean Water Act. Adminis-
trator Thomas indicated that EPA's proposed amendments deviate
substantially from some of the positions which the Administration
took in 1982. Specifically, EPA proposed to not seek previous
Administration proposals to provide pre-treatment variances,
municipal deadline extensions, and easier to meet criteria for
thermal standards variances. Administrator Thomas indicated that
these proposals had been extremely controversial when proposed in
the last Congress, and had been rejected by both the House and
Senate Committees.
Administrator Thomas then went on to describe in some detail the
legislative package which EPA is proposing. Most of the provisions
relate to improving the administration of the current Clean Water
Act and none, other than the extension of the BAT/BCT compliance
deadlines, are essential.
Discussion then centered on the EPA proposal to provide water
quality-based variances from BAT requirements for certain non-
conventional pollutants. After a lengthy discussion concerning
the advisability of listing specific pollutants as being "non-
conventional," the Council instructed the office of Policy
Development and EPA staff to work on making sure that the variance
language would work as designed. The staff was also instructed
to work on the issue of whether or not dischargers should be
required to continue to comply with certain existing, more
stringent technology-based discharge requirements, even though
newly-established requirements are less stringent.
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Secretary Hodel indicated that these issues would be discussed
again at the next Cabinet Council meeting with a proposal on the
construction grants portion of the legislative package.
Secretary Hodel then briefly described his current thinking on
the next five-year, outer continental shelf leasing plan which he
is required by law to announce. Secretary Hodel indicated that
he would most likely make an announcement on March 21, which
would begin a long process of public involvement before a final
five-year plan is completed. It is currently contemplated that
the following process would be followed in putting together the
final five-year plan:
Draft Proposed Program
60 days comment
Publish Proposed Program
90 days comment
Publish Proposed Final
60 days comment
Final Approval and Announcement
The Secretary said that at the present time, he is leaning toward
a slower leasing schedule, focusing on the most promising acreage.
The meeting was then adjourned.
 CABINET COUNCIL ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
March 22, 1985, 10:00 a.m.
Room 476, Old Executive Office Building
-MINUTES
Participants: Hodel, Herrington, Thomas, Hill, Burnley, Davis,
Clarey, )3oggs, Bear, Risque, Khedouri, Smith, Constable, Johnson,
Ikle, Habicht, Pearlman, Meyers, Dawson.
Secretary Hodel brought the meeting to order and called upon EPA
Administrator Lee Thomas to provide an update on the status of
the Clean Water Act amendments. Administrator Thomas indicated
that essentially all remaining issues have been worked out with
those agencies having an interest in the Administration's Clean
Water Act legislation. Acting Secretary of the Corps of Engineers
Dawson indicated that one part of the proposed legislation still
concerned the Corps. This provision related to Section 404
enforcement authorities. Mr. Dawson felt confident that this
issue would not prove to be a major impediment to finishing work
on this legislation.
Secretary Hodel requested that Alan Hill, Chairman of the Council
on Environmental Quality, provide a status report on worst case
analysis. Chairman Hill provided a historical overview of worst
case analysis, which is presently required under CEQ regulations
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. These regu-
lations provide that, in the case of incomplete information
relating to a major federal action affecting the environment, an
agency is to perform a worst case analysis of possible environ-
mental impacts. CEQ held a public meeting on this issue on
Monday, March 18. Chairman Hill indicated that the CEQ would be
circulating a draft of proposed changes to the worst case analysis
regulations for interagency review within the next several weeks.
Secretary Herrington was recognized for the purpose of making a
presentation on expiring provisions on the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (EPCA). The Secretary expressed his view that
the Department of Energy preferred to seek a simple extension of
expiring EPCA provisions, rather than reopen debate on the entire
range of issues presented by EPCA. Acting Deputy Secretary of
Defense Fred Ikle expressed concern that the Department of
Defense's supply requirements should not be overlooked and
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reminded the Council that the DOD supply assurance working group
which had been ordered by the President has not yet been established.
He indicated that the Department of Defense preferred a simple
extension of expiring authorities.
Deputy Secretary Burnley expressed the Department of Trans-
portation's concern about opening up other titles of the Act
which presently do not expire. He felt that this may be the
outcome if the Administration attempts to comprehensively amend
EPCA. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Johnson sought
assurance that the Department of Energy testimony would reflect
the concern of the Administration with some provisions of EPCA
notwithstanding the fact that we were seeking reauthorization.
Secretary Hodel expressed his view that some consideration should
be given to proposing economic response measures with reauthori-
zation legislation.
After further discussion, it was generally agreed that the
Department of Energy would deliver testimony which sought to
extend EPCA, but which would indicate some concern with certain
provisions in the existing legislation.
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x rva ecre ary
21 larch 1985
ACTION
INFO,
DATE
INITIAL
1
DCI
2
DDCI
3
EXDIR
.4,
D/ICS
5
DDI
6
DDA .'
x
7
DDO
8
DDS&T
9
Chm/NIC
10
GC
11
IG
12
Compt
13
D/Pers
14
D/OLL
15
D/PAO
16
SA/IA
17
AO/DCI
18
C/IPD/OIS
19
20
21
22
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WASHINGTON
CABINET AFFAIRS STAFFINGMEMORAND U
Date:
3/20/85 Number: 169154CA
Friday, March 22, 1985 - 10:00-11:30 A.M. - Roosevelt Room
Action FYI
ALL CABINET MEMBERS ^ ^
Vice President g" ^^
State
Treasury ^ 1Q
Defense a
Justice
Interior
Agriculture 0
Commerce ^f
Labor ^ trJ i
HUD ^
Transportation ^^
Energy
CEA
CEQ
^: ^
^ ^
^,. ^
^ ^
Svahn
^ ^
^ ^
^~' ^
^ ^
GSA 13
13
EPA F2"
C3
CCEA1.
NASA ^
^
OPM ^
^
^
^
VA ^
^
^
1:1
SBA ^
^
-/
4~'
171
^
There will be a meeting of the Cabinet Council on
Resources and Environment on Friday, March 22, at
in the Roosevelt Room. The agenda iaas follows:
Clean
RETURN TO:
Natural
10:00 A.M.
^ Alfred H. Kingon
Cabinet Secretary
456-2823
(Ground Floor, West Wing)
I,~Don Clarey
^ Tom Gibson
^ Larry Herbolsheimer
(paper
attached?
Associate Director
Office of Cabinet Affairs
Approved For Release 2009/09/14: CIA-RDP87M00539R002303860001-6 Room 129, OEOB)