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Proceedings of GAO Symposium on Environmental Protection Issues

Published: Nov 01, 1976. Publicly Released: Nov 01, 1976.
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Highlights

This is our report on our Division's Symposium on Environmental Protection Issues held in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 24, 25, 26, and 27, 1976. Our Division, as part of its responsibility for planning and coordinating GAD's audits of environmental protection programs, held this symposium to provide GAD professional staff with an opportunity to hear the views of top-level officials in both the public and private sectors on environmental protection issues. The symposium addressed the following four issues:

  1. How much environmental protection--What should be the Federal role?
  2. Cost/benefit--How much protection at what cost?
  3. Energy/Environment--What are the conflicts and how should they be resolved?
  4. National Environmental Policy Act--Should it be amended?

Included in the report are the Comptroller General's opening statement on recent environmental trends and GAO efforts; the keynote address by Russell E. Train, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; the guest dinner speaker, Russell W. Peterson, former Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality; presentations made by top-level officials in the public and private sectors; and pertinent Questions and answers following the speakers' and panel members' remarks. The report also includes a foreword by the Division's Environmental Coordinator which summarizes the discussions of the issues addressed at the symposium. We believe that the views expressed by the speakers at the symposium provided valuable insight into the problems, the conflicts, and the interactions associated with implementing environmental protection programs. The proceedings should be of value to GAO professional staff, Government decisionmakers, and corporate officials affected by environmental protection programs. We further believe, based upon the remarks of the symposium attendees, that similar symposia on other Community and Economic Development Division issue areas would be beneficial.

Full Report

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Topics

Quality standardsPollution controlPollutionAutomobilesEmissionsEnvironmental protectionEnvironmental impactsLaws and regulationsClean air legislationWater quality