Statement of Administration Policy: S. 657 - Indoor Air Quality Act of 1989

(Senate)
(Mitchell (D) Maine and 18 others)

The Administration opposes enactment of S. 657. The bill would disrupt a long-standing apd effective, Federal indoor air quality program. It would create conflicting responsibilities among Federal agencies, and impose duplicative and unnecessary reouirements that would undermine Federal priorities.

The Federal government already has a comprehensive indoor air program. Program activities include: research on the causes and effects of indoor pollution; assessment of mitigation technologies; information dissemination; and,, when appropriate, issuance of regulations and guidelines. The Federal program is coordinated by the interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality. EPA has recently issued a Federal plan that calls for an expanded program under existing authority. Substantially increased funding is included in the President's FY 1991 budget to carry out the plan's recommendations.

The current Federal program is focused on activities that provide the greatest potential for risk reduction. The numerous mandatory actions and deadlines in S. 657 would redirect this effort toward repackaging existing information and issuing reports. The Administration is especially concerned that S. 657's chemical-by-chemical approach would replace the Federal program's comprehensive approach. Besides addressing significant chemicals, the current program emphasizes practices and technologies that can effectively address all the factors affecting indoor air quality.

S. 657 would disrupt the Federal program by creating conflicting responsibilities and duplicating current activities. The bill would inappropriately give EPA responsibility for developing plans for potential regulatory actions under statutes administered by other agencies. The health standard for response plans,*specified by S. 657, differs from the statutory standard administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The bill's Federal building program would replace an effective General Services Administration/OSHA program that addresses the Federal indoor environment at a fraction of the cost and effort. It would also unnecessarily duplicate the Department of Energy's indoor air quality and ventilation research and development program.

Finally, the bill raises constitutional concerns. The requirements that multiple parties within the Executive branch must report to Congress on a single topic are inconsistent with the President's constitutional power to assure that his Administration shall speak with one voice.