Regulatory Focus: Legislative outlook for 1986.
With plans to reduce the federal deficit, the reauthorization of Superfund seems doubtful. Congress had hoped to enact a new version of Superfund last fall; however, it is hoped that work can be completed on a compromise Superfund bill in March. At the present time, EPA has approximately $200 million to spend on Superfund, compared with the congressionally authorized 1986 level of $900 million. Three other major environmental statutes which have been surviving through simple extensions by Congress are discussed. They are: (1) amendments to the Clean Air Act dealing with conventional controls and new acid rain proposals, (2) reauthorization of the Clean Water Act, and (3) reauthorization of pesticide legislation.