Environmental Quality Improvement Act

• Author: Environmental Law Reporter
• Pages: 721-722

Environmental Quality Improvement Act

42 U.S.C. §§4371-4375

§4371.[EQIA §202]

Congressional findings, declarations, and purposes

(a) The Congress finds—

(1) that man has caused changes in the environment;

(2) that many of these changes may affect the relationship be-

tween man and his environment; and

(3) that population increases and urban concentration contribute

directly to pollution and the degradation of our environment.

(b)(1) The Congress declares that there is a national policy for the

environment which provides for the enhancement of environmental

quality. This policy is evidenced by statutes heretofore enacted relat-

ing to the prevention, abatement, and control of environmental pollu-

tion, water and land resources, transportation, and economic and re-

gional development.

(2) The primary responsibility for implementing this policy rests

with State and local government.

(3) The Federal Government encourages and supports imple-

mentation of this policy through appropriate regional organizations

established under existing law.

(c) The purposes of this chapter are—

(1) to assure that each Federal department and agency conducting

or supporting public works activities which affect the environment

shall implement the policies established under existing law; and

(2) to authorize an Office of Environmental Quality, which, not-

withstanding any other provision of law, shall provide the profes-

sional and administrative staff for the Council on Environmental

Quality established by Public Law 91-190.

(Pub. L. 91-224, title II, §202, Apr. 3, 1970, 84 Stat. 114.)

References In Text

PublicLaw 91-190, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), is Pub. L. 91-190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83

Stat. 852, as amended, known as the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,

which is classified generally to chapter 55 (Sec. 4321 et seq.) of this title. For com-

plete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section

4321 of this title and Tables.

Short Title

Section 201 of Pub. L. 91-224 provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter]

may be cited as the ‘Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970’.”

§4372.[EQIA §203]

Office of Environmental Quality

(a) Establishment; Director; Deputy Director

There is established in the Executive Office of the President an of-

fice to be known as the Office of Environmental Quality (hereafter in

this chapter referred to as the “Office”). The Chairman of the Council

on Environmental Quality established by Public Law 91-190 shall be

the Director of the Office. There shall be in the Office a Deputy Direc-

tor who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and

consent of the Senate.

(b) Compensation of Deputy Director

The compensation of the Deputy Director shall be fixed by the

President at a rate not in excess of the annual rate of compensation

payable to the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and

Budget.

(c) Employment of personnel, experts, and consultants;

compensation

The Director is authorized to employ such officers and employees

(including experts and consultants) as may be necessary to enable the

Office to carry out its functions under this chapter and Public Law 91-

190, except that he may employ no more than ten specialists and other

experts without regard to the provisions of title 5, governing appoint-

ments in the competitive service, and pay such specialists and experts

without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of

chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule

pay rates, but no such specialist or expert shall be paid at a rate in ex-

cess of the maximum rate for GS-18 of the General Schedule under

section 5332 of title 5.

(d) Duties and functions of Director

In carrying out his functions the Director shall assist and advise the

President on policies and programs of the Federal Government affect-

ing environmental quality by—

(1) providing the professional and administrative staff and sup-

port for the Council on Environmental Quality established by Pub-

lic Law 91-190.

(2) assisting the Federal agencies and departments in appraising

the effectiveness of existing and proposed facilities, programs,

policies, and activities of the Federal Government, and those spe-

cific major projects designated by the President which do not re-

quire individual project authorization by Congress, which affect

environmental quality;

(3) reviewing the adequacy of existing systems for monitoring

and predicting environmental changes in order to achieve effective

coverage and efficient use of research facilities and other resources;

(4) promoting the advancement of scientific knowledge of the ef-

fects of actions and technology on the environment and encourage

the development of the means to prevent or reduce adverse effects

that endanger the health and well-being of man;

(5) assisting in coordinating among the Federal departments and

agencies those programs and activities which affect, protect, and

improve environmental quality;

(6) assisting the Federal departments and agencies in the devel-

opment and interrelationship of environmental quality criteria and

standards established through the Federal Government;

(7) collecting, collating, analyzing, and interpreting data and in-

formation on environmental quality, ecological research, and

evaluation.

(e) Authority of Director to contract

The Director is authorized to contract with public or private agen-

cies, institutions, and organizations and with individuals without re-

gard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 5 of title 41 in

carrying out his functions.

(Pub. L. 91-224, title II, §203, Apr.3, 1970, 84 Stat. 114; 1970 Reorg. Plan No.

2, §102, eff. July 1, 1970, 35 F.R.7959, 84 Stat. 2085.)

References In Text

Public Law 91-190, referred to in subsecs. (a), (c), and (d), is Pub. L. 91-190, Jan.

1, 1970, 83 Stat.852, as amended, known as the National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969, which is classified generally to chapter 55 (Sec. 4321 et seq.) of this title.

For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Titlenote set out under

section 4321 of this title and Tables.

The provisions of title 5, governing appointments in the competitive service, re-

ferred to in subsec. (c), are classified to section 3301 et seq. of Title 5, Government

Organization and Employees.

The General Schedule, referred to in subsec. (c), is set out under section 5332 of

Title 5.

Codification

Insubsec. (e), “section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31” substituted for reference to sec-

tion 3648 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 529) on authority of Pub. L. 97-258,

Sec. 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31,

Money and Finance.

TransferOf Functions

Functions vested by law (including reorganization plan) in Bureau of the Budget

orDirector of Bureau of the Budget transferred to President by section 101 of Reorg.

Plan. No. 2 of 1970, eff. July 1, 1970, 35 F.R.7959, 84 Stat. 2085, set out in the Ap-

pendix to Title 5, Government Organizationand Employees. Section 102 of Reorg.

PlanNo. 2 of 1970, redesignated Bureau of the Budget as Office of Management and

Budget.

References In Other Laws ToGS-16, 17, Or 18 Pay Rates

Referencesin laws to the rates of pay for GS-16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of

pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under

specified sections of Title 5, Government Organizationand Employees, see section

529[title I, Sec. 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101-509, set out in a note under section 5376 of

Title 5.

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EQIA §202 NATIONALENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT 42 U.S.C. §4371