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NATIONAL INITIATIVES IN GREEN

TECHNOLOGIES

(Stimulating Creativity)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1993

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE,
SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECH-
NOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, AND AVIATION,

Washington, DC.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 1:35 p.m., in Room 2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Tim Valentine (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. VALENTINE. Ladies and gentlemen, we'll get started. I am sure we'll be joined by other members of the subcommittee. The subcommittee will come to order.

I ask unanimous consent that today's hearing be open to coverage by print and broadcast media, including still and video photography.

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Today, we will resume our discussion of the Federal roles in the research and development of environmentally sound technologies with our first legislative hearing on the issue. Environmentally sound technologies, often called "green technologies," include both the traditional technologies of pollution control and cleanup, as well as other products and processes that provide significant environmental and economic benefits. It is this latter group of technologies that has the potential for widespread impact across many industries, but which has generally been neglected, we believe, in Federal policy.

In an earlier hearing, we heard the President's Science Adviser, John Gibbons, describe the administration's commitment to promoting policies in this area. We also heard from numerous representatives of the private sector, here in Washington and in field hearings, who are promoting initiatives to encourage practices that are more environmentally sound.

I have been impressed by the enthusiasm that we've heard from the private sector, and I hope that today's hearing will further help us to define how best to support that energy.

In this hearing, we will focus on the types of initiatives that would best promote environmentally sound products, processes and services. Specifically, areas that we will cover today include stimulating entrepreneurial creativity in environmentally sound technologies; promoting a systems approach to the analysis of how materials are used; encouraging technological flexibility in achieving

pollution control goals; encouraging total quality management that also considers the environment; and supporting standards activities that will help producers and consumers domestically and internationally in clarifying environmental performance claims.

We are fortunate to have with us today six distinguished individuals with very different backgrounds and expertise, who are all working on the very front line of this area.

First, Mr. Nick Bavaro, who-we had another name on our list. We had his better half here, but we'll let him explain the reason for the change. He is the Executive Vice President of Global Green, a firm that he established last year.

This is really flexible. I had down here that she established last year, so that both of them established last year. Well, I see that's corrected.

Global Green is a classic example of clever American entrepreneurism that also promotes a sound environment. The Tshirt with a picture of Jiminy Cricket is one of their products. Look at it, folks. Some of you might want to go up and touch it. I hope he will give it to me. It feels like cotton, but half of the material in this T-shirt is from discarded plastic soda bottles.

Mr. Harold Klee is Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Amoco Corporation. Amoco has recently completed a demonstration project at its Yorktown, Virginia refinery in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency. This project demonstrates the benefits of technological flexibility in the cost effective management of pollution. Mr. Klee will discuss that project with the subcommittee today.

Mr. William McMullen is Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Novo Nordisk. This corporation is a diversified biotechnology firm with products that have a wide range of applications from health care to sustainable agriculture. The company has 50 percent of the world's share of industrial enzymes. Industrial enzymes are very much an environmentally sound technology as they are 100 percent biodegradable. And this gentleman and his organization have the privilege of being located in Franklinton, North Carolina, which is in my congressional district, which accords them a very special and underlined welcome here today. This plant produces zero waste and is supplying compost to fertilize more than 3000 acres of local farmland.

Mr. Joe Cascio is the Chairman of U.S. Technology Advisory Group to the Environmental Management Technical Committee of the International Standards Organization. He will discuss activities which are underway on the international and domestic fronts to provide a common language to evaluating environmentally sound products and processes.

Dr. Grace Wever is Vice President of the Council of Great Lakes Industries. Working with the Council of Great Lakes Governors, they have developed a number of innovative programs, including one to encourage total quality management that explicitly integrates environmental considerations.

And last, but certainly not least, Mr. Pete Howard is Vice President for Environmental Affairs at the Georgia Pacific Corporation. As one of the Nation's largest pulp and paper companies, Georgia

Pacific is at the forefront in developing new technologies for improved productivity and environmental management.

I'd like to thank all of you for being here today, for the time that went into your preparation to appear, for the journey here to Washington.

And before I recognize our distinguished colleague, the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Lewis, let me say, because I don't want to run the risk of forgetting it, your prepared statements will appear in the record as submitted to us, and we would appreciate it if you would summarize, because there will be a number of questions.

Mr. Lewis.

Mr. LEWIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I have a written statement I would like to have included in the record. And I do hope we will be able to develop policies that will make both the environment cleaner and will enhance U.S. industry competitiveness, and I am sure that the testimony of these witnesses will certainly help in that regard. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. VALENTINE. Thank you, Mr. Lewis.

I am happy to recognize the distinguished lady from Texas, Ms. Johnson, if you have an opening statement.

Ms. JOHNSON. No opening statement.

[The prepared statement of Mrs. Morella follows:]

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INTERESTED - HOW TO ENCOURAGE THE

DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES THAT PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS PROVIDE MANUFACTURING COMPETITIVENESS. WE WILL HEAR OF CREATIVE APPROACHES IN PROMOTING THESE TECHNOLOGIES AND HOW THE GOVERNMENT CAN ENCOURAGE THIS CREATIVITY.

IT IS CLEAR WHY OUR SUBCOMMITTEE AND OTHER COMMITTEES IN THE CONGRESS ARE HOLDING

HEARINGS ON GREEN TECHNOLOGIES. THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS IS ESTIMATED AT $200 BILLION ANNUALLY. AND WE WANT U.S. COMPANIES TO SHARE IN THE PROFITS.

THE FIRST-EVER DIRECTORY TO ENVIRONMENTAL

TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN EUROPE,

LISTING 20,000 COMPANIES IN 20 EUROPEAN

COUNTRIES, WAS PUBLISHED RECENTLY IN LONDON.

CLOSER TO HOME, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND OPTED TO JOIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S GREEN LIGHTS PROGRAM, WHICH ENCOURAGES ENERGY CONSERVATION

THROUGH EFFICIENT LIGHTING. THE COUNTY

ESTIMATES THAT IT WILL SAVE APPROXIMATELY $2
MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS BY

PARTICIPATING IN GREEN LIGHTS. AND THE COUNTY'S

INVOLVEMENT, I HOPE, WILL ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES TO GET INVOLVED. PRIOR TO THE

COUNTY'S SIGNING ON WITH EPA, MARRIOTT, CRESTAR BANK, BELL ATLANTIC AND BECHTEL WERE GREEN LIGHTS PARTNERS.

IN SEPTEMBER, 1992 THE OTA REPORT, GREEN

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