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10 January 2006
U.S. Has Improved Environmental Performance, Panel Says
International review shows substantial gains, suggests improvements
Washington – The United States has improved its environmental performance in the past eight years, even as its economy and population have grown, says a report from the Environmental Performance Review Program of the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD).
The report documents, for example, that from 1996 to 2005, the United States reduced pollution during a period when there was a 10 percent increase in the size of the U.S. population and a 30 percent increase in the nation's gross domestic product.
"The first OECD environmental performance review of the United States was conducted and released in 1996. Since then, the health of our shared environment and the strength of our national economy have experienced dramatic improvement," said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson at a January 10 briefing in Washington.
Since 2001, U.S. pollution emissions were reduced by 10 percent, Johnson said. More than 1,400 abandoned industrial sites were restored to use through the EPA brownfields program. From 2002 to 2003, toxic chemicals released into the environment declined by 6 percent and, in 2004, almost 324,000 hectares of wetlands were restored or enhanced.
“Over these years of environmental gain,” Johnson said, “our economy’s gross domestic product has increased by 10 percent – clear evidence from my perspective that a growing economy and environmental results can and, in fact do, go hand in hand.”
The Paris-based OECD is a 30-nation forum in which democracies work together to address economic, social and environmental challenges of globalization. All member nations have been evaluated twice since the program’s inception.
The U.S. review was based on a series of more than 700 interviews conducted by OECD's review team during a two-week visit to the United States in 2004.
The peer review team included members from Australia, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and OECD Secretariat staff.
"This review,” said Constance Morella, U.S. ambassador to the OECD, “demonstrates the commitment the United States maintains towards the quality of its environment and the leadership role the U.S. plays within the OECD."
The report commends the United States for being a pioneer in market-based solutions, innovative policies and partnerships for an improved environment.
It also commends the United States for "decoupling" environmental pressures from economic growth and details progress in key areas, including the following:
• Major air pollutant emissions declined.
• Drinking water standards were strengthened.
• Overall quality of water supplied by public systems improved.
• Extensive system of national conservation areas was expanded.
• Ecosystem management approaches were introduced to improve management of many sensitive areas.
• Environmental justice considerations and cooperation with tribal authorities concerning environmental conditions increased substantially since the 1990s.
The review also acknowledges challenges that the United States faces in environmental matters.
Overall, said OECD Deputy Secretary General Kiyo Akasaka, the report’s “conclusions provide a balance sheet of the environmental accomplishments of the United States.”
The report includes 51 recommendations that, OECD said, “could contribute to further environmental progress in the United States.” These include the following:
• Continue to emphasize cooperation among federal agencies and between federal and state agencies involved in environmental management.
• Continue to implement measures to achieve the new standards for ground-level ozone and fine particulates.
• Strengthen management of hazardous air pollutants by monitoring local ambient concentrations, regularly updating and publishing inventories of toxic releases and cost-effectively assessing residual risk.
• Improve coordination and cooperation in setting federal water objectives and policies.
• Develop and implement a national environmental health strategy, defining targets and cost-effective measures for reducing the environmental burden of disease, and indicators to monitor progress.
The review, Johnson said, “supports our long-standing belief that we can protect the environment and public health in ways that make both economic and environmental sense.”
It also demonstrates, he added, that the innovative tools of market-based solutions, technology, collaboration and partnerships are key to making real progress in environmental protection.
For additional information on U.S. policies, see Environment.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
