Throughout the year the United States initiated or intensified bilateral and multilateral arrangements on several environmental matters. Receiving most attention was the agreement with the Soviet Union signed in May. It envisages joint activities in 11 environmental problem areas. On 3 of these—wildlife, urban problems, and water pollution—working parties are scheduled to begin operating early in 1973.
Other formal bilateral arrangements have been entered with Canada, focussing on Great Lakes water quality, and with Mexico, regarding salinity problems on shared rivers. Cooperation with Japan was begun through an informal interministerial committee which perhaps will be formalized later along the lines of the U.S.—U.S.S.R. agreement; the committee considers both technical questions and policy relating to major problems of pollution. On a broader scale, the United States has been an active participant in both research and policy discussions in: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, where the principle of "the polluter pays" has been adopted, and efforts are being made to "harmonize" environmental standards so as to forestall "disharmony" in foreign trade matters, and as a first approach, provide for notification of regulatory actions; the Economic Commission for Europe, long stymied because of the "East Germany syndrome" but late in the year ready to resume its role; and NATO's Committee on Challenges of Modern Society, one of whose undertakings is directed toward uniform monitoring of air pollution in three major cities in different parts of the world.
A version of this article appeared in print in the January 1973 issue of Resources magazine.
