§ 5403. — Environmental Quality Policy Statement.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC5403]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 85--ADMINISTRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
Sec. 5403. Environmental Quality Policy Statement
(a) Environmental Quality Policy Statement, implementation plan, and
annual report
(1) Policy statement
The Council shall develop an Environmental Quality Policy
Statement that identifies goals and objectives for addressing the
effects of agriculture on environmental quality. The policy
statement shall be based upon an assessment, in accordance with
paragraph (2), of the current status and level of effort, in terms
of staff and funding, of programs at the Department of Agriculture
to evaluate, prevent, and mitigate environmental problems that may
result from agricultural production. The policy statement shall be
revised at least every 5 years.
(2) Assessment
The assessment under paragraph (1) shall include:
(A) Detailed descriptions of the roles of the involved
Departmental agencies.
(B) A description of current efforts to coordinate the
individual activities of each of the involved departmental
agencies.
(C) Recommendations for precluding any undesirable
duplication of efforts within the Department and among the
Department and other Federal and State programs.
(D) Specific recommendations for new initiatives in
monitoring, research, extension, and technical assistance
efforts to address present and potential environmental quality
problems.
The assessment may incorporate existing documents and planning
processes within the Department.
(b) Implementation plan
The Director, subject to the approval of the Council, shall prepare
a plan to implement the Environmental Quality Policy Statement. The plan
shall include an assessment of the activities of each departmental
agency to mitigate or reduce any negative effects on environmental
quality of agricultural policies, programs, and practices under their
respective jurisdictions and shall describe in detail new departmental
and agency-specific initiatives intended to achieve the goals and
objectives of the policy statement. The plan shall be revised at least
every 5 years.
(c) Annual environmental quality report
Not later than January 31, 1992, and annually thereafter, the
Council, through the Director, shall prepare and submit an annual report
to the Congress, other appropriate Federal and State agencies, and the
public on the progress being made toward the goals and objectives
established in the Environmental Quality Policy Statement. The report
shall also include--
(1) a review of the environmental activities and initiatives of
the Department during the preceding year;
(2) specific action taken to coordinate the environmental
programs of the Department with programs of other Federal agencies
and related State programs; and
(3) such recommendations as the Secretary considers appropriate
regarding current or additional environmental protection programs,
initiatives, or policies that will balance the needs of production
agriculture while addressing environmental concerns.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated annually not to
exceed $2,000,000 to carry out this chapter.
(Pub. L. 101-624, title XIV, Sec. 1473, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3620;
Pub. L. 102-237, title II, Sec. 201(d), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1847.)
Amendments
1991--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 102-237, Sec. 201(d)(1), substituted
``paragraph (2)'' for ``subparagraph (B)''.
Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 102-237, Sec. 201(d)(2), substituted
``paragraph (1)'' for ``subparagraph (A)'' in introductory provisions.
Effective Date of 1991 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 102-237 effective as if included in the
provision of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990,
Pub. L. 101-624, to which the amendment relates, see section 1101(b)(1)
of Pub. L. 102-237, set out as a note under section 1421 of this title.
Termination of Reporting Requirements
For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec.
(c) of this section relating to submittal of annual report to Congress,
see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, as amended, set out as a note under
section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and page 49 of House
Document No. 103-7.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 5402 of this title.
