Attachment
Memorandum From the Chairman of the Council on
Environmental Quality (Train) to President Nixon
Washington, October 6, 1972
Subject:
- Meeting with Chairman Podgorny and Implementation of
U.S.-Soviet Environmental Agreement
On October 4, 1972, I met for 90 minutes in Moscow with N. V.
Podgorny, Chairman of the Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet.
The meeting was in connection with the first session of the Joint
U.S.-Soviet Committee on Environmental Protection established in May
by the Agreement signed by Podgorny and yourself. The Committee met
in Moscow starting September 18, and concluded an implementation
agreement which was signed September 21. The implementation
agreement initiated over 30 specific projects for environmental
cooperation between the U.S. and USSR embracing all of the eleven
subject areas covered by the May agreement.
Following the conclusion of the implementation agreement, I had a ten
day, nine thousand mile trip that took me to Leningrad, Irkutsk-Lake
Baikal, and to Yakutsk on the Lena River in eastern Siberia. (I
attach a copy of a report on the trip which I have the American
press in Moscow on my return.) The arrangements and hospitality
provided by the Soviets were outstanding. Portions of my trip
represented “firsts” for any Americans. The only negative factor was
the adamant refusal by the Soviets to permit any U.S. press
accompaniment on the trip. It would seem that the better relations
established by your May visit do not extend to our press. This is
something I believe we should work on.
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The Soviet Government makes few bones today about it environmental
problems, although continuing to give lip service to the Marxist
line that capitalism/private property is inherently polluting while
socialism is not. I was an official guest on September 18 at the
opening session of the Supreme Soviet and heard V. Kirillin,
Chairman of the State Committee on Science and Technology, give the
main address which outlined the USSR’s environmental problems and objectives.
Soviet efforts to curb both air and water pollution are well behind
ours, although the problems are serious. Auto emissions are not yet
a major problem. Pollution abatement technology and monitoring
instrumentation are behind ours. The general level of sophistication
in environmental research is lower. The Soviets tend to be strong on
data gathering in some areas, weak on relating the data to
decision-making, and weaker yet in dealing with the different pieces
of data as part of complex systems. Government responsibility for
environment seems badly fragmented. They have a built-in problem in
the fact that the polluter and the regulator are one and the same
(the Soviet Government). And, finally, they lack generally the kind
of public accountability and citizen involvement (other than by the
scientific communiy) that is such a significant element in our
society. With all that, it seems evident that the Soviet Government
is attaching an increasing priority to environmental protection,
welcomes our bilateral relationship, and is probably developing
major new government decisions in the area.
Podgorny was accompanied by Kirillin at his meeting with me. He
seemed tanned, vigorous, and in good health (although I had been
told he was ill). I extended your personal regards and he
reciprocated very warmly on behalf of himself, Brezhnev, and
Kosygin. He said he
wished you success in the election; said that the “entire world,
other than China, thinks the May meetings in Moscow very
productive;” said he looked forward to signing many more “documents”
with you—that there remain “many more issues” for our two nations;
expressed his satisfaction that the various agreements signed in
May, including the environmental agreement, are being implemented so
vigorously, referring particularly to SALT. I emphasized the interrelationship of the
environment agreement with the health, space and science and
technology agreernents and said that in the trade area the U.S.
hoped it would be able to sell pollution abatement equipment to the
USSR.
Podgorny expressed his strong support for the environmental agreement
and said, “our agreement for the protection of the human environment
is not only significant for our bilateral relations but for
international
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cooperation; it creates a positive political climate. We are
striving for this and will continue to strive for it in the
future.”
Podgorny said that, while the USSR
had been working for protection of the environment since the
revolution 54 years ago, they recognized that other governments were
likewise working on the problem. In this connection, he said, we
know of the’ several statements and messages of Mr. Nixon on the subject, and we have
read these with interest.
(Incidentally, Podgorny talked at length about the Olympics, praising
the performance of both USSR and
U.S. athletes, and likewise the “brilliant” showing of the GDR. He inquired about your interest,
in sports as both participant and spectator and said “the next time
he comes to Moscow we will see a game together.”)
He closed by again asking me to convey the best, wishes of himself
and his associates to you and took me out into the corridor to show
me the chess set which you had presented to him and which is on
display. He said he did not think that Fischer had played on it.
Our program for environmental cooperation which you initiated in May
is off to an excellent start. Soviet interest seems strong. In terms
of strengthening and broadening institutional and individual
contacts and relationships between our two countries, there are
immense political gains for both sides.
Russell E. Train
Chairman
