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PUBLIC LAW 91-516-OCT. 30, 1970

[84 STAT.

Public Law 91-516 October 30, 1970 [H, R. 18260]

Environmental Education Act.

AN ACT To authorize the United States Commissioner of Education to establish education programs to encourage understanding of policies, and support of activities, designed to enhance environmental quality and maintain ecological balance.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Environmental Education Act". STATEMENT

OF F I N D I N G S

AND

PURPOSE

SEC. 2. (a) The Congress of the United States finds that the deterioration of the quality of the Nation's environment and of its ecological balance poses a serious threat to the strength and vitality of the people of the Nation and is in part due to poor understanding of the Nation's environment and of the need for ecological balance; that presently there do not exist adequate resources for educating and informing citizens in these areas, and that concerted efforts in educating citizens about environmental quality and ecological 'balance are therefore necessary. (b) I t is the purpose of this Act to encourage and support the development of new and improved curricula to encourage understanding of policies, and support of activities designed to enhance environmental quality and maintain ecological balance; to demonstrate the use of such curricula in model educational programs and to evaluate the effectiveness thereof; to provide support for the initiation and maintenance of programs in environmental education at the elementary and secondary levels; to disseminate curricular materials and other information for use in educational programs throughout the Nation; to provide training programs for teachers, other educational personnel, public service personnel, and community, labor, and industrial and business leaders and employees, and government employees at State, Federal, and local levels; to provide for the planning of outdoor ecological study centers; to provide for community education programs on preserving and enhancing environmental quality and maintaining ecological balance; and to provide for the preparation and distribution of materials by mass media in dealing with the environment and ecology. ENVIRONMENTAL Environmental education office, establishment.

Ante, p. 198-1. ' ' Environmental education."

Grants and contracts.

EDUCATION

SEC. 8. (a)(1) There is established, within the Office of Education, an office of environmental education (referred to in this section as the "office'') which, under the supervision of the Commissioner, through regulations promulgated by the Secretary, shall be responsible for (A) the administration of the program authorized by subsection (b) and (B) the coordination of activities of the Office of Education which are related to environmental education. The office shall be headed by a Director who shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed that prescribed for grade GS-17 in section 5332 of title 5, United States Code. (2) For the purposes of this Act, the term "environmental education" means the educational process dealing with man's relationship with his natural and manmade surroundings, and includes the relation of population, pollution, resource allocation and depletion, conservation, transportation, technology, and urban and rural planning to the total human environment. (b)(1) The Commissioner shall carry out a program of making grants to, and contracts with, institutions of higher education, State

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