§2151p. Environmental and natural resources

(a) Congressional statement of findings

The Congress finds that if current trends in the degradation of natural resources in developing countries continue, they will severely undermine the best efforts to meet basic human needs, to achieve sustained economic growth, and to prevent international tension and conflict. The Congress also finds that the world faces enormous, urgent, and complex problems, with respect to natural resources, which require new forms of cooperation between the United States and developing countries to prevent such problems from becoming unmanageable. It is, therefore, in the economic and security interest of the United States to provide leadership both in thoroughly reassessing policies relating to natural resources and the environment, and in cooperating extensively with developing countries in order to achieve environmentally sound development.

(b) Assistance authority and emphasis

In order to address the serious problems described in subsection (a) of this section, the President is authorized to furnish assistance under subchapter I of this chapter for developing and strengthening the capacity of developing countries to protect and manage their environment and natural resources. Special efforts shall be made to maintain and where possible to restore the land, vegetation, water, wildlife, and other resources upon which depend economic growth and human well-being, especially of the poor.

(c) Implementation considerations applicable to programs and projects

(1) The President, in implementing programs and projects under this part and part X of this subchapter, shall take fully into account the impact of such programs and projects upon the environment and natural resources of developing countries. Subject to such procedures as the President considers appropriate, the President shall require all agencies and officials responsible for programs or projects under this part and part X of this subchapter-

(A) to prepare and take fully into account an environmental impact statement for any program or project under this part and part X of this subchapter significantly affecting the environment of the global commons outside the jurisdiction of any country, the environment of the United States, or other aspects of the environment which the President may specify; and

(B) to prepare and take fully into account an environmental assessment of any proposed program or project under this part and part X of this subchapter significantly affecting the environment of any foreign country.

Such agencies and officials should, where appropriate, use local technical resources in preparing environmental impact statements and environmental assessments pursuant to this subsection.

(2) The President may establish exceptions from the requirements of this subsection for emergency conditions and for cases in which compliance with those requirements would be seriously detrimental to the foreign policy interests of the United States.

(Pub. L. 87–195, pt. I, §117, formerly §118, as added Pub. L. 95–88, title I, §113(a), Aug. 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 537 ; amended Pub. L. 95–424, title I, §110, Oct. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 948 ; Pub. L. 96–53, title I, §122, Aug. 14, 1979, 93 Stat. 366 ; Pub. L. 97–113, title III, §307, Dec. 29, 1981, 95 Stat. 1533 ; renumbered §117 and amended Pub. L. 99–529, title III, §301(1), (2), Oct. 24, 1986, 100 Stat. 3014 ; Pub. L. 101–513, title V, §562(d)(4), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 2031 .)

References to Subchapter I Deemed To Include Certain Parts of Subchapter II

References to subchapter I of this chapter are deemed to include parts IV (§2346 et seq.), VI (§2348 et seq.), and VIII (§2349aa et seq.) of subchapter II of this chapter, and references to subchapter II are deemed to exclude such parts. See section 202(b) of Pub. L. 92–226, set out as a note under section 2346 of this title, and sections 2348c and 2349aa–5 of this title.

Codification

Other sections 117 of Pub. L. 87–195, pt. I, were classified to section 2151o of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 95–424 and Pub. L. 103–149.

Amendments

1990-Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 101–513 inserted "and part X of this subchapter" after "this part" wherever appearing.

1986-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–529, §301(2), struck out subsec. (d) relating to loss of tropical forests in developing countries. See section 2151p–1 of this title.

1981-Pub. L. 97–113 amended section generally, substituting subsecs. (a) to (d) for former subsecs. (a) and (b) which authorized President to furnish assistance under this subchapter for developing and strengthening capacity of less developed countries to protect and manage their environment and natural resources and directed President to take into consideration environmental consequences of development actions in carrying out this part.

1979-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–53 repealed subsec. (c) which related to studies and report to Congress by the President on the identification of major environmental and natural resource problems.

1978-Pub. L. 95–424 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) and (c).

Effective Date of 1979 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–53 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section 512(a) of Pub. L. 96–53, set out as a note under section 2151 of this title.

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–424 effective Oct. 1, 1978, see section 605 of Pub. L. 95–424, set out as a note under section 2151 of this title.

Delegation of Functions

For delegation of functions of President under this section, see Ex. Ord. No. 12163, Sept. 29, 1979, 44 F.R. 56673, as amended, set out as a note under section 2381 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 2191, 2199 of this title.