Editors' Summary: One of the most serious tasks Americans face in the near future is electing a President to lead the nation into the 1990s. Environmental law and policy are heavily influenced by the decisions made by elected officials and their senior appointees, and environmental issues should command close attention as voters and opinion leaders approach the 1988 election.

The Environmental Law Reporter has invited several leading presidential candidates to present their views on environmental law and policy. This month, Joseph Biden emphasizes the need to focus on waste minimization and prevention, rather than the "end-of-pipe" focus on waste disposal. The most cost-effective way to deal with waste, he points out, is often never to create it in the first place. Moreover, because of upcoming corporate decisions on new pollution control equipment, a failure to implement waste reduction measures soon may mean lost opportunities for many years to come. Mr. Biden criticizes the shortcomings of current law on hazardous waste minimization, and outlines a specific program that he proposes as the centerpiece of federal efforts to encourage waste reduction.