I am convinced that during the 98th Congress a toxic victims' compensation act will pass the House of Representatives. There are currently two bills in the House, one introduced by Congressman LaFalce, whose district includes Love Canal, and a second introduced by Congressmen Markey and Florio. The approaches of the separate bills are radically different. We will be holding hearings on both bills in June.¹

First, I will discuss the Markey-Florio bill, H.R. 2582, which I helped draft. The bill focuses on an administrative mechanism (Tier I) for compensating victims who suffer from exposure to hazardous substances from a "facility," as broadly defined in Superfund. The bill also includes a federal cause of action (Tier II).