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ROBERT 0. SYLVESTER 

 Are the costs entailed in the recoramendations of the 

 report unreasonable when compared with other expenditures 

 in this complex society and can society avoid these costs 

 as we look to the future? 



Let us hope that this Conference will con- 

 cern itself with these broader aspects of water quality 

 managentent and not become involved in debates over just 

 how much of this or that pollutant can be presently absorbed 

 by the environment without most serious consequences. 



CHAIRMAN STEIN: Thank you, Professor 

 Sylvester . 



Are there any comments or questions? 

 You know, your statements are a little 



ahead of the Congress. The Congress heeded your state- 

 ment here: "if damage must be proven in an enforcement 

 program before corrective measvires can be obtained, then 

 some of the beneficial uses of the waters have already 

 suffered." The FWPCA and the State have to work under 

 existing law. We started this in 1962. It wasn't until 

 1965 and 1965 that the Congress attempted to get at the 

 preventive aspects of water pollution control through the 

 standards mechanism. 



In regard to your questions, I don't know 

 if they have been satisfactorily answered, but it seems to 



