I wanted to again mention that I joined with Mr. Studds of the 

 Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee in introducing a bill 

 which will be the vehicle for wetlands legislation. I don't support 

 every provision in the legislation, but my cosponsorship is so that 

 we might work together and move forward. 



We are at a point in time, Mr. Chairman, when we must sepa- 

 rate fact from fiction or media headlines. One good example is in 

 my area of south Texas, the Rio Grande River which we share with 

 Mexico. We own half of the water, the State of Texas does, and 

 Mexico the other. The world heard through mass media that this 

 river was polluted, that it was causing multiple diseases, that it 

 was causing birth defects, that it was not fit to use as water for 

 drinking purposes, and everyone went into shock and everyone was 

 out chasing headlines. We now find out from a preliminary report 

 of a group which is yet to be publicly given that this isn't so. None 

 of the diseases that they mention, none of the birth defects that 

 they mention, none of this mass media hysteria about this most 

 polluted river turns out to be factual. None of the contaminants 

 that EPA lists were contained in any major proportions in the riv- 

 er's water. 



And this is what we have to deal with here. In devising a wet- 

 lands bill and a new Clean Water Act, we must separate fact from 

 fiction. We must deal solely with the facts and not go chasing head- 

 lines but rather do what is necessary and proper for the protection 

 of the environment, and, to the extent possible, not reduce the tools 

 necessary to produce a most important item in our collective soci- 

 ety, which is the food and fiber that keeps us strong as a nation 

 and even promotes our national security as being the most produc- 

 tive Nation in the world. 



I know that the array of witnesses that will testify at this hear- 

 ing will help us along that route. We need a cooperative spirit and 

 a more reasonable balance between landowners and environmental 

 protection. Hopefully, this will be a good step in that direction. I 

 thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. de la Garza follows:] 



