27 



We had some 10 beaches that NOAA asked us to in some in- 

 stances not to clean them, but all — in others to use soap and water, 

 others to use hand massaging of the rocks, and others to use 

 bioremediation, and I think the committee would be very interested 

 sometime to have a report on what really happened. Was Mother 

 Nature the best beach cleaner, or was it the bioremediation, or the 

 Dawn dishwashing soap? 



I really am serious, I would like to have that hearing, Mr. Chair- 

 man, if we could. 



Thank you. 



Senator Lott. Just one question, if I could, Mr. Chairman, in ad- 

 dition to my question earlier. Perhaps Mr. Moxam, Dr. Foster, or 

 Mr. Hall, one of you could answer this. We have had a dire need 

 for the last several need for a facility and warehouse at your NMFS 

 facility in Pascagoula, MS, which serves the lab and docks there, 

 and there was language in last year's NOAA authorization and ap- 

 propriations bill which required that. What is the status of that fa- 

 cility? 



Mr. Moxam. Senator, I believe that got put on the construction 

 list. This is Pascagoula, I believe it is fixing up the warehouse 

 down there, and, based upon the language we got, we moved it up 

 in the priority, and I believe we are going to do it this year, but 

 I would have to go back and check, sir. 



Senator Lott. I had some information that it perhaps would 

 begin this quarter. 



Mr. Moxam. That would be right about on the schedule I have 

 seen, sir. 



Dr. Foster. That is correct. 



Senator Lott. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Kerry. Thank you very much, Senator Lott. 



I am informed the vote has been vitiated and there is a new 

 amendment that is now being put forward, so we will not have a 

 vote momentarily. 



At any rate, I am going to leave momentarily, and Senator Ste- 

 vens has consented to chair while I go over to the Banking Com- 

 mittee. I would like to ask one quick question before I leave, on in- 

 creasing NOAA requirements for interdisciplinary research. At 

 present, the agency has a fairly broad and diverse group of labora- 

 tories and regional facilities scattered throughout the various line 

 offices that are doing research. I think specifically OAR has 11 

 labs, NMFS has 28 labs, and NOS has 13 labs. 



The obvious question is whether a better integration of those 

 NOAA facilities into a comprehensive network would minimize du- 

 plication and give us a little more bang for the dollar. I wonder 

 what costsavings might be achieved from that, if you have gotten 

 a handle on it yet. I do not know if you have had time to look at 

 the issue. 



Dr. Baker. We are, Senator Kerry. One of the things we will be 

 doing at the very beginning now is conducting a review of the 

 science research that we are doing, in fact, to see if some better co- 

 ordination or better organization would provide us with more effi- 

 cient services. 



