I hope that we cannot only address the issue of how to monitor 

 and assess the health of our beaches in order to protect public 

 safety, but also how to stop our beaches and beach waters from 

 being polluted in the first place. 



We have asked representatives here today from Federal and 

 State Governments and from national public policy organizations 

 to provide their perspectives on H.R. 31, the advantages and disad- 

 vantages of instituting national criteria and monitoring for coastal 

 recreational waters, and the effects and costs of this legislation at 

 the State level where it will be implemented. 



STATEMENT OF THE HON. JIM SAXTON, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE 

 FROM NEW JERSEY, AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON EN- 

 VIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 



Mr. Ortiz. The other Ranking Member, Mr. Weldon has not ar- 

 rived, but we will recognize my good friend, Mr. Saxton, for a state- 

 ment. 



Mr. Saxton. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. 



I have a statement that I would like to submit for the record, but 

 in the interest of time, let me just commend my colleague from 

 New Jersey, Mr. Hughes, who has been the prime sponsor for at 

 least two sessions of this very important bill. 



Welcome Senator Lautenberg. 



As you can see, those of us who are from New Jersey and have 

 had experience with keeping coastal areas clean and pristine and 

 restored, work as a team in order to carry that out. 



This is an important bill. I would just point out that there has 

 been a great deal of concern and a great deal of study relative to 

 the condition of offshore waters and near shore waters. 



The National Academy of Sciences, for example, has done ex- 

 haustive studies, and I would just like to read one of their findings 

 from one of their recent studies. They say that, "Oyer 100 patho- 

 genic viruses and bacteria have been identified in runoff and 

 sewage. Numerous shellfish beds and bathing beaches are closed 

 due to unacceptable levels of coliform bacteria each year. " 



And, of course, this is true not just in New Jersey. In fact. New 

 Jersey has cleaned up its act with standards we believe should be 

 put in place throughout the country, throughout the coastal areas. 



"Although concentrations of coliform bacteria higher than con- 

 ventional standards indicate unacceptably high risks of exposure to 

 human pathogens through water contact, sports, or consumption of 

 shellfish, the opposite is not true. Concentrations of coliform bacte- 

 ria below the standards do not reliably predict that waters and 

 shellfish have safe levels." 



So, Mr. Chairman, due to our experience, due to our ability to 

 put in safe standards in New Jersey, due to our ability to clean up 

 our shore areas, our tourism industry is once again thriving. We 

 can use New Jersey as a case study. We can use New Jersey as an 

 experience through which the rest of the coastal areas of our coun- 

 try can also thrive. 



So I certainly am a strong supporter of Mr. Hughes' effort and 

 thank you for the time. 



Mr. Ortiz. Thank you. 



