our vantage point as public policymakers, we are going to be held 

 accountable for what happens, based on your ability to make this 

 process work in these next months and years. 



While I have read much which suggests to me that the computer 

 models are pretty good, and while there are 10 biological experts 

 from the Government who have reviewed the opinion and data, 

 and while there is much to suggest that indeed whatever nutrient- 

 overloading might take place might be at the end of the outfall 

 pipe and not move down onto Stellwagen Bank, I would be less 

 than candid if I did not say that, just from a human perspective 

 and measured against Murphy's Law, there is always this fear that 

 the models may not take everything into account — that mother 

 nature may work her will in other ways and currents may shift 

 and things may happen. Therefore, I feel that the monitoring is 

 really critical, and the speed of it, the competency of it, the report- 

 ing of it, I think is key to come out of here. 



I hope that that will be the real accomplishment of this hearing 

 today — it is not so much that new science is going to be answered, 

 because I personally don't think it will be provided — but much 

 more that a process can be put in place so the interests of all 

 Capers — and the interests, incidentally, of our folks on the Cape 

 are the interests of everybody in the State and everybody in the 

 country — will be taken into consideration. They are the interests in 

 our heritage and in the viability of that ecosystem being main- 

 tained. They are right to be vigilant and to be concerned. The in- 

 terests of Quincy and the folks here in this bay are correct to push 

 for this harbor process to be completed. The interests of every com- 

 munity affected by the MWRA and the costs are right to ask us as 

 public policy people to measure those costs against impact and so 

 forth. 



So, there are no villains here I think. This is not a process that 

 ought to seek to finger-point or fmd villains. It ought to guarantee 

 that most of those interests or all that can be are satisfied by this 

 public process. I think a rather extraordinary journey has been em- 

 barked on beginning 20 years ago with the Clean Water Act, right 

 up through the court process and the judgments that have been 

 made to bring us all here today, Mr. Chairman. 



So, I salute you for having brought all of the interested parties 

 together and my counsel to this assembled groups of experts. Let's 

 not get lost on detail of one particular scientific assertion versus 

 another. Let's guarantee that the contingency planning is done. 

 Let's guarantee that the minimal cost alternatives within those 

 contingency plans are properly analyzed and laid out. Let's guaran- 

 tee that the best baseline possible is established with the best data 

 possible and let's guarantee that the monitoring is second to none 

 so that, if we have to shift gears at some point in time, we know 

 how, we are prepared to, and it is done with consensus, not with 

 recrimination. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



[The prepared statement of Senator Kerry follows:] 



