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environmental groups, and federal and state regulatory agencies. 

 Several Cape Cod organizations are represented on the Task Force. 



This Committee should be aware that the MWRA's monitoring 

 plan is already one of the most intensive in the world, and will 

 cost $2.7 million this year alone. EPA is not oppose to 

 additional monitoring where useful information might be produced. 

 We plan to present NMFS's recommendations to the Outfall 

 Monitoring Task Force for their input, and will discuss the Task 

 Force's comments with both NMFS and MWRA before making a final 

 decision concerning any of the recommendations. 



EPA agrees with NMFS's recommendation that implementation of 

 the monitoring plan should be required through an enforceable 

 mechanism. The current monitoring plan, which is designed to 

 collect data on baseline conditions in Massachusetts Bay before 

 the discharge begins, is required by order of the federal court 

 overseeing the Boston Harbor project. 



NMFS also makes specific recommendations concerning NPDES 

 permit conditions. EPA agrees with NMFS that the discharge 

 permit for the outfall should require chronic toxicity testing. 

 EPA also agrees that permit limits should be established for all 

 priority pollutants which are or may be discharged at a level 

 that will have a reasonable potential to violate water quality 

 standards. 



The Endangered Species Act consultation process has focused 

 public attention on endangered whales in Massachusetts Bay. At 

 the same time, a recovery plan has been issued for the northern 



