12 



al media would pressure the Coast Guard to action, and, in fact, it 

 did." And we will get into that with Admiral Henn in a second. 

 And as Mr. Coble says, we are great admirers of the Coast Guard. 

 We hate to hear this kind of statement, but your testimony seems 

 to indicate that that is exactly what took place. 



Until the national media got involved, not much was happening 

 to prosecute this case, and that is a telling indictment if it is all 

 true — if there isn't a good explanation for it. We will try to hear 

 one if we can. And if it is true, it calls upon this committee and 

 this Congress to consider very strongly the recommendations you 

 have made to us regarding the penalties and regarding the possibil- 

 ity of even restriction of port privileges upon second and third con- 

 victions. 



What you also tell us in response to Mr. Laughlin's questions 

 that other cruise ship passengers and others in the industry tell 

 you everybody is doing it is equally disturbing. But it also confirms 

 what I think all of us suspect, that what you videotaped was not an 

 isolated incident, that it was some kind of practice going on. 



And if that is true, hopefully your testimony today, the film you 

 and your wife took, and the national publicity you gave this inci- 

 dent, and I hope the questions we have asked today regarding the 

 possibility of other citizens also emulating you and your wife's 

 action in this case in reporting incidents like this will have a good 

 effect and will encourage the industry to end this practice if it, in 

 fact, is a practice and not an isolated incident. This committee 

 deeply appreciates your presence today. I know you came a long 

 way. You came out of your way, but, more importantly, we appreci- 

 ate your citizenship. 



Last night I attended a three hour driving school with my son. I 

 have got to attend another one tonight and another one two weeks 

 from now. I am not a happy camper this morning. It was not all 

 fun. But last night in the driving school, the instructor held up a 

 1-800 number, and he reminded all of us that we have an obliga- 

 tion as we drive the highways of the State of Virginia and every 

 state in America to report to authorities when there are conditions 

 out there that could cause someone to be hurt on the highways and 

 that doing that is a public citizen responsibility, and it helps put 

 things right in our country. It helps make our laws work. 



And in a real sense, today you stand as a shining example for 

 the rest of us of citizen involvement in the process of our laws 

 working. The marine environment is a very precious one to this 

 committee and this Congress, and we owe you a debt of gratitude 

 today, and we thank you for being a single-citizen protector of that 

 environment. I can assure you, Al, again in the familiar, that we 

 will continue to oversight this law and to continue to examine very 

 carefully the operation of the agencies involved here in the hopes 

 that the next time someone sees someone dumping trash into the 

 ocean it won't take 18 months to get to the Court on it. 



Mr. Laughlin. Would the Chairman yield? 



Mr. Tauzin. The Chair recognizes Mr. Laughlin. 



Mr. Laughlin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Al, I just want to say 

 it is a real tragedy there is not more Al's in the world because two 

 times a year under the leadership of the Texas Land Commission- 

 er, Garry Mauro, there is a volunteer group that goes out and 



