40 



Plowever, I do believe that we will continue to compromise. This is 

 the way of life. You compromise each morning when you decide 

 whether to get out of bed or not. Sometimes you would rather stay 

 there, but you get up, of necessity, maybe. This is a compromise, 'V^^iat 

 you will eat today, if there is more than one choice, will likewise be a 

 compromise. 



As Dr. St. Amant stated, the best result we can get (and we get this 

 result from his own agency that so ably assists in directing, and has 

 for a number of years) is that our marine population, fishing and such 

 as that, is reasonably stabilized. 



I would say this is an example of very good, very able management 

 and direction by the agencies in the State of Louisiana in controlling, 

 shall vre say, or guiding the industrial development in these marshes 

 where some 20-odd thousand productive oil wells are now located, 

 plus those beyond the 3-mile limit. Some 14,000, I believe you said, 

 Lyle. 



You know, if I may comment further, and I am not connected with 

 the State in any way at the present time — but have been in the past — 

 other than as a citizen, the State of Louisiana derives approximately 

 50 percent of its revenues from the mineral resources that are devel- 

 oped in the State. 



Now, this in itself will pose a problem if you over-regulate. 



I would say in all sincerity regarding the State of Louisiana, and 

 I believe Dr. St. Amant will probably agree with me, nearly if not 

 totall}^, that we do have at the present time a fairly high degree of 

 real rapport in the management of our States resources. 



This includes natural resources as well as the mineral resources 

 and other developments. And his director is the chairman of the Stream 

 Control Commission, which controls the pollution, the effluent, et 

 cetera, and the permits as to whether you can or cannot do something. 



The reason it is being put in the ocean is because it is being barged 

 down the river as the cheapest \vay. We find that the companies don't 

 want to move it to the depths. 



If we allow dumping of waste materials, impurities to go into this 

 system, Ave are going to find that the mid-continent of the United 

 States dumps all its waste off the Mississippi Delta, because it is the 

 cheapest way to get it somewhere. It will be dumped within 100 miles 

 of Southwest Pass, and no company is going to be able to afford to 

 move it there. 



We have had a request to dump such materials as caustic peroxide in 

 quantities of one and a half million pounds within 20 miles of the 

 mouth of the Mississippi River. 



I don't believe there is a scientist here that can tell me what would 

 happen if somebody dumped a million and a half pounds of such a 

 toxic in the Gulf waters near shore. 



They want a continuous permit to dump. 



These are things that need handling. It is true that you have agencies 

 that are set up to do it. I must agree that perhaps we have too many 

 agencies, and maybe we are too strict, but what we find is that we 

 constanth^, in this great democratic society, compromise ourselves to 

 death. 



I make decisions, but I cannot be arbitrary. I have to do what is 

 best for the State, at least at the moment, and I compromise with this 

 and that and the other thing, but compromise to the degradation of 



