15)1 



5. There will be increased pressure for more ocean disposal of sewage sludge 

 and dredge materials in the New York Bight. This will raise to a potentially 

 critical level the threat of pollution to land and surrounding ocean. 



6. The projected increase in pollution from ocean disposal practices calls for 

 stricter control of future ocean disposal practices in the New York Bight. 



7. The major threat to full enjoyment of the proposed Gateway National Rec- 

 reation Area and other beaches in the New York Bight is pollution. To date, 

 however, there has not been demonstrated any connection between present ocean 

 dumping practices and water pollution at any of the proposed Gateway sites. 



8. The present ocean disposal of sewage sludge and dredge fill may be a serious 

 threat to the sanitary quality of local populations of ocean quahogs and surf 

 clams (4-10 mile radius) . 



9. Accumulation by fish and shellfish of heavy metals and other persistent 

 toxic compounds is another potential health hazard in the New York Bight. 

 This threat appears to be most serious from the sludge disposal areas. 



10. Ocean disposal of sludge and dredge spoil materials, along with pollution 

 from other sources, offer a potential threat to local fish populations. 



No amount of rhetoric will present a more eloquent argument 

 for the need to develop orderly regulation of needless destruction 

 of the marine environment due to dumping wastes into the ocean 

 and coastal waters, especially since the situation in the New York 

 Bight is by no means unique. This same report and others such as 

 the report of the Council on Environmental Quality demonstrate 

 that similar problems exist elsewhere. For example, the report of the 

 CEQ identifies 246 sites off the coasts of the United States into which 

 48 million tons of dredge spoil, sewage sludge, building debris, indus- 

 trial wastes, radioactive wastes, and outdated munitions are dumped 

 every year. A later report by a responsible Federal agency states that 

 there are 281 dumping sit^s receiving 62 million tons of wastes of all 

 sorts. 



All indications are that, as serious a problem as this is now, it is be- 

 coming more so at an alarmingly rapid rate. Time is no longer avail- 

 able to luxuriate in detailed studies and deliberations. We must move 

 expeditiously to enact legislation which will halt this senseless destruc- 

 tion of our coastal waters. I vigorously support the legislation before 

 this committee as a sound approach to prevent further destruction of 

 the marine environment. 



Mr. Lennon. You gave a very enlightening statement, Congressman. 

 We appreciate your time. 



Our next witness will be the gentleman from Florida, the Honorable 

 Charles E. Bennett. 



STATEMENT OE HON. CHARLES E. BENNETT, A REPRESENTATIVE 

 IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OP FLORIDA 



Mr. Bennett. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to testify 

 in support of legislation which I have pending to end ocean dump- 

 ing without a certificate from the Council on Environmental Quality. 

 This legislation is section 2 of my bill, H.R. 1214, which is a compre- 

 hensive environmental protection bill, which was referred to the House 

 Public Works Committee. 



For some time now, I have been extremely concerned about de- 

 terioration of our oceans by pollutants. Oceans cover 140 million square 

 miles of water surface and over 70 percent of the area of the earth. 

 The world environment and our very existence are dependent on the 



