then, perhaps, some long-range efforts. But what are we going to do 

 in the interim with the dredge spoils? Is there some crash program 

 that we are going to have, something more practical in solving the 

 problem ? 



Mr. Train. Of course in the Great Lakes the administration has 

 instituted a program for shifting from the dumping of dredge spoils 

 in the lakes themselves to a system of diked disposal areas along the 

 shoreline which in itself is not completely satisfactory but is certain- 

 ly a major improvement over what was done before. 



I don't think that that is probably a feasible solution over much of 

 our exterior coastline because there we run into the problem of de- 

 struction of wetlands w^hose protection we are equally concerned with. 

 I have indicated that the Corps of Engineers has instituted a policy 

 of taking the water quality effects of the disposal of spoils very much 

 into account as part of the process of deciding whether to dredge a 

 given area or not. This is a new development and I think a significant 

 improvement. 



This is being weighed in the process along with the navigational 

 and economic benefits of dredging. I can't hold out to the committee 

 any real hope that the dumping of spoils is going to come to a very 

 rapid end because the alternative of disposal on land is not a very 

 appealing alternative. As I mentioned a moment ago it probably would 

 involve wetland destruction and this may well be a far more environ- 

 mentally harmful alternative than a continued disposal at sea. 



Looking well down the road, as water quality standards generally 

 become increasingly effective, the polluted nature of our river bot- 

 toms and port bottoms should steadily improve so that hopefully, 

 again looking somewhat down into the future, these dredge spoils 

 will not be as polluted and enviromnentally harmful as they are at 

 the present time. 



Mr. Kyros. Do we have a cutoff date for municipal sewage dump- 

 ing? Wliere the dredge is going to happen, is there a set date State- 

 by-State, port-by-port? 



Mr. Train. There are implementation schedules under the Water 

 Pollution Control Act, yes. 



Mr. Kyros. So you could look forward to those dates. In the in- 

 terim, I notice that under 7(c) of the act the Army and the Corps 

 of Engineers retain authority as to where to dump. In other words, 

 they still don't have to come to you or to the EPA, for a permit do 

 they? 



Mr. Train. You are referring to their dredging and filling author- 

 ity under the Rivers and Harbors Act. We do not supersede that by 

 this legislation, but the legislation does require that the Corps of 

 Engineers must get certification by EPA that a given dredge and fill 

 operation is acceptable from the standpoint of the criteria of this 

 legislation, so they are meshed together. 



Mr. Kyros. Do you feel that this is sufficient authority in order to 

 have your own agencies exercise complete and uniform control over 

 tlie dumping of dredge spoils, as well as over the other materials 

 which you will be watching ? 



Mr. Train. Yes, I believe so. It is as broad as we think you can 

 provide. I would also suggest that this is a brand new program and 



