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on our beaches and strangling ocean life. These oceans and bays, 

 together with our country's lakes and navigable rivers, are increasingly 

 rejecting animal and human life. We cannot swim, or fish, or sail, 

 or even stand the smell in larger and larger stretches of water. 



A reasonable policy for disposal of obsolete military equipment, one 

 regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, can greatly ease 

 the mind of our citizens. We must not forget that the conditions we 

 now seek to correct are not solely a problem created by the military. 

 Both Congress and the Executive, in their haste to provide new and 

 growing quantities of weapons have also helped to provide a legacy of 

 obsolete equipment which no longer defends but only contaminates 

 when disposed of improperly. We share with the military the respon- 

 sibility for ending these practices, and we owe it to our citizens to 

 do so as soon as possible. 



To these ends, Mr. Chairman, I have introduced a proposal, H.R. 

 6884, which is now before you. By introducing this legislation, I do 

 not mean to question the advisability or soundness of our weapons 

 acquisition policies. Our defense requirements are not the point of 

 argument. 



However, in striving to provide for the security of our Nation, we 

 should not tread insensitively on that which we are attemptmg to 

 defend. If, in the course of maintaining weapons systems and render- 

 ing obsolete arsenals harmless, we contaminate our oceans and render 

 our rivers and lakes lifeless, our defense must be considered our most 

 aggressive enemy. 



My proposal attempts to insure that in any plan to acquire mili- 

 tary hardware, proper consideration is given to the disposal process. 

 By requiring a disposal scheme for all present and future military 

 weapons, we can insure that the legacy of our Nation's defense is not 

 pollution. 



Mr. Chairman, I thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to 

 present my statement to you. I hope that your committee will accept 

 the spirit of my remarks as it considers my proposal and those of my 

 colleagues. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Our next witness is Dr. Bostwick H. Ketchum, as- 

 sociate director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 



Dr. Ketchum, we are greatly privileged to have you with us, and 

 we thank you for your presence, and your very helpful testimony. 

 We look forward to hearing your words. 



STATEMENT OF BS. BOSTWICK H. KETCHUM, ASSOCIATE BIEECTOR 

 OF THE WOODS HOLE OCEANOGEAPHIC INSTITUTION, WOODS 

 HOLE, MASS. 



Dr. Ketchum. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is indeed a pleasure 

 for me to have this opportunity to speak to you about this important 

 problem. 



My name is Bostwick Ketchum, and I am Senior Scientist and As- 

 sociate Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 



This committee knows our institution well, since I and many of my 

 colleagues have testified previously before this committee. 



Mr. DiNGELL. It is always in a very helpful fashion, may I say, 

 Doctor. We are certainly privileged to have you with us. 



