372 



Mr. DiNGELL. The Army Engineers do not do the dredging. The> 

 Anny Engineers do it through contractors, in most instances. Some- 

 times they do their own dredging, but rarely do they do so. 



Mr, Cone. On a Federal project, the Army Engineers award the 

 dredging contract to a contractor. That is true. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Very little maintenance dredging is done by the corps. 



Mr. Cone. That is true. 



Actually, as a practical matter, there is no permit, as I understand 

 it, involved, because the Army Engineers will award the contract to a 

 dredging contractor, and that is that. 



Mr. Reynolds. I think the point you have raised is very well taken, 

 sir. I most respectfully suggest it might be well to explore with the 

 Corps of Engineers people and find out exactly what their authority is, 

 and what it is not. 



I have been assuming, on the basis of my reading of the enabling 

 statute, that they had all this authority. It has been my approach that 

 they should retain it, and possibly maybe something more is needed, 

 if indeed it is a valid assumption that they should have the authority 

 vis-a-vis the Administrator in this one particular area. 



Mr. Hetward. That is the point I was bringing up. 



Mr. Reynolds. It is a good point. 



The real measure, it seems to me, is the problem of controlling per- 

 mits for the disposal of industrial waste, the human waste and 

 municipal waste. 



All we are concerned about is this one specific area, Mr. Chairman. 



I axDpreciate your patience in listening to us. 



Mr. Dingell. We are very happy to have had you here. 



The chairman wants to compliment Captain Hey ward for a very 

 useful contribution to the hearings. 



The chairman will appreciate, gentlemen, that after we have had 

 an opportunity to discuss these matters in more detail with the corps,. 

 as we shall do, f.s I understand it, tomorrow, it will probably be very 

 helpful if you will give us your further thoughts in writing in regard 

 to this. 



I don't want you to take my comments today as commitment that I 

 will do anything one way or the other. 



I think it would be helpful to the committee if you would give us 

 your judgment in the light of such additional testimony and infor- 

 mation we receive not only as a result of this afternoon's deliberations, 

 but also after we have heard tomorrow the corps' responsibilities, and 

 so forth. 



Mr. Reynolds. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Dingell. Gentlemen, we are grateful to you. 



The Chair has received two papers on the subject of the risks in- 

 volved to the oceans from radioactive pollution, and without objec- 

 tion, these papers will be placed in the record at this point. The author 

 of these papers, Dr. Jerold Lowenstein. is a well-known expert on the 

 subject, being simultRueously a Qualified phvsician and nuclear physi- 

 cist. Also, and particularly significant, in the light of the scope of 

 these hearings, I should add that Dr. Dowenstein is a director of the 

 Oceanic Society, a group providing an important voice in the 

 dialog on the protection of the oceans. 



