388 



room of the Subcommittee on International Organizations and 

 IMovements. 



This was after 12 simiLar shipments had ah-eady taken place. Not 

 only was the Congress in the dark, but tlie affected Federal Agencies 

 had not been informed, either. 



It may be of special interest to subcommittees of the Merchant 

 Marine and Fisheries Committee that the only citizens who were in- 

 formed of the movement of this lethal gas were recreational boaters 

 who were warned to stay clear as the disposal ships were towed to sea. 



Eesidents of the crowded urban areas which trains moved through 

 were not informed, and this includes a city in my 13th District of 

 New Jersey, Elizabeth. Fortunately, many changes have teen made 

 in national policy since our subcommittee took its pioneering actions, 

 but I do believe "that a significant weakness in Federal structure was 

 disclosed. 



That is why it is absolutely essential that one man and one agency 

 be firmly fixed with the ultimate responsibility in this area. One staff 

 should evaluate competing interests and competing proposals, and 

 one decisionmaking apparatus should be the focus of evaluation and 

 review, and when necessary, of the wrath of those who disagree with 

 the final decision. 



I, therefore, feel that no matter what the final form of the many 

 bills you are debating during these hearings may take, retention of 

 centralized control is essential . In this way we can prevent what 

 we discovered in ]May 1969; policy by default and pollution by 

 indifference. 



I appreciate the opportunity to make this brief statement, Mr. 

 Chairman, and I would close by stating that the environmental issue 

 is now closing in on each of us. 



It is closing in a symbolic sense, as the operational arm of man's 

 concern with the welfare of his fellow man. It is also closing in a 

 physical sense, by forcing us to realize that no man is an environmental 

 island, complete unto himself. The dangers of ocean dumping must 

 be dealt with before the accumulated sludge fills up the oceans and 

 there are no islands and probably no men, at all. 



I\Ir. DiNGELL. The Chair observes that the Sierra Club has called 

 advising the committee that it will not be possible for the scheduled 

 witnesses on behalf of the Sierra Club to be present. For that reason, 

 the same order is made with regard to that and a like order from the 

 Chair with regard to a statement from distinguished Mr. Louis Clap- 

 per, Conservation Director of National Wildlife Federation, and you 

 will see to it that is also inserted in the record. 



(The statements referred to follow :) 



Statement of Eugexe V. Coan, The Sierra Club 



"We appreciate this opportunity to present our views on the question of (lump- 

 ing into tlie ocean and the Great Lalvcs, for this has become a matter of growing 

 concern to us. Of all our many environmental problems, this one appears to hold 

 some especially grave dangers. 



We have reached the time when we can no longer consider the ocean and the 

 Great Lakes to be a dumping grounds of last resort. We can no longer indiscrimi- 

 nately place our waste materials in the sea and assume that they will not retiirn 

 to haunt us again. For as large and powerful is the sea, it is surprisingly fragile. 

 It is also of growing importance to us. Given time, the fresh water of the world 

 can cleanse itself, but the sea cannot. Once we put our chemicals and trash into 



