78 



I would now like to review for you our efforts to carry out the 

 provisions of the legislation, and to outline our plans to improve 

 the plan and our programs. 



The act requires the preparation of a 5-year plan which includes 

 a detailed inventory of existing Federal programs, an assessment 

 and ordering of national needs and problems, an analysis of the 

 extent to which existing programs assist in meeting these prior- 

 ities, recommendations for changes in the overall Federal effort 

 where necessary, and a report on budget coordination efforts. The 

 Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- 

 tration was named to lead this effort, in consultation with other 

 Federal agencies having ocean pollution, research, development, 

 and monitoring responsibilities. 



An interagency committee was established. I chair that commit- 

 tee and Dr. Stephen Gage, Assistant Administrator for R. & D. at 

 the Environmental Protection Agency, is vice chairman. 



Using subcommittees, a task force, and several workshops, the 

 first 5-year plan was developed along with a catalog of Federal 

 ocean pollution research development and monitoring programs for 

 fiscal years 1978-80. These documents have been provided to this 

 subcommittee. 



The several hundred individual statements of ocean pollution 

 research, development, and monitoring needs and problems set out 

 in the plan form the framework within which the priorities re- 

 quired by the act were established. They reflect the many facets of 

 the ocean pollution problem. 



National needs and problems were identified through an exten- 

 sive review of agency missions by the interagency committee and 

 through workshops involving industry. State and local government 

 representatives, environmental groups, and other interested con- 

 stituencies. As called for in section 4 of the act, initial priorities 

 were established for major ocean use activities that may cause 

 pollution. High-priority areas included land use practices, outfalls 

 of municipal sewage, disposal of industrial waste, disposal of radio- 

 active waste, steam electric powerplants, disposal of dredged mate- 

 rial, oil and gas development, marine transportation, and the con- 

 trol and mitigation of pollution. 



These initial priorities are not intended to replace those of indi- 

 vidual departments and agencies. Rather, they are intended to be 

 used, first, as guidance in assuring that all of the areas of most 

 critical concern are addressed somewhere in the Federal effort; 

 second, as the primary criteria for financial assistance to be made 

 under section 6 of the act, and finally, as an additional tool to be 

 used in the evaluation of mission-related activities. 



The plan recommends a number of tasks to improve the overall 

 effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal effort. Important re- 

 search areas are identified in which more emphasis should be 

 placed within existing resources to a large degree, including: 



Effects of synthetic organics on human health; identification of 

 critical habitats for living marine resources; determining the poten- 

 tial impact of pollution on marine recreation; the cumulative ef- 

 fects of coastal land use practices; specific pollution problems relat- 

 ed to industrial waste disposal and municipal sewage outfalls; spe- 

 cific problems related to the control and mitigation of ocean poUu- 



