no 



in our hands, it is fully budgeted and we expect to get it. That 

 equipment will go to these places. 



Mr. Hughes. I would hope equipment is located in those areas 

 that are experiencing accelerated activity. 



Captain Corbett. This is why these 11 sites have been identified, 

 because of the activities which they are experiencing, not necessar- 

 ily, however, OCS activity, because again we intend to insure at 

 least starting with the George's Bank, following on with the Balti- 

 more Canyon and others, that the industry has the equipment 

 themselves to clean up their oil spill. 



Mr. Hughes. You have it just reversed, the Baltimore Canyon is 

 well under way, we have been exploring in the Baltimore Canyon 

 for the better part of 3 years. We are now sinking delimiting wells. 

 We should not wait until we begin producing before we develop the 

 capability of responding as quickly as possible to a spill. As I 

 understand it, the spills occur usually do not occur during the 

 exploration process but during production and other processes. Ex- 

 ploration as I understand it is a relatively safe, low risk, operation 

 generally. 



Captain Corbett. I fully understand your point, Mr. Hughes. I 

 suspect that the Department of Interior has been quite thorough in 

 review of the plans submitted to it by the drilling operators in the 

 Baltimore Canyon. But we, the Coast Guard, have not yet become 

 involved in the review of those plans. That is a fact. 



Mr. Hughes. I am also concerned about your testimony that we 

 seem to be at the outer limits, which is entirely conceivable, in 

 that our present capability or, state of the art is 8- to 10-foot seas 

 and 20-knot winds. Each year for the last several years this com- 

 mittee has increased the authorization for research and develop- 

 ment by about $25 million. The same thing RAS occured for fiscal 

 year 1981. Do you know offhand how much of the research and 

 development money in the fiscal year 1980 budget has been spent 

 by the Coast Guard? 



Captain Corbett. No, sir, I do not. 



Mr. Hughes. Would you get that information for me? 



Captain Corbett. Yes; I can. 



Mr. Hughes. Would you also provide for the committee the type 

 of projects that are underway in R. & D. Projects that you think 

 will be funded for fiscal year 1981, so we know how much really is 

 being spent on R. & D. and on what. 



Captain Corbett. Are you talking about pollution response now? 



Mr. Hughes. Yes. 



Captain Corbett. Yes, sir, I would. 



Mr. Hughes. Thank you very much. In spite of my questions I 

 think the Coast Guard does an absolutely great job, not just in this 

 area of responsibility, but also with other functions such as air and 

 sea rescue, aids to navigation, tanker safety, and in so many other 

 areas that affect us along the coast. Thank you very much. 



Mr. Studds. They do a particularly good job in responding to 

 your questions. Did it occur to anyone that exploratory drilling is 

 so safe because 9 out of 10 of those holes are dry. Mr. Wyatt. 



Mr. Wyatt. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Captain Corbett, how 

 many oilspills have there been in the last year? 



Captain Corbett. Talking about spills of the 



