124 



Dr. Bolton. We will have some of that information then, yes, on 

 the scallops and also some of the flounder of Georges Bank. 



Mr. Studds. Over what period of time? 



Dr. Bolton. I believe they have completed a 2-month study. 



Mr. Studds. That is not long term. 



Dr. Bolton. You extrapolate from those results, yes. To run 

 longer term studies is often economically unfeasible, with the fund- 

 ing we have for research. 



Mr. Studds. I did not ask you that. Let me just say, you state we 

 have to extrapolate on the basis of 3 months data. The EPA study 

 with respect to coral says you may not be able to see effects for a 

 year. So if you extrapolate on the basis of 3 months that would not 

 be very productive. 



Dr. Bolton. Fortunately, hard coral is not one of the problems 

 with which we are dealing in Georges Bank. 



Mr. Studds. We hope. 



Dr. Bolton. We hope. 



Mr. Studds. Unless we find something a year later we did not 

 see, right? 



Dr. Bolton. I think we know that there are not hard corals. 



Mr. Studds. We know they are not corals, we think we know 

 that. 



Dr. Bolton. To extrapolate from the discussion of hard corals to 

 Georges Bank benthos would be stretching it. 



Mr. Studds. We may be overextrapolating. 



Dr. Bolton. Yes. 



Mr. Studds. My concern I think is obvious. I think the law is 

 unusually clear. That prohibition is not obfuscated or couched with 

 too many conditions. It appears to me to be pretty much of an 

 outright prohibition in the case of insufficient knowledge. If our 

 scientific testimony has anything in common, even from agencies 

 which tend to be more innately benign with respect to the indus- 

 try, it is that we do not know effects, we simply do not know. We 

 do not even know in some cases, as I understand it, what it is that 

 we are permitting the discharge of, never mind what its effects 

 might be. I really do believe, and I realize this is a question that it 

 is not fair to pose solely to you, that someone, somewhere in that 

 agency is maWng essentially a political decision, whether or not to 

 permit a discharge, of what ought to be a scientific decision. The 

 scientific evidence, inasmuch as this layman can understand what 

 we have been presented with, is insufficient to answer those ques- 

 tions. When the law says that in that case one shall not grant 

 permits, somewhere a decision that is other than scientific is being 

 made to proceed in the absense of clear scientific data which would 

 allow us with confidence to answer those questions. Do you take 

 issue with that observation? 



Ms. CoMPTON. No, I do not take issue with that. I think the 

 agency shares your concern for areas of unique and biological 

 sensitivity. However, I feel that in areas that do not rise to that 

 level, we are able to make a reasonable judgment such as we did in 

 the general permits in the Gulf of Mexico. 



Mr. Studds. Right. But you also grant in the case of the re- 

 sources on Georges Bank it does rise to that level? 



Ms. CoMPTON. Yes, I think that is the general consensus. 



