129 



Dr. Bolton. No; it is possible to do a technically sound quantita- 

 tive assessment, but not if the bulk of your studies are based on 

 submersibles or less rigorous analytical tools without doing benthic 

 sampling and analysis. 



Mr. Breaux. I take it you do not agree with the California Lands 

 Commission study? 



Dr. Bolton. I do not think I have all the information upon which 

 to base the decision. 



Mr. Breaux. You sound like you do not like it. 



Dr. Bolton. That is possible, personally I may not like it. 



Mr. Breaux. Oh, boy. 



Secretary Andrews — I would like to make this part of the 

 record — in response to hearings held in the other body with regard 

 to the disposal of drilling muds in particular, referred to studies 

 and about the number of studies that we had and the number of 

 monitoring programs that we already have. And they say that a 

 task force was convened, a biological task force was established in 

 October of last year and it has been meeting regularly and that 

 that task force has developed a program of monitoring and re- 

 search which directly tracks the provision of the legislation they 

 were considering in the other body. And he states further, "Neither 

 EPA nor Interior is allowing any activity on the OCS which pre- 

 sents foreseeable significant adverse impacts to fisheries or any 

 other resources." 



Ms. CoMPTON. I am sorry, I was somewhat confused. On what do 

 you want our opinion? 



Mr. Breaux. Well, the Secretary in a letter to members of the 

 committee in the other body who were considering legislation to 

 change the procedure in which drilling fluids are held, particularly 

 at the Georges Bank area, the Secretary said in a written letter to 

 the Senate he felt the bill that they were considering adds nothing 

 to the authorities which are already in place. He says a biological 

 task force identical to the one that the bill called for was estab- 

 lished in October of last year and has been meeting regularly. The 

 task force has developed a program of monitoring and research 

 which directly tracks the provisions of the legislation and he says 

 decisions on permanent conditions for the control or discharge of 

 drill fluids and cuttings under the Clean Water Act are being made 

 regularly in frontier areas by EPA. "Neither EPA nor Interior is 

 allowing any activity on the OCS which presents foreseeable sig- 

 nificant adverse impacts to fisheries or any other resources." 



Ms. CoMPTON. Yes; I am sorry, I understand your question now. 

 The agency does agree with the Secretary's letter and feels that 

 there is adequate legislation and authority available to us to regu- 

 late water quality with regard to oil drilling rigs and that with the 

 activities and assessments that we are making, we have enough 

 authority right now to protect those areas. 



Mr. Breaux. What would EPA's position be, as to whether EPA 

 or industry or someone has to prove that the drilling muds that are 

 used in drilling operations would in no way be harmful before 

 Government regulates that activity? What I am trying to find out 

 is what is EPA's feeling on where the burden should lie before 

 regulations are established? 



