95 
A SEPARATE FEE SYSTEM WOULD RECOUP THE COSTS OF RESEARCH, SITE 
DESIGNATION, MONITORING, AND SITE MAINTENANCE FROM THOSE PERMITTEES WHO 
OCEAN DUMP. THE TOTAL YEARLY PROGRAM COSTS WOULD BE ALLOCATED AMONG 
THE PERMITTEES ON A PER TON BASIS- JHE FEE MIGHT BE DETERMINED IN THE 
FOLLOWING WAY: THE AGENCY WOULD PROJECT COSTS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL 
YEAR- EXISTING PERMITS WOULD BE REVIEWED TO ESTIMATE TONNAGE FOR THE 
FOLLOWING YEAR- A STANDARD COST PER TON FEE WOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO 
RECOUP PROJECTED COSTS AND CHARGED TO ALL APPLICANTS DISCHARGING IN THE 
FOLLOWING YEAR- AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THE ACTUAL COSTS AND TONNAGE 
WOULD BE CALCULATED AND APPLICANTS WOULD BE EITHER REIMBURSED OR 
ASSESSED ADDITIONAL CHARGES DEPENDING ON ACCURACY OF PROJECTED COSTS 
AND TONS DUMPED DURING THE YEAR- USER FEES WOULD MAKE OCEAN DUMPING 
PERMITTEES INTERNALIZE THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF OCEAN DUMPING: 
Mr. D’Amours. Thank you, Ms. Hurd. We are going to suspend 
now because of a series of six suspension votes scheduled on the 
floor of the House. This committee will recess and we will get to 
the questioning after we return. We will recess until 5 minutes 
past 11. 
[Recess taken. ] 
Mr. D’Amours. The subcommittee hearing will resume. We 
thank you for staying with us, Ms. Hurd. 
I have a few questions to start the questioning. You have advo- 
cated in your testimony a simple reauthorization of the law, but it 
is becoming pretty clear that existing law is open to a number of 
interpretations. 
Don’t you think that it would be helpful if Congress established 
some clarification of, for instance, how the weight of economic con- 
siderations ought to be taken into consideration in determining un- 
reasonable degradation? 
Do you think that is clear today, and do you think that your cur- 
rent system does that? 
Ms. Hupp. I believe so. In section 102(a) of the bill in the existing 
legislation, there are nine different factors to be considered in de- 
termining unreasonable degradation, and most of those deal with 
environmental factors. 
As we are looking at managing this program, economics is not 
the major decision point. There is no question that it is a secondary 
factor in making decisions. 
It may come into play more when we are looking at comparable 
different types of disposal options that have about the same type of 
environmental impact. 
Mr. D’Amours. Well, how about weighing environmental consid- 
erations? How do you weigh the environmental considerations to 
