99 
Mr. Scuatzow. To respond on some other portions of the staff 
draft—— 
Mr. D’Amours. You will have to do that in answer to some other 
member’s question because I have just been advised that my time 
has expired. 
Mr. Forsythe. 
Mr. ForsyTHE. I yield to the gentleman. 
Mr. Breaux. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. For- 
sythe, for yielding. I apologize. I have to leave at 11:40. 
Thank you for your testimony. We have been working on this 
problem for an awfully long time. I have been impressed recently 
with some of the studies that I have been informed of and have 
heard discussed by some of the members of the scientific communi- 
ty regarding the effects of ocean disposal of sewage sludge. 
I am also familiar, and I have looked at, the report of the Na- 
tional Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere on ocean 
dumping. In that report, they say that the EPA policy that no 
ocean-dumping permit will be issued when any land-based alterna- 
tive exists should be reversed. I agree with that. 
I know that there are a number of universities that have looked 
at this problem which also take the same position. I would like to 
have, Ms. Hurd, your comments on both NACOA’s suggestions and 
also some of the university reports. 
Ms. Hurp. All right. We do support the NACOA report. Of 
course, we have been evaluating a number of the scientific evalua- 
tions that have been done. 
The disposal of sludge is a major problem. Look at where we are 
today in this country. I think that we have to examine every dis- 
posal option that we have, but to preclude the use of the ocean, and 
at the same time a number of our incinerators have been shut 
down because of their emission problem, and then we look at land- 
base alternatives where more recently we recognized that we have 
problems in that area—there have been some proposed interim reg- 
ulations that have come out in the last couple of years for the dis- 
tribution and marketing of fertilizers from sludge—many of the 
municipalities would have to eliminate that as an option. 
Land-fill capacities are becoming very short in volume. There- 
fore, at this point in time, a number of the communities in this 
country have tremendous volumes of sludge, and they must be 
dealt with. 
We recognize when we come out with our guidelines and do our 
evaluations, we need to look at managing that problem in looking 
at each case-by-case decision as to what disposal option would have 
the minimal impact on the environment. 
We have to look not only at oceans, but we have to look at some 
of the evaluations of land and air as well. 
Mr. Breaux. Are you familiar with the work that Scripps and 
Woods Hole have done on the subject? 
Ms. Hurp. Tudor has. 
Mr. Davies. Yes, sir. 
Mr. BrEAux. What were their recommendations? 
Mr. Daviss. Their recommendations, I think, are to use the as- 
similative capacity of the ocean if we can show that we do not have 
unreasonable degradation resulting from that action. 
NOCIIMENT LISRARY 
ak Be ph vheea hb NY ; Ta eer, raw 
Ho fh Sot BE RE 
thes § 
epic imSiuiuuen 
