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an impossible mix that we do not know how to handle. If we are 
purifying at the source, we would end up with a sludge that would 
be inert and harmless, because the vast tonnage of this material is 
harmless. The problem is that it is mixed up with toxins. 
Mr. Breaux. We appreciate your being with us and your help 
and assistance and your recommendations. 
Mr. D’Amours. The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Forsythe. 
Mr. ForsyTHE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
I also thank you very much, Captain, for being here to present a 
detailed presentation on what is a serious problem for our society. 
You spoke of various international conventions and specifically 
mentioned the London Convention. You said that some had good 
lists and some bad. I am wondering, with respect to the London 
Convention, whether you agree with the annex I and annex II 
lists? 
Captain CousTEAu. Not necessarily, because the London Conven- 
tion was on purpose very vague in its terms, and I think they were 
right to do so at the level of the state of the art then. They are 
going to meet again in February of next year, where one of the 
purposes is to be more specific about these lists and to update 
them. I do not say that they are going to solve all the problems in 
February of next year. But they are going to add to our knowledge 
by gathering information from all those countries which contrib- 
ute. I think it would be wise not to lift a finger before we know 
better, and February 1983 is not that far away. 
Mr. ForsyTHE. You discussed in your statement the very serious 
problems encountered by the cities. I am not sure the waste dispos- 
al problem is limited to cities. In my area of South Jersey we have 
very sensitive water aquifers that are very close to the surface and 
disposal of any kind of waste can quickly find its way into our 
water aquifer. This is not the only area. I know my colleague from 
Long Island also has a problem in that they are almost totally de- 
pendent upon surface water aquifers. Would you care to comment 
on this problem and whether there is a need for our being very 
cautious in what we do there as well in terms of forcing any kind 
of land disposal? 
Captain CousTEau. I am not familiar with the nature of the 
products you are mentioning, and I can only express an opinion 
when I know better. But anything that is stable and toxic should 
be isolated from humidity and water. It should be kept in complete 
dryness. 
The reason for this is that, after all, we are water animals. We 
are made of water. We are eating and drinking food and drinks 
that are made of water. We are depending heavily on the quality of 
the water system. It boomerangs to us every time we make a 
mistake. 
It is a new situation, relatively new, because even at the begin- 
ning of the industrial era in the past century, the quantities were 
minimal compared to what we are doing today. The awareness of 
the problem is a recent one, and we are facing a new problem that 
we do not yet know how to solve, whether in river dumping or 
ocean dumping. 
This is an opportunity for me to restate what I have already 
said. There is not water pollution, air pollution, and land pollution. 
