REAUTHORIZATION OF THE MARINE PROTEC- 
TION, RESEARCH, AND SANCTUARIES ACT, 
TITLES I AND II 
FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1982 
House OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANOG- 
RAPHY AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE 
CONSERVATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMITTEE ON 
MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, 
Washington, D.C. 
The subcommittees met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m., in 
room 1834, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. John B. Breaux 
(chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conserva- 
tion and the Environment) presiding. 
Present: Representatives Breaux, Hughes, Forsythe, Pritchard, 
Evans, Carney, and Schneider. 
Staff present: Howard Gaines, Darrell Brown, Mary Pat Barrett, 
Jeff Curtis, Dale Brown, and Barbara Wyman. 
Mr. BREAvux. The subcommittee will please be in order. 
This is the third and the last day of hearings on the Marine Pro- 
tection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, better known as the Ocean 
Dumping Act. 
Thus far we have heard testimony from the agencies which regu- 
late and conduct research on ocean dumping, environmental 
groups, marine scientists, and representatives of municipalities. 
Today we will hear from the American Association of Port Au- 
thorities and additional environmental, scientific, and municipal 
groups. 
I have been involved in this issue for a long time and it has 
always been my view that we must have a balanced, comprehen- 
sive approach to protecting the oceans and dealing with society’s 
wastes. 
We must consider all options, including ocean and land-based dis- 
posal, recycling, and incineration to insure that we minimize the 
risks to human health, welfare, and the environment. 
I share the concerns of those who fear that an “out of sight, out 
of mind” philosophy may indiscriminately jeopardize the marine 
environment, simply because ocean dumping is often the cheapest 
disposal alternative as well as being the most politically expedient. 
However, I believe that the current Ocean Dumping Act provides 
the basic framework necessary to provide a balancing of disposal 
options and ultimately the selection of the mode of disposal which 
best protects man and his environment. 
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