522 
heard a lot of people suggest that we may do irreparable harm if 
we move it to a deeper site. 
Mr. HuGueEs. Can you complete your testimony, because we are 
going to start losing members who will be leaving for other com- 
mitments. 
Mr. Ricctr. I can stop right there. 
[The statement of Mr. Ricci follows:] 
PREPARED STATEMENT OF Rocco Ricci, CHIEF ENGINEER, PASSAIC VALLEY SEWAGE 
CoMMISSION 
My name is Rocco Ricci and I am the Chief Engineer of the Passaic Valley Sewer- 
age Commissioners. This agency is located in northern New Jersey and serves about 
1.3 million people, including 350 significant industrial users. These remarks, rela- 
tive to your hearing on the reauthorization of the Marine Protection, Research and 
Sanctuaries Act, are made in behalf of the six (6) ! large agencies serving the North- 
eastern metropolitan area of New Jersey. The total population in this service area 
amounts to about 3,300,000 people, or 45 percent of the population of the entire 
state. These wastewater agencies have historically disposed of their sludge in the 
ocean at the designated “12 mile’ site. Over the last several years, they have car- 
ried out extensive engineering studies relative to the development of land based op- 
tions. 
Our land based sludge disposal options and the current ocean disposal site on the 
east coast have their unique characteristics and problems; however, the manage- 
ment of the large quantities of sludge produced in the densely populated communi- 
ties on the east and west coasts of this country is still one of the major unresolved 
environmental challenges. The density of population, poor air quality, lack of large 
open spaces in most of these areas and the quantities of sludge produced present the 
responsible operating agencies with a limited number of viable options. 
My remarks reflect the perspective of one who has been involved in seeking a sat- 
isfactory solution to this immense problem since 1970 as an employee of the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department 
of Environmental Protection Agency, as Commissioner of the New Jersey Depart- 
ment of Environmental Protection, and now, with an implementing agency. 
We urge this committee not to adopt legislation which would preclude a thorough 
evaluation of the limited number of viable options that are available including man- 
aged ocean disposal. The most satisfactory solution to this major environmental 
problem cannot, in my judgement, be achieved if the use of any of the media (air, 
ocean or land) were to be removed from consideration by legislation which phased 
out or prohibited its use. 
A legislated phase-out or prohibition of managed ocean disposal of sludge would 
eliminate the opportunity to weigh the costs (both social and economic) and environ- 
mental consequences of the land based alternatives vs. the costs and environmental 
effects of ocean disposal. The National Environmental Policy Act requires this eval- 
uation for any significant action which will have an impact on the environment. 
Since the production of sludge must continue, the legislation should enable the most 
satisfactory solution, considering costs and environmental impacts, to be carried out. 
At this point in time, we simply do not know enough to establish the environmental 
effects and costs for the viable options. A great deal of work must still be done to 
scientifically establish the effects on the marine environment of managed ocean dis- 
posal. There are also significant gaps in our knowledge of the use of the land for 
ultimate disposal and incineration methods, particularly with respect to air quality 
impacts and ash disposal. 
There is a need to develop a well thought out strategy to fill in these information 
gaps, to undertake the necessary comparative evaluation and finally to implement 
the most cost effective solutions. Ultimately, there must be a trade-off with regard 
to the costs and environmental impacts of the two (2) viable options for our agen- 
cies, namely ocean disposal and some form of thermal destruction. Direct applica- 
tion to the land is not a viable option. Land areas with suitable geology are not 
available in the State of New Jersey. 
1 Bergen County Utilities Authority; Joint Meeting of Essex and Union Counties; Linden-Ro- 
selle Sewerage Authority; Middlesex County Utilities Authority; Passaic Valley Sewerage Com- 
missioners; Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority. 
