530 
dertaking of the Federal Government with strong support from the 
university sector would be your recommendation? 
Mr. GOLDBERG. Yes, and the industrial sector. 
Mrs. SCHNEIDER. And the final point that I would like to make, 
rather in the form of a question, although my colleagues have 
raised this point, but I certainly don’t want to be one to let it slip 
by—that we recognize that scientists tell us time and time again 
that there are only—underline only—trace elements of one pollut- 
ant or another in one kind of fish or another. 
I think that what is of concern to us—and the term that you had 
used was “‘assimilative capacity’—is that we as lawmakers, having 
listened to testimony on various things, whether it be ocean pollu- 
tion, air pollution, or preservatives in our food, and recognizing the 
broad spectrum and the large number of perhaps trace contami- 
nants that human beings are exposed to, we can’t but be of the 
opinion that perhaps they are not responsible for poisoning, as you 
use the term, in Minamata Bay, but perhaps what this is contribut- 
ing to is a slow death. 
Needless to say, we have seen significant increases in cancer. We 
have seen significant increases in a multitude of different types of 
chemical pollutants, many we have not even been able to under- 
stand or identify yet, and one would only assume that the synergis- 
tic impact of all these chemicals in various parts of our environ- 
ment would have a negative effect. 
Do you not think that it is more responsible for us as lawmakers 
to err on the side of caution than to say well, a trace metal here or 
a trace metal there, is OK? 
Mr. GOLDBERG. I can’t disagree. 
Mrs. SCHNEIDER. Thank you very much. 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. HuGues. Just two short questions. Is there a Pnceraction 
problem in the bight right now? 
Mr. GoLpBERG. There is. 
Mr. HuGues. Any question about that? 
Mr. GoLpBERG. I think there is no question that the bight is pu- 
trefying. 
Mr. Hucues. Mr. Ricci, how would your authority feel about a 
provision in the legislation that would put the responsibility for 
any danger to the dumping area on the dumping authority? 
Mr. Ricct. I don’t believe I am really in a position to answer that. 
Mr. Hucues. Maybe you will want to take that back to the au- 
thority, because I am probably going to introduce an amendment. 
Mr. Ricc1. That is a rather far reaching amendment. 
zane HuGues. My fishermen in my coastal areas think it is a good 
idea. 
Thank you very much. We appreciate your testimony. 
Mr. Hucues. Our final panel today consists of Mr. D. W. Ben- 
nett, the executive director of the American Littoral Society, and 
Dr. Daniel Pindzola, principal engineer, Franklin Research Center. 
Gentlemen, we have your statements, which without objection 
will be made a part of the record. We would appreciate it if you 
would summarize. In fact, I am going to have to slip out because I 
have a group that is waiting for me and have been waiting for 
sometime now, and my colleague, Mr. Forsythe, will chair the bal- 
