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THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL 
We support the creation of an independent Commission -- 
with the Section 102 sewage sludge permittees given a voice in 
the nomination of one of three Commissioners -- that would have 
a well-defined charter to conduct "gap-filling" research in this 
area, as well as oversight responsibility over NOAA's and EPA's 
research efforts in ocean waste disposal. We have tried to 
pin down the actual Federal budget for this research, but the 
budgetary process makes this a near-impossible task. We do 
not believe that the total Federal effort in research applicable 
to ocean utilization and disposal of sewage sludge is more than 
$2- to $4 million, and we cannot support a budget for the pro- 
posed Commission in excess of $2 million per year or for more 
than eight to ten years for the Commission to do its work. We 
have been in constant consultation with the staff of the Merchant 
Marine and Fisheries Committee on this proposal, and we will 
continue to work with your staff as the idea continues to evolve. 
This concludes my prepared statement. I will be happy to 
try to answer any questions you might have. 
