10 



Mr. D' Amours. Mr. Ehler, I regret having to interrupt you when 

 I did. It was at a rather important part of your testimony when I 

 had to interrupt you, but the voting machines wait for no one. 



You had just testified that there were two basic reasons for your 

 position, the second of which was a decision to cease dumping at 

 the 12-mile site would help to upgrade the quality of the bight 

 waters, sediments, and biota, which I think is a very important 

 statement. 



Would you pick it up from that point? 



Mr. Ehler. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I will. 



A decision to discontinue dumping at the 12-mile site should give 

 due consideration to complex environmental, legal, economic, and 

 jurisdictional factors. If it is determined, however, that some 

 degree of improvement in the environmental quality of the New 

 York Bight is the overriding consideration, then, in our view, 

 moving the sludge to the 106-mile site is the preferred alternative. 



Disposal of sewage sludge at the 106-mile site can probably be 

 conducted with little or no permanent harm to the marine environ- 

 ment and its resources or to human health. Preliminary studies in- 

 dicate that wastes disposed at the 106-mile site would be dispersed 

 quickly and effectively, with little probability of permanent impact 

 on either commercial fishery or other ocean resources. 



The studies also indicate that wastes should not wash up on the 

 shores of adjacent mid-Atlantic States. However, the long-term ef- 

 fects of ocean disposal on deep ocean benthic organisms are gener- 

 ally unknown and, therefore, it must be monitored carefully. 



Studies of the possible longer term impact of sewage sludge dis- 

 posal should be continued, and a realistic monitoring plan devel- 

 oped jointly by NOAA and EPA prior to such dumping at the 106- 

 mile site. We have already agreed to make such an effort if the de- 

 cision is reached to initiate sewage-sludge dumping in that area. 



In sum, restoration or at least significant improvement of envi- 

 ronmental quality in the New York Bight is a realistic and desir- 

 able goal. Valuable though a long-term, comprehensive plan for ac- 

 complishing this goal would be, we don't have to await its develop- 

 ment before conditions in the bight could be improved. If ocean dis- 

 posal of sewage sludge is to be continued, then available data show 

 that use of the 106-mile site is environmentally preferable to con- 

 tinued use of the 12-mile site. Continued ocean dumping research is 

 of utmost importance, as is development and implementation of a 

 monitoring plan for the 106-mile site if sewage dumping is initiated 

 there. 



Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared remarks. My col- 

 leagues and I will be glad to respond to the committee's questions. 



[The statement of Mr. Ehler follows:] 



