and Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment will join with us in 

 developing a proposal that will bring about an improvement in the water quality of 

 this severely degraded area, and bring about a phaseout of harmful ocean dumping. 

 Thank you. 



Mr. Hughes. I know I speak for my colleague from New Jersey, 

 Mr. Forsythe, I thank the subcommittee for promptly scheduling 

 this hearing. Ocean dumping has been one of our major concerns, 

 at least in the 9 years that I have been in the Congress. It is an 

 issue that creates probably as much frustration for my district as 

 any issue. 



The bight has become a literal cesspool. Recent studies by the 

 DEP indicate that we are seeing serious traces of PCB's in certain 

 types of fish. 



We have a major commercial fishery that is at risk because of 

 what is occurring in the bight. We have a major tourist industry 

 that will be directly impacted if we continue to pollute this area at 

 the rate of 7.2 million tons a year. 



I look forward to hearing the testimony today on a number of 

 proposals that are floated to deal with this in a comprehensive 

 fashion. 



Mr. Chairman, I again thank you and look forward to working 

 with you and my colleagues from the adjoining States who share 

 my concerns over the impact of ocean dumping on our area. Thank 

 you. 



Mr. D' Amours. I thank the gentleman for his comments and for 

 his brevity. We will now recognize the gentleman from Maryland, 

 Mr. Dyson. 



Mr. Dyson. Mr. Chairman, I, too, would join with my colleague 

 from New Jersey and thank you for holding this hearing today. I 

 think there is no issue more controversial for our tourist industry 

 and we are just down the coast, a little south of the gentleman 

 from New Jersey. 



If the New York Bight is closed and I join my colleague from 

 New Jersey on many occasions in attempting to do that, there is no 

 other alternative, probably, but to go to a site off the coast of Dela- 

 ware which would jeopardize, in my opinion, the nearly $1 billion a 

 year business that we have at Ocean City, Md. 



I don't want to see that. That is why about 2 weeks ago, in a 

 markup of the full Committee of Merchant Marine, I supported an 

 amendment by my colleague from Delaware, Mr. Carper, who will 

 probably explain that rather thoroughly before that hearing is over 

 today. 



I welcome the EPA here, these individuals are not totally unfa- 

 miliar to me. I saw them a couple weeks ago in Ocean City when 

 we were debating the question of incinerator ships. Thank you for 

 holding these hearings, I think they are well and meaningful. 

 Thank you. 

 Mr. D' Amours. Mr. Carper. 

 Mr. Carper. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Although I have been a member of this committee for a short 

 time, I think the tenor of the hearing is quite different from the 

 past several years. We will receive testimony focusing not on 

 whether or not sewage sludge should be dumped in the ocean, but 

 on where and how this dumping should occur. 



