presence, but I am going to now ask and recognize other members 

 who may have hopefully brief opening statements. 



Mr. Hughes. Mr. Chairman, if I may. 



Mr. D' Amours. Mr. Hughes. 



Mr. Hughes. Mr. Chairman, I have a formal statement which I 

 will not read. I will just, if I may, with the subcommittee's permis- 

 sion, put it in the record. 



Mr. D' Amours. That will be appreciated. Without objection, so 

 ordered. 



[The statement of Mr. Hughes follows:] 



Statement of Hon. William J. Hughes, a Representative in Congress From the 



State of New Jersey 



Mr. Chairman: I am pleased that you have scheduled today's hearings to address 

 the complex issues associated with the continued ocean dumping of sewage sludge in 

 the New York Bight. 



As you know, in 1977, this committee reported out legislation calling for a com- 

 plete cessation by December 31, 1981, of ocean dumping that unreasonably degraded 

 the marine environment. Despite the enactment of that legislation by nearly unani- 

 mous votes in the House and the Senate, ocean dumping in the New York Bight 

 apex continues off our coasts. Each year we delay in resolving this issue, more than 

 7.5 million tons of sewage sludge is barged to an area 12 miles off the coast of north- 

 ern New Jersey and dumped overboard. 



There is no doubt that New York Bight is one of the most severely degraded 

 coastal areas in this country and clearly deserves the special attention of Congress. 

 NOAA scientists have testified before this committee that sludge dumping in the 

 bight apex has altered benthic communities in an area 240 square kilometers 

 around the apex site. In addition, EPA scientists have gone on record saying that 

 sludge dumping in the bight apex has resr'ted in "significant" degradation to the 

 area. 



Recent studies by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection point 

 to the fact that unacceptably high levels of PCBs are beginning to show up in sever- 

 al species of fish taken from coastal waters, including striped bass, white perch, and 

 bluefish. NOAA indicates that fm rot, gill erosion, skin tumors, parasite infesta- 

 tions, microbial infections, chemical contamination, and developmental abnormali- 

 ties are rampant in fish and shellfish inhabiting this area. 



Clearly, the bight apex has reached its capacity to assimilate the tremendous 

 amount of pollutants coming into the area, not only from ocean dumping but from 

 other sources as well. Ocean dumping is just one part of a very large problem which 

 also involves pollutant inputs resulting from runoff, industrial discharges, and the 

 release of untreated sewage into the Hudson-Raritan estuary. In order to assure the 

 overall improvement of water quality off the New York and New Jersey coasts, we 

 will have to address these other sources as well. 



The time has come for this committee to make a commitment to address the ad- 

 dress the very severe problems in the mid-Atlantic region. Terminating sewage 

 sludge dumping at the 12-mile site is absolutely essential if we wish to see an over- 

 all improvement in the water quality of the New York Bight apex. In addition, we 

 must begin to lay the foundation for regional planning in order to meet the area's 

 waste disposal needs and to insure an overall improvement in water quality off our 

 coasts. 



Among other things, the committee will today explore several proposals aimed at 

 ending ocean dumping off the New Jersey shore and developing a comprehensive 

 plan to achieve water quality improvements in the New York-New Jersey coastal 

 area. In order to develop acceptable longterm alternatives to ocean dumping, it may 

 also be necessary to implement "ocean disposal" fees which would help the munici- 

 palities in developing new technologies and facilities to help solve their waste dis- 

 posal problems. 



Local, State and Federal coordination coupled with regional planning is essential 

 to solving these complex problems. I believe that if we can get beyond the question 

 of whether ocean dumping should be allowed to continue indefinitely at the 12-mile 

 site, we can begin to solve these more complex problems. 



Congressman Forsythe and I have made a commitment to work with the State of 

 New Jersey and others in working toward a resolution of this controversial matter. 

 I hope you and other concerned members of the Subcommittees on Oceanography 



