234 



This would reduce transportation costs to the 12-mile site as well 

 as the 106-mile site. 



Mr. McGouGH. That is right. The thermophilic digestion process 

 will be included in the new sewage treatment plants at Red Hook 

 and North River. Surely, reduction of the overall quantity reduces 

 the cost of transport if ocean dumping is one of the modes you are 

 using for disposal, certainly. 



The major point with respect to the environment of course is re- 

 ducing the solids and the contaminants. 



Mr. FoRSYTHE. As I understand it from the information I have, 

 your sludge is 3 percent solids, is that relatively accurate? 



Mr. McGouGH. Three to four percent solids is what our sludge is 

 usually, yes. 



Mr. FoRSYTHE. I believe a lot of other sludges are 4 percent and 

 above in terms of solids. 



Mr. McGouGH. You get a different consistency from different 

 plants based on different treatment and we have 12 sewage treat- 

 ment plants and that is why we have to give more or less a range. 



Mr. FoRSYTHE. Did I understand you to say that you are doing 

 dewatering in one plant now, that the two plants under construc- 

 tion will have it and that you will only proceed with further dewa- 

 tering when other plants are taken out of service and replaced? 



Mr. McGouGH. Yes; the process has been that — the process is 

 being developed and, Jim, you indicated 



Mr. Gift. The thermophilic digestion is the process that further 

 reduces some of your organic material and you end up with a 

 sludge of slightly higher solids content. I think what you refer to is 

 a separate dewatering process that would raise your percent solids 

 from 3 percent to maybe 10 or 12. 



The city has looked at that as an option if they were to go to the 

 106-mile site. That type of process would require construction of 

 dewatering facilities. When you look at the cost of the dewatering 

 facilities there is no cost advantage to dewatering if you are going 

 to 106. 



Mr. FoRSYTHE. The additional costs for dewatering eliminates 

 any savings in transportation costs, I take it. 



Mr. Gift. Yes, you are taking 3 percent solids out there, yes. 



Mr. FoRSYTHE. Throughout your testimony you indicated the user 

 fee should be calculated on the basis of the real cost of ocean 

 dumping and should be consistent with the findings of a multime- 

 dia assessment. 



How would you construct an interim fee system for a 3-year 

 period until the multimedia assessment is completed? 



Mr. McGouGH. Well, the city has always taken the position we 

 are certainly willing to pay our fair share of a multimedia assess- 

 ment of ocean dumping versus other alternatives as well as moni- 

 toring costs to the Federal Government. So that to the extent that 

 those items are what you refer to as the true cost of ocean dump- 

 ing certainly we think that fee structure along those lines would be 

 one that we would support and even advance. 



Our basic thesis is that scientific knowledge should be the basis 

 for what we do with our sludge. Whether it is to keep it at 12, 

 move to 106, put it on land or put it in the air. Therefore those 



