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nor, Pierre S. du Pont, and Delaware's attorney general, Charles 

 Oberly. 



Governor du Pont's views could be considered expert testimony; 

 while serving as Delaware's lone Member of the U.S. Congress in 

 1972, he was a member of the committee which wrote the Marine 

 Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act. 



The aforementioned elected political leaders were reflecting the 

 concerns of all of us in Delaware. The quality of Delaware's coastal 

 waters, beaches, and wetlands is vital to our economic and personal 

 well being. 



The dumping of sewage sludge in the Atlantic Ocean involves 

 three sites. The EPA proposes designation of the 106-mile site off 

 Delaware's coast for sludge dumping over a 5-year period. In addi- 

 tion, New York City and six northern New Jersey sewage authori- 

 ties have petitioned the EPA to redesignate a 12-mile site and a 60- 

 mile site, both off the New Jersey and New York coasts for sewage 

 sludge dumping. The 12-mile site has been used for that purpose 

 for many years. 



The 1980 environmental impact statement on the 106-mile site 

 said that the feasibility of municipal sewage sludge disposal at the 

 106-mile site is a special case and that "the only reasonable long- 

 term solution for disposal of harmful sewage sludge is by means of 

 land-based processes." In view of that statement, I urge the EPA to 

 insist that New York City and northern New Jersey sewage au- 

 thorities make every possible effort to find land-based means of 

 sludge disposal. 



It is technologically and financially feasible to process and dis- 

 pose of wastes on land. What is required is a consistent national 

 policy and a national goal to avoid adding to the pollution of the 

 oceans and estuaries. 



Delaware has already made such a commitment. Although Dela- 

 ware could have requested permission to dump waste materials in 

 the ocean, it did not. Delaware has established a land-based treat- 

 ment system to assure that the ocean environment is not affected 

 by residual waste disposal. 



We have spent nearly $65 million to construct the Delaware rec- 

 lamation project. This facility has the capability of processing 1,000 

 tons of solid waste per day and 350 tons of sludge per day from the 

 metropolitan area of Wilmington, Del. 



This land-based reclamation system is easily monitored not only 

 by plant officials, but also by the regulatory agencies of the State 

 and Federal Governments. Should there be some future indication 

 that this land-based system of disposal needs improvement or cor- 

 rection, there will be ample time and opportunity to do so. Not so 

 in an ocean environment. 



New York City and New Jersey could design similar systems 

 that would dispose of solid waste and sludge in a cost-effective 

 manner. In Delaware, the average family will pay approximately 

 25 cents per day for sewage sludge and solid waste disposal. For 

 that price, our residues are disposed of using environmentally safe 

 methods and without the threat of harm to the land or ocean envi- 

 ronment of neighboring States. 



Delawareans are not alone in taking responsible steps to avoid 

 ocean dumping. Philadelphia has found alternatives, too. If we can 



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