594 



Mr. Da VIES. I very much welcome your endorsement of the 

 MERL facility. I am former director of the Narragansett lab, and 

 part of the skin of my back went to keep that facility going at one 

 stage. 



I agree with you that we should strongly endorse the cooperative 

 research that can be done. It is a very unique facility in the world, 

 and EPA has supported this facility to a very high level over the 

 last few years. 



We are now trying both through the Office of Water and through 

 the Office of Research and Development, we are trying to diversify 

 that support now and have very much welcomed the participation 

 of Sandia and the Office of Radiation Programs in that activity, 

 and I of welcome your endorsement of it, because it is the only 

 place I think where we have the ability to replicate the marine en- 

 vironment, and we have tried to use it for ocean dumping research. 



Thank you. 



Mr. D'Amours. And you anticipate that your parent agency and 

 the administration will continue funding this work? 



Mr. Da VIES. Yes, sir, at a lower level than we funded it in the 

 past. In past years, it has been funded at about a $1 million level a 

 year. It went back, on an EPA basis, to $800,000 a year, but as you 

 know, with inflation, that causes problems. 



But we have managed to get Mellon Foundation money. Office of 

 Radiation Programs has added to it, and Energy money, so that we 

 can increment it back to perhaps somewhat its former level. 



Mr. D'Amours. What do you think would be needed to get it 

 back to its former level? 



Mr. Davies. About $2 million a year. 



Mr. D'Amours. Thank you. 



My 5-minute period has obviously expired. Are there any further 

 questions from other members? 



Mr. Sunia, do you have any further questions? 



Mr. Sunia. I want to make a brief comment. 



Mr. D'Amours. You have 5 minutes to make a comment or ask a 

 question. 



Mr. Sunia. I get back to this South Pacific convention. I gather 

 from you, that until such time as real hard-core evidence is collect- 

 ed and put together, it will be difficult to really decide the future 

 course. 



My concern is, that we are placing the burden of proof on those 

 small island nations, island countries in the South Pacific. We are 

 really placing the whole question in a difficult position, because I 

 think they have neither the capability or the sort of intelligence 

 gathering systems necessary at this stage to produce the evidence 

 that we need. 



So, we may be depending on something that will not produce, 

 and, therefore, we, ourselves are unable to really develop a solid 

 position. 



That is the comment I wanted to make. Thank you, Mr. Chair- 

 man. 



Mr. D'Amours. Mrs. Boxer? 



Mrs. Boxer. One last question, which is a rephrasing of one I 

 made before to the EPA. 



