123 
mony in support of the two bills before this subcommittee which I 
have cosponsored, H.R. 18913 and H.R. 18914. 
These bills were introduced because of the problems which resulted 
from the disposal in the Atlantic Ocean of lethal nerve gas by the De- 
partment of the Army. 
Although because of misleading statements by some which had the 
effect of creating near panic in some areas, the disposal pointed out 
the urgent need for a complete reappraisal of our policy in such mat- 
ters and the need for reinforcing procedures for the future disposal 
of other gases and other possible pollutants into domestic and inter- 
national waters. 
Our Nation has at long last become crucially aware of its environ- 
ment and it is necessary that we enact the strongest possible safety 
measures to prevent the need of such methods of disposal of biological, 
chemical, and radiological warfare agents in the future. Passage of 
these bills, H.R. 18913 and H.R. 18914, would require the Department 
of Defense to fully inventory such items and to determine safe disposal 
dates and the means, and to thereafter submit such data to the Council 
on Environmental Quality for certification. 
These bills would also place in this same category of regulation the 
acquisition and ultimate disposal of munitions. 
I sincerely hope that the subcommittee will consider these bills in 
the light and response to the need to authorize the Council on En- 
vironmental Quality to require the inventory and regulation by the 
Department of Defense of such dangerous and polluting items. Time 
for action by the Congress is, in my opinion, essential and urgent. 
Iam grateful to the members of this subcommittee for the expedient 
manner by you on your handling of these measures which, by the way, 
are cosponsored by 80 Members of the House from both sides of the 
aisle, in a bipartisan effort to secure our future generations from un- 
necessary contamination. 
I wish to thank you for your favorable consideration. 
Mr. Dineetu. Thank you Congressman, for a very enlightening 
statement. 
I see the distinguished gentleman from Hawaii, the Honorable 
Spark Matsunaga, here today. Congressman, would you like to ad- 
dress the committee at this time ? 
STATEMENT BY HON. SPARK MATSUNAGA, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF HAWAII 
Mr. Matsunaga. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, 
I am grateful for this opportunity to appraise you of my views on 
H.R. 19018 and related bills, which would require the Council on 
Environmental Quality to investigate fully our national policy re- 
garding the discharging of material into the oceans. j 
I congratulate the subcommittee on its expeditious scheduling of 
these hearings, while our memories are fresh of the dumping of 
nerve gas containers into the Atlantic in August. No one knows more 
accurately than the members of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries 
Committee how unsatisfactory were our alternatives at that time. 
The Army disposed of almost 70 tons of lethal GB nerve gas just 
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