131 
STATEMENT OF BRIG. GEN. RICHARD H. GROVES, DEPUTY DI- 
RECTOR OF CIVIL WORKS, OFFICE, CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, DE- 
PARTMENT OF ARMY; ACCOMPANIED BY MARK S. GURNEE, 
CHIEF, OPERATIONS DIVISION, CIVIL WORKS, AND JOSEPH M. 
CALDWELL, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, COASTAL ENGINEERING RE- 
SEARCH CENTER 
General Groves. I am Brig. Gen. Richard H. Groves, Deputy Di- 
rector of Civil Works, Office, Chief of Engineers, Department of the 
Army. Iam accompanied by Mr. Mark S. Gurnee, Chief, Operations 
Division, Civil Works, Office, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, and Mr. 
Joseph M. Caldwell, Technical Director, Coastal Engineering Re- 
search Center. 
I appreciate having this opportunity to testify on H.R. 15828, 17603 
and 18454, bills concerning the discharge of sewage, sludge, spoil, and 
other waste into navigable waters of the United States and waters 
above the Outer Continental Shelf. 
H.R. 15828 relates to the area known as the New York Bight. It 
would require the Secretary of the Army, within 30 days after its 
enactment, to terminate any permit which he has issued authorizing 
the discharge of any sewage, sludge, spoil, or other waste into the 
waters of the New York Bight and waters within a 25-mile radius of 
the Ambrose Lighthouse. 
The bill would also direct the Secretary of the Army, acting through 
the Chief of Engineers, to study the methods by which the waters 
referred to above could be restored to their condition prior to the 
discharges which have been permitted, and the costs of these methods, 
and to report to Congress, with recommendations, within 1 year after 
enactment. 
H.R. 17603 is a much more comprehensive bill, which deals with 
the navigable waters of the United States, waters over the Outer Con- 
tinental Shelf, and the underlying lands. The bill would direct the 
Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Fish and Wildlife Serv- 
ice, to designate those portions of these waters and underlying lands 
where he determines sewage, sludge, spoil, and other wastes can be 
safely discharged. In designating such areas, he would be directed to 
consider all ecological and environmental factors, including the effect 
of discharging waste upon the marine and wildlife ecology. No desig- 
nation could be made of a discharge area until 2 years after enact- 
ment. In this 2-year period the Secretary of the Interior, in coopera- 
tion with the Secretary of the Army, would make a study of potential] 
discharge areas and identify those which are most suitable to be desig- 
nated as waste disposal areas. 
Discharge of wastes in areas so designated would be subject to stand- 
ards established by the Secretary of the Interior, to insure against 
pollution and damage to wildlife resources. The standards established 
would apply to the departments and agencies of the United States 
and of the States, including their licensees and permittees. 
The bill would also terminate all permits for discharge of wastes 
upon designation of discharge areas, to the extent that the permits 
