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that you can be present today. We are happy to recognize you for such 
statement as you choose to give. If you have any members of your 
staff that you would like to have sit with you at the committee table, it 
would be quite appropriate. 
STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD L. OTTINGER, A REPRESENTATIVE 
IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK; ACCOMPANIED 
BY JACK PEARCE, RESEARCH BIOLOGIST 
Mr. Ortinerr. I want to thank you very much. 
Mr. Chairman, I want to preface my remarks by expressing my 
gratitude to this distinguished committee for its leadership in meeting 
the very serious environmental challenges we face today. Time and 
time again this committee, and particularly its chairman, have shown 
unusual foresight and courage in exposing environmental abuses and 
proposing sound and effective programs for resolving them. 
i i of us concerned with preserving the quality of life are in your 
ebt. 
I am particularly pleased that this committee has taken up the issue 
of the appalling pollution of New York Bight. This is a problem of 
the utmost importance and one which existing governmental mecha- 
nisms have failed utterly to resolve. 
On February 8, more than 6 months ago, I released a report pre- 
pared by the U.S. Marine Laboratory at Sandy Hook, N.J., 
which exposed the existence of a genuine ecological catastrophy in 
the coastal waters of the United States. The report, based upon an 18- 
month study conducted by the Marine Laboratory described a 21- 
square-mile area at the mouth of New York Harbor less than 12 miles 
from the New York and New Jersey beaches which was, and I quote, 
“devoid of significant marine life.” In short, a virtual “dead sea.” 
The cause of this condition was and is clear. For more than 40 years, 
the area approximately 5 miles southwest of Ambrose Light has 
been used for dumping dredge spoil, sewage sludge and chemical waste. 
Over the years the volume of noxious material dumped in this area 
has been so great that it has exceeded the abilities of the ocean waters 
to cleanse themselves. 
One of my first actions when I presented this problem was to bring 
it to the attention of President Nixon. 
Mr. Kerru. Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. Drncetz. Mr. Keith. 
Mr. Krira. Did you amend your prepared statement and have a 
phrase following “sewage sludge” ? 
Mr. Orrinerr. Yes, I did. 
Mr. Kerra. Would you tell me what it was? I want to get it. 
Mr. Orrincer. Chemical waste. 
Mr. Kerru. Thank you, because I think this is a subject that has 
more recently come to our attention, and is probably a principal factor 
that has been overlooked. 
Mr. Orrrncer. I think one of the principal threats to human life 
from this coastal dumping comes from the heavy metals and other toxic 
