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recognized in determining our course of action. Doing as you have 
suggested immediately has a cost. We are not ready yet to accommo- 
date the cause of action that you recommend be adopted immediately. 
The Federal Government 1s moving, perhaps not fast enough, and 
certainly not fast enough for you, but they are cognizant of these very 
problems, and they recognize the need to move as expeditiously as 
possible. bale i 
I know this firm, American Thermogen. It is in my contituency. 
‘They are working hard to come up with some of the solutions to the 
problems which you have recognized here and which this committee 
has recognized, but we are not ready now to just stockpile this stuff. 
You would have us immediately cease the dumping of all of this 
wastage in the New York Bight and adjacent areas. 
Supposing that Governor Rockefeller said today, “There will be no 
more dumping of waste into New York Harbor.” 
Mr. Orrincer. He hasn’t got the power. Governor Cahill asked that 
that be done. 
Mr. Kerr. Suppose he did have the power and supposing he did 
do it. What would happen to that cesspool that is suddenly stopped ? 
What would happen to the situation ie 
Mr. Orrrycer. For years the Governor has been giving lip service. 
Mr. Kerry. Wouldn’t the situation be comparable to what hap- 
pened when they halted garbage collection in New York? 
Mr. Orrrncer. No. The suggestion we are making is that the New 
York area and the other units of government that are involved in 
the dumping of sewage sludge and chemical waste into coastal waters 
move to build high temperature incineration to handle the industrial 
waste and to remove the toxic substances and harmful substances from 
sewage sludge in use for agricultural purposes. In the interim these 
materials be dumped further out into the ocean 
Mr. Kerrn. Can they do that now ? 
Mr. Orrrineer. (continuing). Where they will be less harmful. There 
is a price. There is no question about that, but the public has shown 
consistently that they are far ahead of officials in willingness to pay 
that price. 
Mr. Kurrn. Have you any idea what that price would be? 
Mr. Orrrncer. There is also a price in failing to act, and the price 
can be catastrophic, as it was in the Gulf of Mexico and as it was in 
Santa Barbara, where they had to close down the recreational areas. 
That is the price that I think the public will really be unwilling to 
pay. I can’t give you a dollars and cents figure. 
Mr. Kerru. May I say with reference to the Santa Barbara Channel 
that I filed legislation several years ago to clear that area and other 
area sanctuaries, with the wilderness concept applied to the sea, 
and the price then was considered too great for the administration, 
which was by your party. 
Mr. Orrrnenr. This certainly is not a partisan matter. The Johnson 
administration, under Secretary Udall, licensed the drilling of oil off 
of Santa Barbara, knowing full well the risks that they were taking, 
and I was just as critical then. 
Mr. Kerr. Even as the Johnson administration found it impossible 
or did not choose to act in granting the authority which you ask for 
in this legislation, the Nixon administration is now concerning itself 
