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With the dumping of polluted spoil from our rivers, lakes, and coast- 
al areas, we have often compounded the injurious effect of these 
poisons by destroying vita] habitat in marshes and wetlands. 
We have not yet reached the point of economic and technologic 
feasibility for nonpolluting manufacturing processes and complete 
recycling of used material. Until we reach that point, our concern 
for the environment may best be expressed by adopting the principle 
of this bill allowing disposal of prescribed polluting substances in 
specified places. If we cannot eliminate pollution, we can manage it 
to allow the least possible damage to the environment. 
Mr. Dincrtxi. The subcommittee values your fine statement and we 
thank you for your time. 
A very able gentleman who used to sit on this committee from the 
State of Texas, our colleague Bob Casey. 
STATEMENT OF HON. BOB CASEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS 
Mr Cassy. Mr. Chairman and distinguished colleagues, I join in 
expressing my personal thanks to you for your expeditious hearing on 
the bill I have had the pleasure to cosponsor with my friend, Repre- 
sentative John Murphy of New York. 
I commend him, as I do all of you, for the leadership shown in 
moving to protect our most vital resource—our marine environment. 
New York is not alone in facing the critical problem of abuse of 
our coastal waters. We, along the gulf coast, know only too well that 
action must be taken, and soon, to prevent the abuse of this great body 
of water. The facts cited by my colleague grimly show the callous 
disregard out Nation has shown over the past decades and immediacy 
of the need for protective legislation at the local, State, and Federal 
level. He has shown the seriousness of the problem as it applies to his 
great State of New York. I take this opportunity to submit facts ap- 
plicable to our own area and the great Gulf of Mexico, the ninth 
largest body of water in the world. 
Few people realize the enormity of the problem we face with the 
Gulf of Mexico, for it is the dumping ground for pollution carried 
by river drainage from 31 of our States. Our five coastal States— 
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—have 17,141 
miles of tidal shore—18 percent of the U.S. total. In Texas, almost 
three-fourths of our population live within 50 miles of the gulf, and 
I’m sure the same is true of many of our sister States. In fact, between 
the years of 1950 and 1966, the population of our five Gulf Coast States 
increased 40 percent, and I know the rate of growth is continuing to 
accelerate as new industries seek to locate along the gulf’s advanta- 
geous shoreline. 
The gulf is a vast reservoir of natural resources for our Nation, 
much of it still relatively undeveloped. But these facts are known: 
nearly 31 percent of the U.S. fish catch in 1968 came from the gulf. 
More than 80 percent of our Nation’s oil and gas sales comes from 
this region, and it is estimated that 60 percent of the U.S. Continental 
Shelf petroleum reserve lies under gulf waters. There are 33 separate 
