206 
STATEMENT OF HON. BILL CHAPPELL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA 
Mr. Cuarretu. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate this opportunity to tes- 
tify before this committee on proposed legislation to provide greater 
protection for our ecology by setting regulations on dumping in our 
coastal waters. 
The Fourth District of Florida, which I represent, is unique in that 
it stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on one side to the Gulf of Mexico 
on the other. The people of this district are exceptionally aware of 
the immediate damage that can be done to our great oceans through 
thoughtless dumping. 
Florida, ranking sixth in the Nation in the value of its fishing 
industry, depends heavily on our coastal waters for much of our 
supply. 
The volume of waste water poured into our waterways has soared 
by 600 percent during this century, much of it finding its ways to our 
once-clean and beautiful shorelines. When we realize that it takes only 
one-tenth of 1 percent of contaminated materials to kill fish by con- 
suming oxygen in the water, we can realize why millions of fish are 
dying each year. 
One noted ecologist has predicted that the oceans can become so 
completely polluted that the sea life could be absolutely destroyed. 
Our legislation, H.R. 18593, as well as similar bills before the com- 
mittee, are intended to protect our waterways and oceans from 
further pollution. 
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity of making this state- 
ment on behalf of this legislation and I am hopeful the committee 
will consider this bill, or one of the companion measures, favorably. 
Mr. Dincetu. Thank you very much. 
Now we will call upon the gentleman from New Jersey, Hon. 
Frank Thompson. 
STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK THOMPSON, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE 
IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY 
Mr. THompson. I want to thank you for this opportunity to testify 
before the subcommittee on H.R. 15829 and H.R. 17843. I want to 
commend you, Mr. Chairman, and your fellow members for your 
prompt action in scheduling hearings on this vital legislation. 
The bills pending before the subcommittee arise as a result of the 
revelation late last year that a considerable area of the coastal waters 
off New York Harbor had suffered severe ecological damage as a 
result of the dumping over a period of years of sewage sludge, in- 
dustrial waste, and other materials from the New York metropolitan 
area. This finding, contained in an interim report by the Sandy Hook 
Marine Laboratory, would appear to be valid. A final report from the 
laboratory should be available soon. But there seems little reason to 
doubt that substantial damage has been done as a result of this off- 
shore dumping and that the potential exists for even greater en- 
vironmental wastage. This conclusion has been reinforced by a re- 
port from Dr. Lionel Walford, director of the laboratory, that a 
