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My bill sets that date as January 1, 1976. 
We arrive at that date via a three-stage timetable which will require, 
first of all, primary treatment for all discharges by January 1, 1972. 
The second step requires primary and secondary treatment by January 
1, 1974. And then, by January 1, 1976, all sewage and industrial waste 
is required to be treated by primary, secondary, and tertiary processes. 
I think this can be the most important step this committee and this 
Congress can take in beginning to get at the other pollution problems 
of this Nation. What we presently have is setting quality standards all 
over the Nation in a haphazard manner, and we are authorizing and 
licensing pollution. We say you can pollute up to a certain level. Like 
right now in the mercury situation. 
I saw they agreed to let a company pollute up to 1 pound of mereury 
a week. This gets to be absurd when we know there should be no mer- 
cury thrown into the waterways. We know the effect. We know it is bad. 
This bill now begins to get at this problem. I think until we take this 
step we are not even going to begin to clean up the pollution in this 
~ Nation. So I would say, Mr. Chairman, that the present law only gives 
sanction and legal permit to pollution at an existing level. This is 
not good enough, and J am very hopeful that this committee will now 
take the necessary action to really begin to clean up the waterways of 
this Nation. 
I thank the committee for its attention. 
Mr. Drncetu. Mr. Rogers, I want to commend you for a fine and very 
carefully thought out and helpful statement. The Chair is well aware 
of your work in environmental protection and I wish to commend you 
for your leadership here today and at other times. 
Mr. Pelly 
Mr. Peuiy. Mr. Chairman, I just want to join in complimenting our 
colleague, Mr. Rogers. As always he is out in the forefront in the fight 
against the pollution of the environment. We know when he appears 
before our committee he is carrying on the crusade in which he en- 
gages continually, and as a member of this committee I certainly wel- 
come him here today. 
Mr. Roecers. I thank the gentleman for his remarks. 
Mr. Dincett. Mr. Downing. 
Mr. Downrne. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
As a long time friend and colleague, I know Mr. Rogers is one of 
the national leaders in this field. He has been doing a splendid job and 
I think he has made great accomplishments toward solving this prob- 
lem. 
As I take it, your bill would not be restricted to the governmental 
agencies but would include the private agencies as well. 
Mr. Rocers. This is correct. This would be all-encompassing as to 
setting deadlines as to dumping in the waterways. I think this is the 
only way to approach it. 
Mr. Downine. Just the other day we were notified through the press 
that one of our agencies in Tidewater, Va., planned to dump 200,000 
gallons of oily refuse, which they have been doing on an annual basis 
for some years. ‘ 
Under present law, what will they have to do now to get permis- 
sion to do that ? Would you be in a position to comment on that ? 
