174 



Mr. Lenxox. How many hearings or days of hearings have been 

 held bv the Interior and Insular Affairs House Committee on this bill, 

 H.E. 4832? 



]Mr. QuARLEs. To the best of my knowledge, hearings have not been 

 held on this bill yet. 



Mr. Lenn-on". In fact, they have not been scheduled. ISTo adminstra- 

 tion or agency witnesses have appeared, much less the 32 States, coastal 

 and Great Lakes States, which are involved. 



I loiow, sir, that you must be advised of the strong position taken 

 by the 32 States which are involved through their Coastal States 

 Organization. They have appeared before this committee in their 

 official capacity, speaking for those 32 States. 



I am sure that you must have heard that the National Legislative 

 Council representing the legislatures of the general assemblies of the 

 50 States have appeared before this committee and have testified, and 

 you must be familiar with the fact that the national — not just the 

 eastern or the western or the northern or the southern Governors 

 conference, but the national — Governors conference has expressed 

 by resolution its approval of the approach that we are taking. 



You agree with them, you say we ought to wait, but we cannot 

 believe that we ought to wait. 



I cannot perceive of the likelihood, certainly in a period of 6 to 10 

 years, that you can convince the States how they should bring under 

 one umbrella the coastal zone areas and estuaries and the inland areas, 

 with States like my own, which runs from the mountains to the sea, 

 two ranges of mountains and yet 222 miles of coastline. 



It is a critical situation in these coastal areas involving shellfish of 

 all kinds, as well as the propagation of other types of fish. 



I do not think we can wait. I think the administration ought to 

 take a position. Having recommended specifically what Ave have here, 

 they now turn around and say, "Well, we had better wait." 



If they could say wait 24 months, 2 more years, yes, but, sir, it 

 will be longer than that. It will be m.uch longer than that. 



Comisel has questioned witnesses who have appeared before this com- 

 mittee to suggest some type of language that could be put in this bill 

 which would recognize the ultimate desire for a Department of Natural 

 Resources, and I think it would be the consensus of most of the mem- 

 bers of this committee that that is where it ought to be, if we come 

 to that point in time. 



But I cannot overlook the fact that we have been actually involved, 

 and if it had not been for the activities of many members of this com- 

 m-ittee, we would not be at this point in time. 



Now, you state on line 7, page 3, and I quote : 



One of the most important tools which we could use to protect the environment 

 is a system which would enable us to evaluate actions which may cause pollution 

 before they occur, rather than after the fact. 



"\Vell, now EPA has the authority in its research program, as well 

 as its monitoring program and its licensing and permit system, to make 

 studies to determine what should be done in order to protect the envi- 

 ronment and to evaluate actions before they actually take place. Do 

 they not now have that authority ? If I read the basic act correctly, and 

 the structure of it, I think you do. 



