33 



Dr. 0^\^:x. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Hollings. The next witness is Dr. Bostwick H. Ketchum, 

 associate director. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 



Dr. Ketchum, we welcome you to the committee. We are g'lad to have 

 you. We have a copy of your statement, and it will be included in 

 the record in its entirety; you can do it that way, or you can sum- 

 marize it. 



STATEMENT OF DR. BOSTWICK H. KETCHUM, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, 

 WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION 



Dr. Ketchum. First, let me say it is a pleasure to have this oppor- 

 tunity to speak to you on this subject, since I have been deeply con- 

 cerned with this problem for a period of 25 yeai-s, and before ecology 

 became a household word. 



There is an advantage to being the third speaker in a morning ses- 

 sion, because much of what is in my written testimony has already been 

 covered by Dr. White and Dr. Stever. So I think it is unnecessary to 

 give it in detail, but I would like to highlight some of the points that 

 I tried to make. 



Senator Hollings. Very well. 



Dr. Ketchum. It is encouraging that Dr. White's summary of the 

 critical pollutants is the same as mine, although he did not mention 

 domestic pollutants. 



Senator Rollings. You did not collaborate ahead of time ? 



Dr. Ketchum. Xo, we did not. 



There are three things which make these particular pollutants of 

 critical importance in the marine environment. 



The first is the total quantity in which they are produced, and the 

 amount which might be expected to reach the environment. 



The second is the toxicity of the ix)llutant to marine organisms and 

 to man if it will reach him in his seafood. 



And the third is the persistence of the pollutant in the environment. 



Our knowledge on all of these subjects is incomplete, sometimes 

 with regard to all three of these essential characteristics of pollutants. 



For example, production statistics are frequently considered to be 

 proprietary information which industry will not make public. This 

 makes it difficult or impossible to make a materials balance analysis 

 of the flow of the substance through the environment, an analysis 

 which is essential if we are going to evaluate the impacts of different 

 pollutants. 



Senator Hollixgs. Would you recommend to the committee any 

 change in the laws as a result of the inability to obtain this informa- 

 tion considered proprietary ? Is it occurring in an increased amount, 

 and such as to constitute a public problem, or public concern, or rather, 

 from your experience, should that proprietary information remain 

 proprietary ? 



Dr. Ketchum. In terms of the total amount, I think it should be 

 public information. There are hundreds of new chemicals being pro- 

 duced every yeai". We do not know, necessarily, what they are or what 

 their impact on the environment will be. 



The only law that I know of which allows full disclosure of this in- 

 formation is in terms of the FDA. which makes it available provided 

 it is to be used for human consumption. 



