Document Qk2g56rmGKD7KobxGJV7Gyz86

FOR IinEDI*'1** rE7.r^E TUESDAY, MAY 20, 1060 CONTACT: SUSAN BAFFA 202-225-6282 DREDGING HEARINGS CONTINUE Washington, D.C Congressman John :i. Murphy, Chairs** of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, announced today that * second day of hearings will be held by the Committee on the problem of dredge spoil disposal in the ocean. The hearings will be held in Room 1334 Longworth House Office Building, on Wednesday, May 21, 1930, at 9:30 a.m. - Mr. Murphy explained that, "The New York-New Jersey area recently experienced substantial difficulties la obtalalag permits for t';* .'.`'T'os&l of sediments dredged from tbe New York Harbor aad adjacent sre*a. This threatens the Port of New York with closure as harbor dredge materials cannot be disposed of In the ocean because of the high concentrations of PCBs. Such a determination was made from the bioaccunulatlon tests required by the Corps of Engineers and tbs Environmental Protection Agency for obtaining a dredglsg permit. Such tests are used to indicate the potential environmental aad human health impact arising from dredge spoil dumping. "However," Mr. Murphy remarked, "It has become apparent that there Is a great deal of controversy surrounding the validity of these nee tests for accuratsly predicting risks. Minimising environ mental aad human health risk la obviously a prime consideration la tbe evaluation of permits for ocean dumping of dredge spoils, hot It doss not maks ssnse to sndanger the Port of Nee York when deci sions are based on tests of questionable validity. My concern la that the present decisions on dredging permits are arbitrary and not based on a logical sequence of steps, well founded on tbs best scientific aad technological data available," Mr. Murphy said. "Moreover, it is difficult to conceive hoe this situation was allowed to grow to the crises proportions It did." HONS 01*197 - more - 2-2-2 Prior to the first set of hearings held by the Merchant Marins and Fisheries Committee on this issue on March 14, 1080, approxi mately fifteen applications for permits were being held in abeyance in the New York area. Since then, SPA and the Corps of Engineer scientists have Improved the methods to Interpret bloaccumulation data. These methods and the overall validity of bloaccumulation testing will be examined at the hearings tomorrow. The hearings will also examine the scientific and technical issues associated with the dumping of contaminated dredge spoil in the ocean. Panels of scientists from state and Federal governments industry and academia will address four major questions: 1) what in the environmental impact from ocean dumping of contaminated dredge spoil; 2) what is the risk to human health from such dumping 3) what are the best testing methodologies for predicting impact from ocean dumping; and 4) what are the viable alternatives to pre sent ocean dumping practices for disposal of contaminated dredge spoil. **** MOWS 014198