Alexander, James P., Director, Department of Environmental Services, Environmental Health Administration, government of the District of Columbia; accompanied by James B. Robey, Director, Environ- mental Health Administration; and Arnold K. Clark, Chief, Bureau of Health Inspection Service_. Dugas, Julian R., Director, Department of Economic Development; accompanied by Lorenzo W. Jacobs, Jr.; William N. Dripps; H. Warren Stewart; S. J. Fusco; and Julian P. Green_-_ Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record by- Alexander, James P., Director, Department of Environmental Services, Environmental Health Administration, government of the District 629 657-659 Map indicating inspections throughout city----. (Exhibits Nos. 1-22 appear in part 1 of these hearings) (Exhibits Nos. 23-40 appear in part 2 of these hearings) Exhibit No. 41.-Memorandum of agreement respecting approval action 661 (III) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOOD INSPECTION AND LICENSING (Part 3) MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 1972 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to recess, at 10:05 a.m., in room 2203, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Wm. J. Randall (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Wm. J. Randall, Barry M. Goldwater, Jr., Charles Thone, and H. John Heinz III. Staff members present: Erskine Stewart, staff director; Jacob N. Wasserman, counsel; James L. Gyory, staff investigator; and Thomas H. Saunders, minority staff, Committee on Government Operations. Mr. RANDALL. The Special Studies Subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Operations will come to order pursuant to notice. This morning, our subcommittee is engaging in what could best be called followup hearings. You will recall in the latter part of July, for almost 2 weeks continuously, we held hearings on the food inspection and licensing program in the District of Columbia. I believe it is inaccurate to say that we are going to resume any extensive hearings. Rather, we are taking this look at this time to see what progress, if any, has been made preliminary to preparing our report. Let the record show that in September, we were privileged to listen to Mr. James P. Alexander, the new Director of the Department of Environmental Services. I was impressed by his sincerity and his determination to improve the situation. I think the early hearings unequivocally established the fact that the old program was, to say the least, far from effective. Inspection as it was then conducted, prior to our July hearings, seemed to have very little impact on improving the sanitation and safety of the food served or sold in the District of Columbia. At that time, we noted that there were licensing fees being charged which we felt were totally inadequate to pay the cost of the food inspection program. We felt also at that time, and I am sure the record will show that fact, that there were some organizational problems and policy and personnel problems that needed to be changed in the food inspection program. Let's put it this way: It is with some measure of gratification that those hearings may-and note that word, "may"-have resulted in some change. We felt that was true in September, and we hope that our hearings today will report further progress. Again speaking only for myself, it is our own judgment that the creation as of January 10 of the Bureau of Health Inspection Service places the food inspection program on an equal basis with other environmental problems in the city. That is something which we believe was long overdue. The real question, I guess, then, is whether these changes are, in and by themselves, sufficient to solve the problem. The other question is whether there are additional changes that still may be needed. Then I guess the third question would be, can we expect that this improvement will be continued and will be a lasting improvement after any focus of any congressional spotlight is no longer turned on food inspection practices. This subcommittee, I am sure, would not be holding these followup hearings if it were convinced that, with all the changes that have occurred, all of the problems of food and sanitation inspection had been completely ameliorated and all that yet has to be done is simply of minuscule importance. We believe that even as of now, the District of Columbia does not have adequate regulations to make its policy on numerical ratings legally effective. Nor has this new food inspection program-and of course, we have to give a little time to the creation of this new Department been helped by the task force report which concluded, if we can believe the report of one of the newspapers-I do not recall which that grade posting that is, posting of grades or inspection results, if you please should not be adopted. I can only again speak for the Chair and not the committee, but it is the hope of myself and certainly the staff that posting may be considered. And I say this because of some very happy experiences in the Southern States. We have talked to some of the members from the South and I am not sure it has ever been adopted there as to the national parks, but certainly as to the State parks of the Carolinas, with very happy results, posting of the inspection of the eating places in those parks. We still have some way to go in this business of issuing permits for alteration of premises for an eating establishment. Now, I am not suggesting that this is entirely the fault of the Department of Economic Development. And I assume the licensing is still over in the hands of the Department of Economic Development and the inspection in the Environmental Services Department. It is my further understanding that no change has been made in hospital food inspection which has for a very long time been conducted only on an annual basis. Now, in September at the one followup hearing which we had, we were told that this would be a part of Phase I in the changes to be made in food inspection program. There is no program for any kind of evening inspections, although the committee has not been shown that this is not necessary. Now, in these preliminary remarks, I have enumerated only a few of the subjects we will touch upon in the hearings. Let me emphasize again that this is simply a followup preliminary to the preparation of the report. The radio media have called and someone said, well, how would you characterize this? I said, well, we believe that if we call all of these heads to the Hill with such regularity, they are not going to be able to do their job. It is somewhat like the proliferation of visiting Congressmen who have gone down to Vietnam so often that some of the generals could not find the time to fight the war. So we are not going to call you people in. We want you to do your job. With that preliminary, we will turn to our witnesses. But prior to that, I want to welcome to the committee a new member, a gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Heinz. Mr. HEINZ. Thank you very much, Chairman Randall. It is a pleasure to be here and obviously, having had some familiarity with food and the aspects of food revolving around the restaurant business, I take a great interest in this hearing and the work of this subcommittee. I am pleased to be with you. Mr. RANDALL. Thank you very much. We have with us this morning Mr. James P. Alexander, who, in my judgment, at least, indicates his willingness, his sincerity, his dedication to the task ahead of him. We all wish him well. He has a big job ahead of him. I repeat, we hope that he has made some progress and we will listen to him at this time. Come in, Mr. Alexander. Mr. GOLDWATER. Mr. Chairman, would you yield for just a moment? Mr. RANDALL. I will be glad to. Mr. GOLDWATER. I think perhaps before Mr. Alexander begins, we should pause for a moment here to pay tribute to the outstanding citizenship qualities of Mr. Alexander and his fellow workers. Few people are aware, Mr. Chairman, of the fact that Mr. Alexander and other city officials led a team of volunteers through some of the worst areas of the District on a cleanup drive on Christmas Eve and then again on New Year's Eve. On their own time and during a busy holiday season, they took out the garbage trucks and made an effort to clean up neighborhoods where trash had accumulated. This dedication and self-sacrifice should not go unnoticed. People who would give up their major annual holidays in order to collect refuse are really rare indeed. I hope that I speak for everyone in this room when I say to you, Mr. Alexander, thank you, thank you for your efforts in behalf of the people of the District who needed your help. But I think even more important, thank you for restoring our faith in the essential goodness and civic feeling of the American people and their Government representatives. STATEMENT OF JAMES P. ALEXANDER, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; ACCOMPANIED BY JAMES B. ROBEY, DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION; AND ARNOLD K. CLARK, CHIEF, BUREAU OF HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE Mr. ALEXANDER. Thank you very much, Mr. Goldwater. Mr. RANDALL. Thank you very much, Mr. Goldwater. I join completely in those words of commendation. I am glad that you made that part of the record. |