The Environmental and Urban Health Sciences Study Section, which includes educators and practitioners in disciplines related to solid waste management, provides the initial review of training grant applications. Training grant applications receive further review by the National Urban and Industrial Health Advisory Council prior to final action by the Environmental Control Administration.

DEMONSTRATION GRANTS

State, interstate and local agencies of government, and public and private non-profit organizations may receive grant support for demonstrations relating to the application of new or improved methods of solid waste collection, storage, processing, and ultimate disposal.

A proposed demonstration project may be concerned with any or all elements of a comprehensive system for solid waste management. The prime purpose of such projects is to demonstrate the feasibility, economic practicability, and safety of equipment, systems, or techniques which have not previously undergone thorough evaluation.

Support is available for projects designed to demonstrate new or improved techniques for recovering valuable materials and energy potentials as part of the process of solid waste disposal. Demonstration grant funds may be used for personnel, equipment, supplies and design and construction of facilities specifically related to the project. Recipients of demonstration grants are required to insure that all information, uses, processes, patents and other developments resulting from activities supported by grant funds will be made readily available to the public on fair and equitable terms. They must also furnish assurance that open dumping and open burning have been or will be abolished within the political jurisdiction where the demonstration is to be conducted.

Grant support is available to agencies responsible for solid waste disposal or authorized to investigate solid waste disposal problems and practices. These grants support studies and investigations which may lead to a demonstration of improved disposal practices or may provide solutions for regional or national solid waste disposal problems.

Studies and investigations for which grant support is sought must be coordinated with State or interstate solid waste management plans, where such exist, and grant funds may be used for personnel, travel, supplies, and related expenses of the project.

Demonstration and study and investigation grants are reviewed by a study group of solid wastes program personnel who evaluate the technical and administrative feasibility of each grant and make recommendations on the new and improved methods of solid waste management likely to result from a particular grant project. When considered necessary, outside consultants assist in technical review of the application.

This study group advises the chief of the solid wastes program who recommends action to the Commissioner, Environmental Control Administration, who in turn has final responsibility for approval or disapproval of solid wastes program demonstration grant applications. Federal funds may be used to support up to two-thirds of the total cost of demonstrations or studies and investigations.

PLANNING GRANTS

Grants to support surveys of solid waste disposal practices and problems and to develop comprehensive plans may be awarded to State and interstate agencies which have been designated or established as the sole agency responsible for such State or interstate planning.

Grant funds may be used for personnel, equipment, travel, supplies, and related expenses. The applying agency will be expected to show that information concerning all aspects of the solid waste disposal problem-including those of urban, rural, industrial and agricultural origin-gathered during a grant-supported survey will be sufficiently detailed and comprehensive to form the basis for a feasible and orderly plan of solid waste management.

Planning for which grant support is requested should embrace:

(1) Short- and long-term goals and program objectives relating to enactment and strengthening of legislation;

(2) Financing and staffing the State and/or interstate agency responsible for solid waste management;

(3) A data collection system to gather and evaluate information on solid waste problems and devise means of dealing with them;

(4) Recognition of the vital relationship between solid waste management and such fields as public health, air and water pollution control, and urban planning;

(5) Recognition of the inherent advantages of regional programs of solid waste management;

(6) A mechanism for State assistance to local agencies within the State;

(7) Continuing programs of public information and education to assure understanding and support of Government solid waste management efforts;

(8) Appropriate attention to the potential for salvage, conversion and utilization of solid waste materials; and

(9) The setting and enforcement of standards for the design and operation of solid waste management facilities and equipment.

REGIONAL PLANNING

State and interstate planning grants are reviewed by a study panel of solid wastes program personnel who evaluate the technical and administrative feasibility of each grant and make recommendations on the planning and organizational feasibility of each application.

This study panel advises the chief of the solid wastes program who recommends specific action to the Commissioner, Environmental Control Administration who in turn has final responsibility for approval or disapproval of solid wastes program and interstate planning grants. Federal funds may be used to support up to 50 percent of the total cost of State and interstate planning for solid waste management.

SOLICITED RESEARCH

In addition to the four grant programs already mentioned, we also have a program for supporting research by contracts. Solicited contracts are reviewed, drafted and proposed by the solid wastes program

for approval by the Environmental Control Administration. Unsolicited contract proposals are being submitted increasingly as more and more firms are developing a technical and competence in solid waste technology.

PATENT POLICY

Any patentable inventions developed with the use of Federal funds accrue to the public interest with the inventor signing all rights over to the public. Before awarding any grant, the Department is advised of any patent commitments of the applicant organization in writing. After completion of the grant, the grantee organization notifies the Department of any inventions resulting from the project and for determination of ownership, patent protection, and the rights of the invention.

We have had a number of applications worthy of support, which were withdrawn upon notification of patent policy. We sincerely hope that development will continue in a private basis, for we need many new weapons in our environmental conflict.

We have never encountered any antitrust difficulties in our contracts. Competition in the solid waste industry is very keen; at the present time, we feel that there is very litle possibiliy of a dominant group being formed.

I appreciate the opportunity of presenting this information before the subcommittee.

Senator RANDOLPH. Thank you, Mr. Vaughan.

BEVERAGE CONTAINERS

We were discussing the matter of disposal of beer cans. We are preparing to report S. 3201 from the Committee on Public Works. This is the Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendment of 1968.

In the report we are preparing to send to the Senate, we have said— Although it is difficult to ascertain how much packaging material turns into litter, the litter bug will have considerably more ammunition at his disposal within the next decade.

Considering beverage containers alone, it has been estimated that the consumption will increase from 30 billion units-that is a nice term, "unit"; the can in 1966 to 63 billion units in 1976. While in 1966, eight beverage containers out of every 100 were returnable, by 1976 only three out of every 100 will be returnable.

The same period per capita consumption of beverage containers will have risen from 155 units per year to 285 units. This represents nearly a doubling in container use in 10 years.

While beer consumption is not a matter of record; beer can disposal is a matter of record as I have mentioned it. Is this not just an indication in many cases of the thoughtless attitude, isn't it, Mr. Vaughan, of Americans? They use something that is packaged and then the container in which it has been packaged is thrown away anywhere.

Mr. VAUGHAN. Yes. I do appreciate your concern, Senator, on this issue. It concerns me very much and all of our staff.

We have recently completed a comprehensive survey of the packaging. We don't think that we should sit idly by and let these statistics that you are quoting necessarily come about. That part of our responsibility is to develop alternative methods so that perhaps you won't have

this many disposable containers to throw away or that if we do we will have effective means for coping with them other than throwing them on the ground or other than overloading incinerators or using up land prematurely.

We are working cooperatively with the packaging industry, itself. I, frankly, feel that the industries that have spent large amounts of money in research in developing new packaging materials and disposable containers should spend more of their research resources in developing better methods of either disposing of them after use or reducing the amount of such material.

This is the kind of approach we are using to try to encourage them as an industry to realistically face up to their responsibilities. They just can't forever create problems for the country without helping to solve them.

Senator RANDOLPH. Thank you, Mr. Vaughan. Thank you very

much.

Dr. Weinberger.

STATEMENT OF DR. LEON W. WEINBERGER, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Dr. WEINBERGER. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to appear before you to discuss the management effort in research activities concerning waste disposal.

Our environmental problems involve air, water, and land pollution, along with the accompanying interfaces, and that in many instances there is no easy or recognizable line of demarcation among these areas. Research management for each of these areas would be similar, as has been indicated by my colleagues, Dr. Middleton and Mr. Vaughan. However, I shall focus specifically on water pollution control.

LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

Recognizing research needs in the 1961 amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Congress indicated its intent that the Federal water pollution research program be accelerated. The amendments direct the Secretary to undertake research in three specific areas the development and demonstration of:

1. Practicable means of treating municipal sewage and other waterborne wastes, and to restore and maintain maximum amount of our water at a quality suitable for repeated reuse;

2. Improved methods and procedures to identify and measure effects of pollutants on water use, including those pollutants created by new technological developments; and

3. Methods and procedures for evaluating the effects on water quality and water uses of augmented streamflows to control water pollution not susceptible to other means of abatement.

Implementation of the water pollution control program again was facilitated through congressional passage of the Water Quality Act of 1965 and the Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966. Both of these acts amended the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

The 1965 amendments provided for research and development grants and contracts to assist in the development of projects for the solution of a specific water pollution problem. The projects are to demonstrate new or improved methods of controlling the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage or other wastes from sewers which carry storm water or both storm water and sewage or other wastes. The 1966 amendments provided for research and development grants to assist in the development of projects demonstrating advanced waste treatment and water purification methods, and improved methods of joint treatment for municipal and industrial wastes.

The act also provided research and demonstration projects in the prevention of pollution of waters by industry, including, but not limited to, treatment of industrial wastes. In the 1966 amendments, programs dealing with specific water pollution problems were called for. There is water pollution control legislation currently pending before the Congress. The Senate has passed legislation relating to lake pollution, acid mine drainage, and oil pollution. Again, programs dealing with specific water pollution problems would be authorized.

PROGRAM ELEMENTS

There are a number of necessary items before one can have an effective water pollution control program. These elements consist of:

1. Adequate and reliable data on sources of pollution and the effects of pollutants on water quality and water uses;

2. A strong overall program effort based on sound scientific and engineering principles and experience backed up by research and development competence;

3. A strong enforcement and water quality standards compliance effort;

4. An effective comprehensive planning and management activity, including the continuing development and upgrading of water quality standards;

5. Financial resources to install the necessary pollution control systems; and

6. Competent manpower.

I, of course, do not intend to minimize the importance or role of research and development; however, we should recognize that many of the water pollution problems facing our Nation today can be alleviated by the application of existing technology. In fact, in the immediate future, the most significant progress will be made in this way.

Through research and development, we will find solutions where none now exist; we will better define the effects of impurities on water uses; we will improve the effectiveness of available solutions; and we will reduce the costs of waste treatment systems.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

The research program of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration is directed primarily to the solution of water pollution problems.

In planning our research, a major task is to establish priorities of research within available resources and the directives provided by