1.C 73:93-20 93-1 OFFSHORE MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT OF 1973 HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE NINETY-THIRD CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON S. 80 TO AMEND THE PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY ACT OF Case, Hon. Clifford P., U.S. Senator from New Jersey. Moody, O. William, Administrator, Maritime Trades Department, AFL- Roth, Hon. William V., U.S. Senator from Delaware__. Williams, Hon. Harrison A., Jr., U.S. Senator from New Jersey--- Hallman, Robert M.; Eldon V. C. Greenberg; and Peter Borelli, on behalf of the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks and Conservation Association, Environ- MARCH 12, 1973 Eberle, Edward R., chairman of the board of directors, Public Service Electric & Gas Co.; accompanied by John Betz; John MacDonald; Fred Prepared statement-- 149 Ramey, Hon. James T., Commissioner, Atomic Energy Commission; accom- panied by Mr. Giambusso, assistant director of licensing; and Mr. Prepared statement_ 135 Cafiero, James S., State senator, New Jersey, letter of March 9, 1973----. Chitwood, R. H., chairman, Seadock management committee, Seadock, letter of March 29, 1973.......... Energy, Oil, and the State of Delaware, article__ Fay, James A., and James J. MacKenzie, article_-_ Read, W. B., president, Loop Inc., letter of March 1, 1973– Seigel, Max H., article in the New York Times.......... The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m. in room 5110, New Senate Office Building, Hon. Ernest F. Hollings presiding. OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR HOLLINGS Senator HOLLINGS. Good morning. Today the Commerce Committee begins the first of three hearings on the subject of offshore artificial structures and the need for their regulation and control. The committee has before it a bill which deals with one aspect of this wide-ranging subject-the environmental considerations. S. 80 was introduced by myself and was cosponsored by Chairman Magnuson together with Senators Kennedy, Roth, and Stevens. The bill's purpose is to coordinate the full evaluation of potential impact on our marine environment which might be caused by the construction of large-scale offshore artificial structures. Presently, there is no single federal agency charged with responsibility of closely examining what might occur environmentally should a deepwater port, nuclear powerplant, or airport be built, and then certifying that all possible precautions have been taken to protect our ocean resources. Safety of navigation is an additional concern dealt with in the bill. Let me state one thing quite clearly at the outset. S. 80 does not purport to be an overall, broad picture approach to the multitude of problems and questions raised by plans to build artificial structures offshore. I believe the bill does, however, establish a point of beginning, a base to expand upon, as this very important national issue develops. Policy formulation is just now getting underway. The actual erection of these structures is still in the future. With these preliminary hearings, the Commerce Committee is preparing itself for a broader look later on at the entire question. In particular, the committee will be looking closely at the relationship of the recently enacted Coastal Zone Management Act, Public Law 92-583, to the regulation of these types of developments. This important new law should prove quite useful in motivating Staff member assigned to these hearings: James P. Walsh. |