Frank Pallone: “my point again is that with regard to the San Diego situation, we understand that under current law you can apply for…”

“my point again is that with regard to the San Diego situation, we understand that under current law you can apply for this waiver, and we have every reason to believe that you will get the waiver. I would disagree with the gentleman from San Diego in his statement that the language of the bill in just granting the waiver outright allows at some future time for this waiver to be taken back. I do not see the ocean monitoring program as providing for that. Leaving that aside, the point of the matter is that this legislation opens up a lot of other waivers, for LA, for a lot of other different towns. The letter that we have--and the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Harman] presented today from the EPA--actually says that that is not scientifically based. I understand the arguments that are being made by the San Diego people, but I think it is distinct and they have opportunities for a waiver. There has been no evidence presented that there is any scientific basis for any of these other waivers.”