Maurice Hinchey: “Mr. Chairman, I am in earnest support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) because it…”

“Mr. Chairman, I am in earnest support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) because it would remove dangerous anti-environmental riders from this piece of legislation, as well as other aspects of the bill which would be very dangerous to the environment and very dangerous to public health. There is report language, as has been discussed already, in the bill which directs EPA to take no action which will utilize dredging as a remediation tool until a referenced National Academy of Sciences study has been completed and distributed and analyzed by all interested parties. That is an issue which will bring about very substantial delay in the remediation of many places that contain PCBs and other contaminants. The effect of this would prevent the EPA from dredging the Housatonic River of PCBs and will prevent the EPA from dredging the Hudson River of PCBs. And what will the effect of that be? The language in the report appears to be intended to promote indefinite delay. It does not tell the EPA to halt action until the NAS report is out; it orders delay until 'all interested parties' have had time to analyze it. The interested parties certainly include the polluters. In the case of PCBs in the Housatonic and the Hudson, that is the General Electric Company. General Electric favors a cheaper answer. GE analyzes every move EPA makes at great length.”