ator Murphy has said, I am sure it will mean a great deal to us in our future deliberations.

Senator MUSKIE. The Senator is younger than any member of this subcommittee with the possible exception of Senator Tydings.

Senator DOUGLAS. I appreciate these testimonials. I wish to give assurance I will make no improper use of them. Thank you very much. Senator MUSKIE. I think it is appropriate that we should end this morning's list of witnesses with one of the Senate's most vigorous spokesmen, Senator Morse.

Senator Morse, we welcome you.

STATEMENT OF HON. WAYNE MORSE, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OREGON

Senator MORSE. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, it is a great privilege to testify before this subcommittee.

Man is becoming so numerous and his influences on his environment so profound that he cannot consider himself free to heedlessly or improvidently exploit the air, water, land, and growing things of this earth. He no longer lives under the constant threat of a wilderness, but, instead, is changing his environment and, therefore, must plan for its conservation and development. With advances in his civilization man has learned how to increase the fruit of the natural environment to insure a livelihood. The main problems which now threaten his future are (1) large-scale, catastrophic warfare; (2) providing sustenance for a rapidly increasing population; (3) waste disposal and environmental change accompanying the discharge of matter into the atmosphere, open waters, and subterranean spaces." These words I have just read were from "Weather and Climate Modification, Report of the Special Commission on Weather Modification, National Science Foundation, December 20, 1965." I think these words epitomize very well the objectives of the committee and the legislation that it is considering.

Your hearings go beyond the consideration of one major item on the domestic legislative agenda that of pollution control. They deal with a major threat to the future of the human race, namely, that the quality of life on this planet will be impaired beyond the prospect of restoration by the sheer weight of the refuse of civilization.

Mr. Chairman, in the 3 years since your subcommittee was appointed, you have developed sound legislation in the fields of water pollution, air pollution, and solid wastes. But that is not the extent of your contribution. You have performed an invaluable educational role through your exhaustive hearings here and in other parts of the country, and through your lucid, well-documented report.

Senator RANDOLPH. May I interrupt at this point? You will forgive me later, when you know why I am doing it, Mr. Chairman. You, Senator Morse, were speaking of an educational role. There are in this room today students from Salem College listening to your testimony. It is my alma mater. You have been honored by that institution with a degree. I would like the record to reflect that these

students from Salem College are here in the room today while you are testifying. They are here attending hearings of various committees attempting to inform themselves on matters of public importance. Senator MORSE. I appreciate that honor very much. You know, Senator Randolph, I have a suspicion that I am testifying last in the hearing this morning for two reasons. First, because you wanted to have me in the presence of those students who, after all, are alumni or soon will be alumni with me of the great Salem College; and second, because I also think the wisdom of this chairman manifested itself to see that I would testify last so that others would not be interfered with. To proceed with my statement, gentlemen, the late rise in public concern about the poisoning of the environment is in no small part the result of your work.

It is my privilege to join you and 46 of our colleagues in cosponsoring your bill, S. 2947, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in order to improve and make more effective certain programs pursuant to such act. The President has given strong leadership in the battle to preserve our water resources. In addition, I am pleased to observe the imaginative new approaches proposed in the administration bill before you, S. 2987. I am confident that this committee, with its characteristic legislative craftsmanship, will report legislation which harmonizes any minor differences in the bills and puts the vital weapons of each of them into the fight for clean water.

S. 2947, your subcommittee bill, provides the weapons of steppedup research, a special research effort in advanced waste treatment and water purification and in the development of compatible joint treatment systems for municipal and industrial wastes, more help for the States in strengthening their water pollution control activities, and an expanded program of Federal grants for the construction of urgently needed municipal waste treatment works.

The importance of the provisions of S. 2947 cannot be underestimated. This bill offers us hope the promise of the first step in the almost superhuman efforts which are requisite if we are to achieve a start in fulfilling our needs in secondary treatment of our water supply. S. 2947 would authorize a substantial initial appropriation as the first step to achieve a $20 billion program for secondary water treatment by 1972. And that is not false economy, may I say to the committee, by way of a brief digression. I don't have to tell the committee that we of our generation are trustees, as you have heard me say so many times in my speeches on conservation in the Senate. We just happen to be the trustees of God's gifts of these natural resources to our people and its land. As trustees, we have to carry out an obligation. I speak with sadness in my heart when I say for too long in the past we have been delinquent trustees. We have done a pretty poor job of leaving a legacy of protected and improved natural resources to the generations to follow us. I would have the committee remember that, of course, no civilization can ever climb on a falling water table or on polluted water.

Just take a look at a lesson of truism in the history of mankind. Whenever a civilization anywhere in the world has permitted its

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water level to go down or has permitted its water to become polluted or has fallen victim to its negligence in taking care of its trusteeship of God's natural resources, that civilization goes down, too.

There are areas in America today where the water table is falling and there are many areas in America, today where this precious lifegiving resource from God-water-is becoming polluted. I really do not know-and I do not speak by overstatement but by understatement-I really do not know of any issue facing us, as far as protecting the domestic future of this Republic, that is of more importance than the responsibility concerning the issue before this committee.

I want the chairman of this subcommittee and its members to know that I think that you are to be highly commended for your statesmanship. This is really statesmanship when you seek to carry out a trusteeship. Anything I say further in this brief statement is based upon that major premise from which I have always worked as a Member of the Senate, namely that we are trustees of our natural resources.

When I have been making my pleas, and sometimes, you know, with pretty vigorous and sometimes vicious opposition from selfish interests in this country that are willing to make a profit out of exploiting these natural resources, I have acted on those issues from the standpoint of this major premise. Whatever I say this morning in this testimony, I want to stress that everything I say is based on that major premise. The health of our Nation and the health of future generations of Americans is closely related to the availability of an abundant supply of pure water. Obviously industry throughout the country has a great stake in assuring ample quantities of clean water.

S. 2947 removes the dollar limitation on each project so that funds will be available to do the job adequately, on a matching basis. I am particularly pleased, Mr. Chairman, over the 10 percent economic incentive which is offered to encourage the States to cooperate with the local governments in providing matching funds for the construction of treatment facilities.

Ob

By the year 2000, which is just around the corner of tomorrow, there will be less water available and the demands of our population and our industrial economy will have multiplied many times over. viously we need research and we need it promptly in the field of reuse. of industrial and waste water. This bill meets that need in that it would authorize $25 million per annum for a 5-year period for research in advanced waste treatment. No better use, in my opinion, can be made of the Federal taxpayer's money.

S. 2987, the administration bill, proposes a new assault on pollution, the target being whole river basins, from their source to their mouths. The establishment and enforcement of water quality standards, comprehensive planning, a permanent organization and sound financing will be required of the recipients of the special Federal assistance offered through the clean rivers demonstration program. Other provisions of the administration bill would further strengthen the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, a law most recently amended by the Water Quality Act of 1965. I want to make particular mention of proposals to undergird the enforcement authority: An action could

be taken on Federal initiative in the case of intrastate pollution of interstate or navigable waters, a step which now requires the invitation of a Governor. Under this bill, court action, if necessary, is an intrastate case, could be taken without his consent.

Indeed, I point out another truism; that these gifts from Heaven were not given to our people on the basis of State boundaries. They were given to the people of the country irrespective of what State in which they live. I think this feature of this bill is very important, because it is going to break down, I think, some of the blockages that have existed in the past when a provincial or State attitude has been taken in regard to resources that don't belong to the State at all but belong to all the people of this Republic.

There is a proper Federal concern in the purity of all interstate and is navigable waters, and I support this proposed change in the law. The findings of a hearing board, the second step in an enforcement action, would be given greater weight in a court action taken to abate pollution, the third and final step. Court relief could be sought in an emergency, and could avert threatened pollution as well as halt actual pollution. Natural resources and significant scenic and recreational values, as well as the health or welfare of persons, could be given the protection of the law for the first time. The subpena, a fundamengtal regulatory power, inspection authority and a nationwide registration of waste discharges, would be added to the arsenal.

You have other bills before you, and I especially commend to your favorable consideration S. 1479, to establish a program to decrease detergent pollution, and S. 2940, to coordinate and improve the waste management activities of the Federal Government and of other government and private organizations. With respect to detergents, I recognize the achievement of the industry in converting from the "hard" to the "soft" detergents in mid-1965. But I believe that this vexing problem warrants continued attention. The biodegradability of the new product, I understand, depends on modern sewage treatment. Effective systems are lacking in too many places today. How does the "soft" detergent behave in a household treatment system? What about the toxicity of the new product? What are its nutrient effects? Until these questions are answered, we cannot dismiss the detergent problem.

We need a total attack on wastes-solid, liquid, and gaseous-from farm, industry, commerce, home and community production and consumption activities, which are discarded or discharged into or onto the atmosphere, watercourses, or the ground. I recognize that the prospective transfer of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration to the Department of the Interior, which is proposed by the President's Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1966, presents some administrative problems. There have been reports that the air pollution and solid waste disposal programs, now in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, are destined for other departments. Wherever the programs are finally housed, there must be a specific direction to overall waste management. I urge that S. 2940, with whatever amendments are required to make its provisions compatible

with the administrative placement of water, air, and solid waste programs, be enacted to give focus to a national effort in waste management, soundly coordinated and adequately financed.

ness.

No, man does not live today under the constant threat of a wilderThe pioneers who went west in covered wagons or who traveled across the isthmus or around the Horn to Oregon, conquered a wilderness. There, beside the rushing rivers, beneath the majestic peaks and the tall trees, they, the Oregonians who came after them, built a civilization. The people of Oregon and the people of your States are not willing to suffocate in the wastes of civilization. The lower Columbia, poisoned by the pollution of mill and municipality, required the help of Federal enforcement action. The mighty Columbia, rolling on to the Pacific, the Snake, all of the streams and lakes of Oregon are the birthright of the people. We owe it to them, and to the Americans who come after us, to act now, this year, at this ses sion of the Congress, to restore, protect, and preserve this tremendous natural heritage.

Gentlemen, if we do not, we will not keep faith with our trusteeship or, in my judgment, in the most accurate sense of the spiritual observation I make, neither will we keep faith with our God.

Thank you very much.

Senator MUSKIE. Thank you, Senator, for what we have come to expect of you, an excellent statement.

This has been the first experience I have enjoyed where the opening day of hearings has been consumed entirely by Members of the Senate. Members of the Senate, including yourself, have given these hearings an outstanding sendoff. It is reassuring to know that we have the goodwill of so many leaders of the Senate who have indicated their interest in what we are doing, who are prepared to support what we do if we do it responsibly, and we will try.

So I am just tremendously lifted by this experience this morning. I appreciate the fact that you have given us of your time to cap it all.

Senator Boggs.

Senator BOGGS. Senator Morse, I want to join the chairman in his remarks, too. I share them completely. As was said about Senator Douglas, I am constantly amazed at your ability to cover ably so many subjects and to be so helpful on so many things. We certainly thank you for appearing before our committee.

Senator MORSE. Thank you very much, gentlemen.

Senator MUSKIE. Do other Senators have questions?

Senator RANDOLPH. Senator, do you want to hear my good words about you?

Senator MORSE. I thought you had already spoken.

Senator RANDOLPH. I want to make an observation, not a pleasantry. The other was a delightful experience for me to call attention to the presence of students who, although they come from a college in West Virginia, represent seven States.

You have said, Senator Morse, that by the year 2000 there will be less water available and the demands of our population and our industrial