For this reason I have not asked to appear before the committee, and I have no statement to make but I will be more than glad to try to answer any questions the committee has today or in your hearings in Boston tomorrow. The CHAIRMAN. Do you plan to be in Boston tomorrow? General SIBLEY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions from the members of the committee or from Senator Muskie? Senator MUSKIE. I simply can ask this question. Do you have any indication, General Sibley, of the timetable with respect to action by the International Joint Commission on the report of the engineering board of the Passamaquoddy project? General SIBLEY. I cannot, of course, Senator Muskie, say when International Joint Commission will submit its findings to the Government on the terms of its report. I have been asked to prepare a rather detailed briefing for them for 3 days on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of January in Boston, and I understand that they intend to consider the report as expeditiously as they can. I would only mention that this report has taken 3 years. It has involved about six Federal and Provincial agencies, numerous consulting engineers and groups, and has cost $3,300,000 to write. It is an extremely thorough, very comprehensive report which, in itself is about 3 feet long, and it may take the IJC some considerable time to render a sound objective judgment to the Governments on it. I know that the dates of 13th, 14th, and 15th of January has been made public, however, sir. Senator MUSKIE. Is there any indication as to whether or not there will be public hearings before the International Joint Commission arrives-before the decision? General SIBLEY. I have heard the subject discussed, Senator Muskie. I do not know whether the IJC decided to do this or not. My feeling is they have not decided one way or the other as yet. Senator MUSKIE. What you said confirms my own impression. I hoped you might have had something more definite. General SIBLEY. I am sorry I do not have anything more definite than that at the moment, sir. The CHAIRMAN. It could not be more definite and as accurate. Senator MUSKIE. With respect to the Quoddy report itself, Mr. Chairman, I concur with what is implicit in General Sibley's remarks and that is that is a subject by itself that we could not hope to go into in detail this afternoon. I am sure all of us will have an opportunity subsequently to study it. Thank you, General Sibley, very much for being here. That concludes with the list of witnesses, Mr. Chairman. This list was made up of people who responded to a public invitation to testify, asking the opportunity to do so. So far as I know, it is a complete list. The CHAIRMAN. Does the Governor have any further remarks? Senator MUSKIE. I want to thank the committee for coming here and the people who have taken part in this hearing today. It has brought to the committee without a doubt our real feeling. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Hart? Senator HART. It has been a very good day. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Moss? Senator Moss. An excellent hearing, Mr. Chairman. I think we gathered a lot of information here today that we will have to integrate with the things we gathered from other parts of the country. I think it has been an excellent hearing. It certainly has been well received. The CHAIRMAN. It has been an interesting hearing as evidenced by the fact that now, after something over 6 hours, the room is still two-thirds full, and the committee is still fully alert. It has been a very comprehensive hearing, a compliment to you, Senator Muskie, and the people of Maine. There have been many viewpoints expressed here and many viewpoints have been called for but left unexpressed. That has been interesting too. I do not know of any place where the committee has learned any more, not only from what has been said, but from what has not been said. We are tremendously happy to have been here. You made a great contribution to the work of this committee. You have evidenced an alert and progressive citizenship, sustained not only by the desire for betterment of your State and your country but also stimulated by very basic differences of opinion which in the American way of life are always healthy and when vigorously pursued surely come out with about the right answer. Senator MUSKIE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Whereupon, at 3:40 p.m., Monday, December 7, 1959, the committee recessed.) (Subsequent to the closing of the hearing the following letter was received for inclusion in the record.) ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES OF MAINE, Hon. ROBERT S. KERR, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR KERR: With regard to the hearing held in Augusta, Maine, on December 7, 1959, by a select committee of the U.S. Senate Committee on National Water Resources, this association respectfully requests to have included in the records this statement setting forth some observations and comments. It is our understanding that such a statement is in order if filed on or before January 15, 1960. It is difficult in the formulating of a statement of this type in the manner to avoid some repetition; therefore, it is hoped that the committee will be tolerant in this respect and understand that our primary purpose is an endeavor to present some points which were seemingly overlooked, and to give more emphasis to some which may have been made but which seem to have fallen into more or less routine channels. WATER POLLUTION In the area of water pollution, we should like to emphasize that the technical secretary of the State's water improvement commission expressed belief that this State was at the threshold of making real progress in effecting cleaner waters; and he further expressed confidence that the next decade would produce still better results. In addition, it should be remembered that this official reported industries as having effected numerous improvements through embarking into various byproduct fields, changed processes and better housekeeping, generally. The new processes, it was estimated, have lightened the pollution load some 15 percent to 20 percent. Improved housekeeping methods have added to this percentage, but in an amount difficult to estimate. Other significant points mentioned by the commission's technical secretary included: 1. His statement to the effect that securing action directed toward solving the municipal sewage problem was proving much more difficult than was securing action by industry to abate industrial wastes. 2. His statement that Maine citizens, as a whole, have exhibited a much better and more rational understanding of the pollution problem and abatement program in the past 3 or 4 years. 3. His statement that industry has for some time been working on plans for stream improvement, and that numerous industries have already put their plans into operation. We believe it pertinent to recall that, mileagewise, about 92 percent of Maine's lakes, streams, and rivers are now completely classified, this having been accomplished by the Maine Water Improvement Commission in the very short time of only 6 years, and further respectfully invite attention to the fact that in classifying the streams, the State of Maine now has 23,700 miles, or 72 percent of our streams of a quality suitable for bathing and for human consumption after limited to moderate treatment, and 29,500 miles, or 89 percent of the streams are capable of supporting healthy fish life. We further invite attention to the following facts: (1) Waste such as sawdust, shavings, etc., from woodworking plants has virtually been removed from Maine streams. (2) Progress in lagooning cannery waste, together with new industrial discharges through licensing, has been held to a point where such wastes do not interfere with existing water uses. (3) Definite progress is evidenced in the use of spent potato pulp to prevent it from being a pollutant from the potato starch industry. (4) Pilot plants for study of changes for purposes of lightening pollution loads are now being operated by several industries. (5) Many of the pulp and paper companies in the State within the past 2 years have announced programs for stream improvement, most of these programs having already moved from the blueprint to the operational stage, with many millions of dollars of expenditures represented. As a result of industry's activities in this respect, the pollution load of this industry, so important to Maine's economy, will have been reduced by 27 percent since 1954 while production has been increased by about 30 percent. (6) With the public support of industry, among others, the appropriational budget for the State's water improvement commission has been increased some 500 percent in the past decade. (7) The sea and shore fisheries commissioner testified that shellfish were being injured by municipal sewage waste (of which only 3 percent is now treated) and not by industrial waste. FORESTRY AND FORESTRY TAXES Among other testimony given at this hearing was that of the State forestry commissioner who told of the tremendous areas of Maine covered with forest growth (wild lands), citing that these forests retained a large percentage of groundwaters, thus minimizing the threat of flood, etc. He also testified that the annual growth of Maine forests exceeded the annual cutting thereof, and explained the Maine Forestry District and the Maine Forestry District tax which was instituted at the instigation of the landowners and which is devoted to fire protection and control in the unorganized townships. He stated that this was the only tax on lands in the forestry district. It seems pertinent to include in this statement the fact that the forestry district tax, however, is not the only tax paid on these forest lands. The owners in the district pay many taxes in addition. They pay the State property tax, for example, which is fixed by the legislature. and which is presently at a rate of 74 mills of State valuation. These landowners also pay county taxes imposed at the county level, and if there are any schools or roads in the township they also pay school taxes and road taxes. A further part of industry's contributions to the preservation of the water resources of Maine is evidenced by the voluntary control prograni on spruce bud worm to preserve the forest cover of the State. Landowners in Maine, upon advice of the forest commissioner, sponsor voluntarily the spraying for this pest and assess themselves 371⁄2 percent of the cost with the State paying an equal share and Federal Government paying the balance. This will increase the tax in 1960 by 75 cents per $1,000 of valuation-an impressive tax load with definite value in the preservation of our forest and our water resources. In return for these substantial taxes paid on these lands over and above the forestry district tax, it should be pointed out that practically no services are rendered at any level of government, whereas, in the organized towns and municipalities many services are rendered in return for taxes paid. CONCLUSION Maine is naturally endowed with an abundant water supply and because of of its low population and low industrial concentration is in a unique and very favorable position when compared to the water resources problems of other States. As pointed out above, the legislature and regulatory bodies of the State working closely with industry have made substantial progress in the elimination of stream pollution and enhancement of the State's water resources. We respectfully urge your committee to sponsor no Federal action in this field, but leave this matter for continued successful development on a State level. Very truly yours, Senator ROBERT S. KERR, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. B. MORTON HAVEY, Executive Director. STATE OF MAINE, SENATE CHAMBER, Augusta, January 29, 1960. DEAR SENATOR KERR: I am sorry that I was unable to attend the public hearing held by your committee in Augusta, due to being out of the State on business. Having been concerned with the water conservation problem in our State for the last 20 years, and being currently the chairman of our legislative natural resources committee, which considers water classification matters, I am well informed of current water pollution conditions in this State. I have noted a recent Associated Press account entitled "Associated Industries of Maine Cites Curtailment of Pollution," which is taken by the Associated Press from a letter directed to you written by B. Morton Havey, of Augusta, the Associated Industries executive director. In this account it is stated that papermill wastes are being reduced by 27 percent, while production is rising 30 percent. I would like to say that I have some reason to doubt the validity of these figures and would suggest that a more accurate appraisal of papermill waste treatment results might be obtained from our Maine Water Improvement Commission engineer, Raeburn MacDonald. Mr. Havey's statement further suggests that 92 percent of Maine's mileage of lakes and streams, etc., has been classified in a relatively high rating, and further that 72 percent of the total mileage of streams is suitable for bathing and human consumption with moderate treatment. In reply to these last remarks I probably scarcely need to remind you, Senator Kerr, that this State still comprises a vast network of wilderness, streams, and lakes, which are obviously unpolluted due to their remote location and lack of settlement. These are the type of misleading statements which we have learned to expect over the years from the Associated Industries of Maine and their executive director, B. Morton Havey. I am sure that your committee is well able to make an objective and advantageous appraisal of the water conservation problems of this State, and that you will continue your good record of efforts to conserve and properly utilize these very vital natural resources. |