CONGRESSIONAL HEARING

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING

 I once testified before a Congressional Subcommittee Hearing. The subcommittee was headed by congressman Gerry Studds. The subject matter was the impact of the Boston Harbor wastewater outfall planned to discharge nine and one half miles into Massachusetts Bay. As EPA’S Chief Engineer on the project I was chosen to testify. Somehow the representatives on Cape Cod got it into their heads that the proposed outfall was going to shut down all of the Cape beaches. The Hearing was held at the JFK library and was packed with Cape Cod Officials. An aid to the Congressman asked if I would like to meet with the Congressman before the Hearing. Of course I would. As I shook hands it was obvious to me by his body language he was not pleased to meet me. Sure enough the questions were hostile.” Wasn’t the outfall going to disrupt the Right Whales migration and wasn’t it going to affect the beaches on the Cape” were among the many questions he asked. I stood my ground and replied that our scientists concluded there would be negligible impacts. After the hearing several members from the MWRA asked why he was so hostile. I said it was possibly to show his constituents from the Cape his concern for their issues.

When I got back to my office I looked up who else the Congressman represented in his district. Lo and behold it included the City of Quincy whose Wollastan beach would benefit from a cleaner harbor. Since the population of Quincy and its surroundings far exceeded the year round population of the Cape wouldn’t the Mayor want to know what his Congressman was up to. I thought he might. I called the consulting engineer for the City and relayed what had happened at the Hearing. Now I can’t tell you what transpired between the Mayor and the Congressman. I can tell you I never heard from the Congressman on this issue again.