Mr. Chairman, I want to highlight a provision that I offered and was accepted by the Committee that directs the Coast Guard to conduct a study of the pollution in Newtown Creek caused by underground oil spills in Brooklyn, N.Y.

   Newtown Creek is a 3.5 mile long waterway that flows from the East River and separates the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The State of New York has ruled that the Creek does not meet water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. It is the single most polluted waterway in New York City, and its banks are home to the largest oil spill in the United States. The spill is 150 percent the size of the Exxon-Valdez spill.

   In 1978, a Coast Guard patrol detected petroleum on the surface of Newtown Creek and identified a spill that spreads from the banks of the Creek through the Greenpoint neighborhood in Brooklyn. Evaluations at that time identified a spill totaling 17 million gallons attributed to refineries operated along the banks of the Creek by the predecessors to ExxonMobil, BP/Amoco and Chevron-Texaco. To date, 8.7 millions gallons have been cleaned but estimates indicate it will take at least 25 more years to finish the remediation, primarily conducted by ExxonMobil under a 1990 consent agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

   Even though it has been over 25 years since the oil spill was detected, the public health and safety risks associated with the oil spill are still unknown.

   The legislative intent of the amendment that directs the Coast Guard to study Newtown Creek (Creek) is for the Coast Guard to revisit the findings of its July 1979 report entitled ``Investigation of Underground Accumulation of Hydrocarbons along Newtown Creek,'' and address the following issues:

   The actual current size of the Greenpoint Oil Spill (Spill) and the extent to which oil from each refinery site contributes to the Spill.

   The extent and severity of surface water pollution and sediment contamination from the Spill, and methods to prevent further seepage into the Creek.

   The Spill's impact on existing conditions in the Creek including but not limited to low levels of dissolved oxygen and high levels of bacteria.

   The interaction between pollution from the Spill and pollution from other sources in the Creek including but not limited to Combined Sewer Overflow Pipes and the Newtown Creek Sewage Treatment Plant.

   The extent to which oil and contaminated sediments in the Creek disperse into New York Harbor.

   The extent to which the Spill has affected aquatic species in the Creek and Harbor, and methods to prevent further harm.

   The extent to which the Spill has affected groundwater in the surrounding area, and methods to prevent further harm.

   The extent and severity of contaminated soil in the area affected by the Spill, and methods to prevent further harm.

   Any public health issues raised by the Spill and the current remediation efforts, both independently and in interaction with other pollutants in the Creek.

   Any safety issues raised by the Spill and the current remediation efforts, both independently and in interaction with other pollutants in the Creek.

   The extent to which the current remediation efforts are sufficient, and any new technologies or approaches that could accelerate product recovery and/or improve the scope of the remediation.

   I would like to express my thanks to Chairman Young, Mr. Oberstar, Chairman Lobiondo, and Mr. Filner for their willingness to work with me on this very important yet often overlooked issue. The country will benefit from renewed Federal attention on this oil spill, the largest in the country.

   Additionally, I would like to thank both the Democratic and Republican staff of the Transportation Committee and the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. In particular, Ward McCarragher and John Cullather of Mr. Oberstar's staff and Fraser Verrusio and John Rayfield of Mr. Young's staff were very helpful.