STATEMENT OF FRED MERRELL, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, LONG ISLAND ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY Mr. MERRELL. My name is Fred Merrell. I am the executive vice president of the Long Island Association of Commerce & Industry, a regional chamber of commerce representing Nassau and Suffolk Counties, a geographic area having over 2.5 million residents. The association has a membership of over 1,000 businesses and industries. By 1980 the Nassau-Suffolk bicounty area will have a population in excess of 3.5 million persons. Long Island now is the fourth largest area in the Nation both with respect to consumer spendable income of $8.6 billion and consumer spendable income per household of $12,887 and the fourth largest in terms of retail and food sales. The attached brochure, Hidden Metropolis, shows the relative position of Long Island to New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities of over 800,000 population. MARINE ENVIRONMENT Long Island is also an area greatly affected by the marine environment. The island extends over 120 miles eastward from New York City, with a shoreline of more than 250 miles bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the Long Island sound to the north. Seashore areas, and wetlands abound, making the waterfront most significant and valuable for recreation, conservation, and economic development. FADING AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY Long Island's once predominately agricultural economy, although still significant in terms of dollars and in comparison with the agricultural output with the rest of the State, is fast giving way to commercial and residential development. Because of these facts of life, the Long Island Association has taken a very active part in the solution of growth problems that affect Nassau and Suffolk Counties. RESEARCH PRIORITY In the association's estimation, top priority should be given to research and sound planning in the areas of (1) business growth, profits and jobs; (2) transportation, the movement of people and goods; (3) taxes, legislation and government modernization; and (4) the planning and control of our environment. With respect to the latter; namely, planning and control of our environment, the association has established a committee dealing with surburban ecology which is defined as the interphase of all disciplines effecting the establishment of an equilibrium in which Long Islanders can live most advantageously and beneficially in harmony with the environment. Thus, the association deals with problems of area development in terms of jobs and payrolls, the need for transportation facilities, the need for productive power, the need for recreation and sports, and the implementation of all of these objectives within the framework of our environment and ability to support the best and most rational land use plan for our citizens. COMMENTS ON S. 2472 With these objectives in mind, we now comment specifically on S. 2472, a bill to establish an Intergovernmental Commission of Long Island Sound, and its companion bill H.R. 12389, introduced by our own Congressman Lester Wolff. We have given considerable amount of thought and study to these measures as well as the statements made by Senator Ribicoff and Congressman Wolff at the introduction of these measures. We have reviewed the testimony presented at your hearings in Connecticut. First, be assured that the Long Island business community is as concerned with planning for the optimum development and conservation of the Long Island Sound as is any other group. The question reduces itself as to how this objective can be achieved, if it is not already being achieved. After a review of the bills, the association can only conclude that neither Congress nor any other branch of the Federal Government should take the lead in coordinating any such study. The problems of Long Island, Connecticut, and Long Island Sound are indigenous, by the very definition, to the States of New York and Connecticut and to the local governments whose jurisdictions border Long Island Sound. FEDERAL INTERESTS LIMITATION The makeup of the committee, as set forth in both the Ribicoff and Wolff bills, does not take into account the fact that, essentially, local and State interests are primarily involved and that Federal interests should be only limited to the navigable aspects of Long Island Sound. The makeup of the commission's membership is seriously defective in that Federal Government participation is heavily weighted resulting in the practical exclusion of local and State representatives. Furthermore, the naming of prestigious members to any such commission can only engage men who are already overburdened with work and whose time, even at best, will be limited to the consideration of general findings and recommendations made by qualified but anonymous staff personnel. This type of study frequently results in perfunctory approval of definitive recommendations which are difficult to reverse, even under adverse criticism, since local and State officials rarely have available to them any practicable means to alter, control, or defeat Federal recommendations made and given under the cloak of Federal navigable waters jurisdiction. The mere establishment of a Federal commission begs the question of local impact, interest, and concern. We would prefer to see and recommend a bi-State commission be created by compact, responsive only to the States of Connecticut and New York, whose function will be to coordinate local and State action toward the solution of the problems affecting both shores. In this way, local and State requirements, be they for transportation, the generation and distribution of power, the development of recreational areas, and water resource projects, can be undertaken in context with the planning activities of the State, county, and local agencies in the development of our respective areas. None of these critical activities, furthermore, should be delayed for 3 years, as suggested in these bills, but should go forward as soon as proper planning decisions are made. We refer specifically to the question of spanning Long Island Sound by one or more bridges, the location of nuclear power generating plants, airports, and harbor development and aquaculture projects and programs. TAX STRUCTURE Should our present tax structure impose insurmountable financial burdens on local and State government in carrying out this comprehensive development plan, then I am certain that our congressional representative in both Houses will be called upon to obtain and render all the assistance they can without jeopardizing or losing our local initiative. Therefore, the Long Island Association of Commerce and Industry urges that the decision relative to the establishment of a Federal Long Island Sound Commission be deferred and that in its place the concept of a Connecticut/New York sound compact be initiated and approved. We hope before the conclusion of your hearings that eminent, qualified individuals and organizations such as the Regional Plan Association, the Tri State Transportation Commission, and the New York State Office of Planning Coordination will be afforded the opportunity to make their expert views known to your committee. Senator RIBICOFF. Thank you very much. Congressman Wolff. Representative WOLFF. Mr. Merrell, do you know the composition of the bill itself, you studied it I take it? Mr. MERRELL. Yes. Representative WOLFF. Do you know the composition of the commission as it is to be set up? Mr. MERRELL. I don't have it in front of me. Senator JAVITS. I believe seven members of it are from Federal agencies. Representative WOLFF. Do you know the others? Mr. MERRELL. Two from each State I believe. Representative WOLFF. Appointed by the Governor? Mr. MERRELL. I believe so. Representative WOLFF. In other words, you wouldn't feel that the State or the Governor has the interest in mind of the local communities to appoint these people, in other words, he would not give consideration to the communities involved? Mr. MERRELL. I'm sure he would. Representative WOLFF. And there's also a provision in this bill for two of the people to come from the areas, local area involved, you're familiar with that part of it? Mr. MERRELL. Yes. Representative WOLFF. The others, of course, are the Presidential appointees? Mr. MERRELL. Right. Representative WOLFF. It's obvious then you don't have the Mr. MERRELL. Representing certain aspects of Government, certain departments of Government. 51-566-70-pt. 3-4 Representative WOLFF. In other words, representing business, but representing the Government in protection of the people? Mr. MERRELL. I wouldn't say the Government doesn't represent busi ness. Representative WOLFF. Then I don't see your objection to the fact since all of these people are appointed by various people, I don't see your objection to the composition of the commission? Mr. MERRELL. I think it's a preponderence federally oriented people rather than locally oriented people. Representative WOLFF. Now, the Long Island Association has been in existence for a goodly number of years I take it? Mr. MERRELL. Right. Representative WOLFF. What, outside of appointing the committee, has the association done to alleviate the problems of Long Island Sound—have you taken a position on the bridge, for example? Mr. MERRELL. Yes; we have taken a position. Representative WOLFF. What is that position? BRIDGE SERVING SUFFOLK COUNTY FAVORED Mr. MERRELL. The position of the Long Island Association, Congressman Wolff, on bridges is that we support the spanning of Long Island Sound by bridges. Our position strongly favors that construction of an easterly bridge serving Suffolk County first. Representative WOLFF. In other words, a bridge from Suffolk County to Connecticut? Mr. MERRELL. Yes; Suffolk County to Connecticut. Representative WOLFF. In other words, you're opposed then to a bridge from Oyster Bay to Rye? Mr. MERRELL. Everyone has been trying to get me to say that. Representative WOLFF. I don't want to get you to say that, I want to know what your position is? Mr. MERRELL. We oppose it in this respect; we oppose it in that we feel that the Suffolk Bridge should be built in advance of such a bridge. Representative WOLFF. In other words, you don't oppose it, it's just a question of time? Mr. MERRELL. We think that may well be a situation; yes. NUCLEAR POWERPLANTS Representative WOLFF. How about, you did mention the question of powerplants, on the question of nuclear powerplants how does the association feel about the erection of the Shoreham plant and the 12 plants that are proposed for Long Island Sound? Mr. MERRELL. We haven't testified on this at this time, yet, but our position generally is one in support, providing the plants do meet the specific requirements; I believe at the present time something like 30 agencies, 38 agencies perhaps have to at some point give approval to construction of such a plant, it would seem to me this would be quite an adequate safeguard. Representative WOLFF. I don't understand you, in one point you tell me you don't believe this commission should be composed of people from Federal agencies, now you're willing to give over the authority to Federal agencies sufficient for the control of nuclear plants? Mr. MERRELL. These agencies, I think if you'll check it out, are not only Federal but many, many State agencies. Representative WOLFF. The Atomic Energy Commission is a Federal agency that determines whether or not Mr. MERRELL. The Federal agencies do control a lot of things like the Interstate Commerce Commission and many other facets. Representative WOLFF. You're willing to have the Federal and the State government determine whether or not an atomic powerplant should be built, but you're not willing to have a Federal agency in concert with local agencies control the destiny of the sound? Mr. MERRELL. I think we're getting off our point, I think we do feel Representative WOLFF. It is to the point, sir. Mr. MERRELL. We do feel the two State compacts, we feel would meet these requirements. Representative WOLFF. In other words, when you say two State compact Mr. MERRELL. Connecticut and New York. Representative WOLFF. Are you content with the New England River Basin's compact now as it's constituted? Mr. MERRELL. I think if it would include the westerly section of— Representative WOLFF. New York City? Mr. MERRELL. Yes; that's a very important part as was pointed out by the previous witness, that a lot of the pollution right now is coming from that area. QUESTION OF CONTROL NEEDED NOW Representative WOLFF. You realize one of the witnesses addressed herself to the point to the fact that the New England River Basin compact is not a regulatory agency, it's a planning body. Now, we're talking about planning, you addressed yourself as well to the question of the control that is needed and needed now, how does that reconcile with the control? Mr. MERRELL. I think if perhaps we look into the different problem areas we'll find that a lot of it relates to the enforcement of much existing legislation. We were referring earlier to the matter of the new boat legislation, I think that's to a large extent a problem of enforcement. The rules and the laws are there, and they are there in the Clean Waters Act of the State of New York that has set certain standards; it's a matter now of enforcement. Representative WOLFF. Mr. Merrell, one of the problems the poor boat owners are singled out as a great source of pollution; what's the matter, what's with the situation with the industrial firms who are contributing to the pollution, unfortunately there is very little? Mr. MERRELL. Very little on Long Island. INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT Representative WOLFF. From the studies that have been made by the Federal Water Pollution Agency there is a lot of it, plus coming again to the question of the nuclear plants there is the chance there might be in the future; I think one of the elements that's involved here |