Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) made the following statement today regarding news that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reissued a 113 parts per billion standard for materials containing PCBs that are deposited in waters off the coast of New Jersey. 

    “I am pleased that the EPA approved this more stringent standard that will keep our oceans clean and safe and our food chain free from contamination from harmful materials.  

    “The message being sent to polluters and would-be polluters today is clear – keep your toxic materials out of our ocean. 

     “This swift action undertaken by the EPA shows that President Bush and Commissioner Whitman are dedicated to protecting our ocean waters.   

    “With the more stringent standard soon to be in place, we can now refocus our energies and efforts toward developing and enhancing alternative disposal methods where the materials will not pollute our water and food supplies.” 

    Less than 24 hours after the ruling was thrown out last July by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, Smith responded by writing legislation that would have restored the 113 ppb benchmark and also enabled the EPA to establish a more stringent standard should the science support doing so. 

    In a meeting a week later with EPA Commissioner Whitman, Smith was tasked with leading an effort to reconcile multiple pieces of legislation and write one unified bill. When the 107th Congress expired with no action taken, Smith quickly reintroduced the bill in the first days of the current 108th Congress.