[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 140 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2001]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            STATEMENT ON THE SPILL OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB CLEMENT

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 9, 1997

  Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I recently had the fortune of attending a 
seminar entitled ``Spill of National Significance,'' or ``SONS.'' As 
ranking member on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation 
Subcommittee, I feel that it is important to alert you to innovative 
research being conducted in this field.
  SONS was a 3-day exercise that brought together notable individuals 
ranging from Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and Coast Guard 
Commandant Robert Kramek, to representatives from FEMA, the EPA, and 
countless other agencies. They gathered in Philadelphia and Washington, 
DC, using interactive technology to find solutions for a simulated 
catastrophe.
  The scenario involved three oil spills at two different sites, 
occurring within 6 hours of each other. SONS' participants were then 
required to resolve this crisis from various perspectives, ranging from 
political to environmental to financial.
  Rather than wait for disasters to strike, attendees at this Coast 
Guard-sponsored event developed methods for dealing effectively with 
future oil spills. This is an example of an agency at its finest. I 
encourage other organizations to take a lesson from SONS and address 
future concerns today.

                          ____________________