or industrial waste unless such entity has obtained a permit from 

 EPA and entered into an agreement to phase out and terminate 

 ocean dumping. 



Existing Ocean Disposal Activities 



The nine sludge dumpers currently utilize the DMSDS for the 

 disposal of municipal sludge. In 1987, over 8.4 million wet tons 

 of sludge were ocean dumped, 47% at the 12 Mile Site and 53% at 

 the DMSDS or 106 Mile Site. Beginning in 1988, all sludge has 

 been discharged at the DMSDS. Sludge disposal is currently 

 authorized by Federal court order, not by EPA permit. 



The nine sewerage authorities utilize a combination of 

 private waste transporters and municipally owned and operated 

 vessels to dispose of the sludge. New York City owns and 

 operates its own fleet of sludge barges; Westchester County, 

 Nassau County, and the six New Jersey authorities (Passaic Valley 

 Sewerage Commissioners, Middlesex County Utilities Authority, 

 Rahway Valley Sewage Authority, Bergen County Utilities 

 Authority, Linden/Roselle Sewerage Authority, and Joint Meeting 

 of Essex and Union Counties) contract private waste transporters 

 to dispose of their sludge. 



Site Designation 



As stated previously, the 12 Mile Site had been in use since 

 1924 for the ocean disposal of municipal sludge. In 1973, EPA 

 designated the site as an "interim" disposal site. On May 18, 

 1979, EPA designated it as an approved municipal sludge disposal 

 site. 



Based on the results of the monitoring on the 12 Mile Site, 

 EPA decided not to redesignate the site when its designation 

 expired in 1981. EPA determined that in order to minimize 

 environmental impacts, a new deepwater site should be designated 

 off the Continental Shelf. 



EPA's decision to designate a deepwater site was based upon 

 the results of studies at the interim 106 Mile Site as well as at 

 the 12 Mile Site. Previous monitoring activities at the interim 

 106 Mile Site indicated that wastes disposed at a deepwater site 

 undergo rapid initial dilution followed by extensive dispersion. 

 Thus, after temporary perturbations, water quality could be 

 expected to return to ambient conditions before reaching any 

 beach, shoreline, or known geographically limited fishery or 

 shellf ishery . 



On May 4, 1984, EPA designated the DMSDS as an approved 

 municipal sludge dump site. This site was located within the 

 previously interim designated 106 Mile Site. Site designation 

 expires on March 17, 1991. 



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