flexible membranes to avoid mixing of ballast water with fluid bulk 

 cargoes. 



USCG, with the assistance of the General Services 

 Administration, is developing an expanded PIRS. The system is 

 expected to be operational in May 1974. PIRS is a computerized 

 system used to store and retrieve data on the discharge of oil and 

 hazardous polluting substances into or upon the navigable waters of 

 the United States, adjoining shorelines, or into or upon the 

 contiguous zone. The purpose of PIRS is to support USCG in 

 carrying out its responsibilities under the Federal Water Pollution 

 Control Act. With the creation and maintenance of a master file of 

 discharge data, USCG will be able to measure the effectiveness of its 

 marine environmental protection program, respond to inquiries from 

 outside USCG, and provide summaries of discharge incidents for 

 public information. Information collected for PIRS will include data 

 on effectiveness of cleanup action and subsequent administrative 

 actions as well as on the discharge incidents themselves. 



In 1974, CEQ, in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Commission 

 (AEC), NOAA, Interior, and other agencies, will complete studies on 

 the construction and operation of floating offshore nuclear power 

 plants. In addition to the obvious effects on the environment of these 

 powerplants, the potential impact of a proliferation of such 

 structures is important because the impact of many offshore 

 structures is not necessarily a simple multiple of the effects of one. 



Arrangement of dual-purpose cargo/ballast tanks (C/B) with flexible mem- 

 branes for 250,000 DWT tanker. 



17 



