installed on all vessels shall be designed and operated to either 

 retain, dispose of, or discharge sewage in accordance with the 

 standard. If the device is of a discharge type, the standard 

 establishes limits on quantitative fecal coliform bacterial count and 

 on suspended solids. In support of its standards and permit 

 responsibilities, EPA conducts and supports a variety of studies to 

 determine water-quality standards and the effects of introducing 

 wastes and pollutants into the environment. The Water Quality 

 Standards Program is operated in conjunction with the States and 

 develops water-quality criteria applicable to navigable waters. 

 Plans for implementation and enforcement of the criteria are 

 developed, and water-quality standards based on consideration of 

 their use for fish and wildlife, recreational, agricultural, and 

 industrial purpose are established. 



EPA's Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory, Edison, 

 N.J., is developing and testing technology to prevent offshore 

 pollution and to detect, control, and treat discharges of oil and other 

 wastes. Its activities include development, improvement, and 

 evaluation of oil and hazardous material spill control, cleanup, 

 recovery, containment devices, and systems. The laboratory also 

 investigates improved techniques for identifying, tracing, and 

 containing waste plumes for immobilizing, collecting, degrading, or 

 detoxifying oil and other hazardous spilled materials. 



A full-scale prototype system using polyurethane foam chips was 

 fabricated and demonstrated, and it showed enhanced operational 

 capabilities. Under calm-sea conditions this system can recover 

 essentially 100 percent of the oil encountered. Under a simulated 1- 

 foot harbor chop at 3 knots, the recovery approximated 65 percent of 

 the oil encountered. In fiscal year 1976 this system will be evaluated 

 in oil spills of opportunity. 



Several projects in the area of high-current oil-spill containment 

 are being developed by EPA. One concept, a hydrofoil approach, has 

 demonstrated the capability of containing and recovering oil at 6 

 knots. No such capability exists elsewhere. 



A major effort is underway by EPA to develop a pollution-control 

 policy and waste-characterization scheme for offshore oil- and gas- 

 producing facilities. This study will identify waste-minimization 

 techniques and evaluate unit processes, including human- 

 engineering aspects, that should be practiced or avoided to reduce 

 the variability of the final waste to be treated. A field verification 

 study will be conducted onboard platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. 



Although devoted principally to deep-ocean operations, much of 

 the technology developed by the U.S. Navy is also applicable td the 

 development of OCS oil and gas and to associated construction and 



19 



