146 



permanent disposal of the various streams of industrial solid 

 waste. 



The abyssal plains of the deep ocean are an attractive 

 location for the disposal of solid wastes for a number of 

 reasons; 



1. They represent the minimum energy environment on this 

 planet. There are no storms or flowing groundwater to disperse 

 the emplaced waste. 



2. The area available is vast, approximately one half of the 

 surface of the Earth, as compared to that of the sites impacted. 

 It is also quite homogeneous geologically and biologically. No 

 site would be affecting a unique environment. 



3. The abyssal plains are accessible to all the coastal 

 conurbations of the U.S., a few days ship transit time at most, 

 thus minimizing the cost of transport. 



4. The technology exists todav to completely by-pass the 

 biologically productive upper M'ater column and emplace waste 

 on the floor of the deep sea with the accuracy of a good dump 

 truck on a landfill, to permanently archive the positioning 

 information and to relocate and monitor the site as need he- 

 Development costs for this disposal option would be minimal. 



5. Because the sites would be accurately located with the 

 information in the public domain they would not be accidentally 

 disturbed by, for example, deep sea mining ventures since these 

 would be employing the same navigation techniques. Due to 

 their remoteness at between two and three miles water depth, 

 the possibility of deliberate disturbance can be ruled out. 



6. The biota in the deep sea is sparse although diverse in 

 species, mainly of microfauna. The abundance of living 

 biomass is extremely low, close to desert-like. Thus the 

 ecological impact would be very much smaller than at a similar 

 site on land. Bio-dispersal of the waste material might occur 

 for short distances LatfirallY ; however there is no significant 

 possibility of vertical transport of the material and its re- 

 introduction into the primary food chain in the upper waters. 



