In most cases, feasible and economic land-based disposal methods are avail- 

 able for wastes currently being dumped in the ocean. In fact, many alternatives 

 to ocean dumping, such as land reclamation and recycling to recover valuable 

 waste components, can be applied to obtain positive environmental benefits, such 

 as the maintenance and enhancement of valuable associated living marine re- 

 sources. 



Current regulatory activities and authorities are not adequate to handle the 

 problem of ocean dumping. States do not exercise extensive control over ocean 

 dumping, and generally their authority extends only within the three-mile terri- 

 torial sea. The greater part of current dumping occurs outside these waters. The 

 Army Corps of Engineers has regulatory authority over ocean dumping but, 

 again, this is largely confined to the territorial sea. The Corps also has respon- 

 sibility to facilitate navigation, chiefly by dredging navigation channels. As 

 such, it is in the position of regulating activities over which it also has operational 

 responsibility. The Coast Guard enforces several Federal laws regarding pollu- 

 tion but has no direct authority to regulate ocean dumping. The authority of 

 the Environmental Protection Agency does not provide for issuance of permits 

 to control ocean dumping. And, the Atomic Energy Commission has authority 

 only for disposal of radioactive materials. New legislative authority is necessary. 



Taken together, present responsibilities are dispersed, and operational agen- 

 cies exercise responsibility to regulate themselves and entities performing 

 work consistent with their primary mission. It is now necessary that responsi- 

 bility for ocean dumping be centralized in an agency whose chief role is control 

 of pollution. 



(6) The proposed bill would enable EPA to regulate the dumping of materials 

 in the oceans and similar waters by not only private persons or entities but 

 also all Federal, State, and in appropriate cases, foreign, governmental organi- 

 zations employees and agents. Thus, even sister Federal organizations would 

 have to comply with the permit and standard-setting provisions of the pro- 

 posal. 



(c) The proposed bill sets out specific considerations to be used by EPA in 

 developing criteria for ocean dumping. These considerations would permit 

 EPA to refine and modify the criteria as additional knowledge respecting the 

 effect of ocean dumping is developed. 



(d) The proposal would enhance the ability of the Federal government to 

 engage in productive research efforts to understand the effects of materials 

 dumped or spilled into the oceans and to develop means of monitoring and con- 

 trolling such disposal. In developing the criteria and enforcement programs 

 EPA and the Coast Guard would have the impetus to work not only with each 

 other but also to use their present research authority to develop relevant research 

 programs in conjunction with such other agencies as the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration. 



(e) The authority contained in the proposal and the policy contained in the 

 Council's report which would be implemented by the authority, would have an 

 estimated impact on present dumping practices as follows : 



About 48 million tons of wastes were dumped at sea in 1968. These wastes in- 

 cluded dredge spoils, industrial wastes, sewage sludge, construction and 

 demolition debris, solid waste, explosives, chemical munitions, radioactive 

 wastes, and miscellaneous other materials, the present degree of regulation for 

 these materials varies considerably. 



(i) As the following table indicates, dredge spoils accounted for 80 per cent 

 by weight of all ocean dumping : 



OCEAN DUMPING: TYPES AND AMOUNTS 1968 (66) 

 [In tons] 



Percent ot 

 Waste type Atlantic Gulf Pacific Total total 



Dredge spoils 15,808,000 15,300,000 



Industrial wastes 3,013,200 696,000 



Sewagesludge 4,477,000 



Construction and demolition debris__ _ 574,000 



Solid waste ....__. 



Explosives.... 15,200 



Total 23,887,400 15,966,000 8,327,300 48,210,700 100 



62-513 0—71 2 



