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be prohibited. In a very few cases, there may be no alternative offering 

 less harm to man or "the environment. In these cases ocean disposal 

 should be allowed only when the lack of alternatives has been demon- 

 strated. Planning of activities which will result in production of radio- 

 active wastes should include provisions to avoid ocean disposal. 



No ocean dumping of chemical warfare materials should be per- 

 mitted. Biological warfare materials have not been disposed of at 

 sea and should not be in the future. Ocean disposal of explosive muni- 

 tions should be terminated as soon as possible. 



Ocean dmnping of industrial wastes should be stopped as soon as 

 possible. Ocean dumping of toxic industrial wastes should be ter- 

 minated immediately, except in those cases in which no alternative 

 offers less harm to man or the environment. 



Ocean dum_ping of unpolluted dredge spoils, construction and dem- 

 olition debris, and similar waste which are inert and nontoxic should 

 be regulated to prevent damage to estaurine and coastal areas. 



Use of waste materials to rehabilitate or enhance the marine en- 

 vironment, as opposed to activities primarily aimed at waste disposal, 

 should be conducted under controlled conditions. Such operations 

 should be regulated, requiring proof by the applicant of no adverse 

 effects on the marine environment, human health, safety welfare, and 

 amenities. 



That concludes the summary of the policy recommendations includ- 

 ed in our report. 



Current regulatory activities and authorities are not adequate to 

 carry out such a policy. The States, the Army Corps of Engineers, the 

 Coast Guard, the Atomic Energy Commission and the Environment- 

 al Protection Agency each exercise some control, but the dispersion 

 of authority along with an accompanying inadequate jurisdictional 

 basis and lack of statutory standard-setting guidance prevent an effec- 

 tive governmental response to ocean dumping problems. 



Government witnesses who will appear before you in the coming 

 days will describe our bill in d^etail. But, in a nutshell, to control ocean 

 dumping adequately, the administration bill would provide a ban on 

 the unregulated dumping of all materials into the oceans, estuaries, 

 and Great Lakes and would provide authority to limit strictly ocean 

 disposal of any materials harmful to the marine environment. It 

 would require a permit from the Administrator of the Environmental 

 Protection Agency for the transportation for dumping in estuaries, 

 the Great Lakes, and the oceans anywhere in the world of wastes 

 which originate in the United States and for dumping by United 

 States and foreign nationals in our territorial waters and in the con- 

 tiguous zone when the dumping would affect our territory or terri- 

 torial sea. 



The Administrator would be empowered to ban ocean dumping of 

 certain materials and to designate safe disposal sites for others. Trans- 

 portation for dumping or dumping without a permit, or dumping in 

 violation of a permit would be subject to civil and criminal penalties. 

 The Coast Guard would perform surveillance and other appropriate 

 enforcement activities. 



Specific considerations are set out for use by EPA in developing 

 criteria for ocean dumping. EPA could refine and modify the criteria 

 as additional knowledge on the effects of ocean dumping is gained. 



