220 



received primary treatment in accordance with standards established 

 by the Administrator. 



After January 1, 1974, no permit may be issued unless such sewage 

 or industrial waste has received primary and secondary treatment, and 

 after January 1, 1976, no permit can be issued unless primary, second- 

 ar3^ and tertiary treatment has been received. 



This gradual strengthening of standards will allow the companies 

 and municipalities involved leadtime to develop new processes for 

 treatment and also eradicate a major source of ocean pollution. 



The dumping of radioactive wastes, toxic industrial wastes, and 

 chemical and biological warfare material are completely prohibited. 

 The serious adverse effects which the dumping of these materials 

 could and do ha^^e, coupled with interim and long-term alternatives 

 to their dumpmg in the oceans leads me to believe that no rational 

 balance of interests requires the use of our oceans and coastal waters 

 for their dumping. 



In this regard, the Council on Environment Quality concluded 

 that "no ocean dumping of chemical warfare materials should be 

 permitted," and "ocean dumping of industrial wastes should be stopped 

 as soon as possible." They also called for more stringent standards 

 regulating the dumping of radioactive materials. 



It should be noted that other studies, including a recent study of the 

 New York Bight for the Department of Interior and a study by the 

 Coast Guard, also recommend that the dumping of these categories 

 of material should cease entirely. 



Alternatives exist to outfalls of sewage sludge, industrial wastes, 

 and the dumping of other toxic, chemical-biological and radioactive 

 materials. In some cases these alternatives actually cost less. And 

 when you add in the ecological costs imposed on the marine envi- 

 ronment by dumping at sea, in almost every instance it would be less 

 expensive, in both economic and social terms, to revert to land-based 

 disposal systems. 



Sewage sludge can be disposed of in sanitary landfills or used as 

 a soil conditioner. Industrial wastes can be treated and disposed of on 

 land, or they can be incinerated. Radioactive materials can be en- 

 tombed in salt mines, and dismantled chemical and biological war- 

 fare material can be neutralized, incinerated, or buried. Of course, 

 longer-term alternatives such as recycling can and should be explored. 



Finally, the bill recognizes the fact that stringent enforcement of 

 these regulations is required in the purpose and spirit of the act is 

 to be accomplished. Fines for unauthorized use of dumping range 

 from a minimum of $2,000 up to $10,000 for the first offense, and from 

 $10,000 to $25,000 for each succeeding offense. 



It further provides that any vessel or barge engaged in dumping 

 in violation of the act shall be forfeited. The Administrator of EPA, 

 the Coast Guard, and the Corps of Engineers, acting jointly, shall en- 

 force the act. This legislation also empowers the Coast Guard to stop 

 and search vessels in our territorial waters and in the contiguous 

 zone to determine whether they are engaged in unauthorized dumping 

 activities or related transportation activities. 



I guess the problem of ocean diunping really hit home to me during 

 the hearings on the dumping off the cape, when we found the laws 

 we had just were not adequate, and did not do the job. 



