332 



Modern methods of chemical analysis make it possible to "fingerprint" the 

 source of a specific oil spill and thus make it easier to assess the blame for an 

 accidental spill. Chemical studies to improve the fingerprinting potential and 

 biological studies to assess the ecological effects of oil in the marine environ- 

 ment are greatly needed. 



e. Solid wastes 



One of the very serious problems confronting our civilization is the disposal 

 of solid waste materials. At the same time that our major cities are running out 

 of waste land suitable for land fill operations, our i>opulation is using and dis- 

 carding materials at an accelerating pace. Many proposals are pending for the 

 disposal of this solid waste material at sea, both in the coastal zone and off the 

 edge of the continental shelf. We have very little information about the possible 

 effects of this type of waste disposal on the marine environment. 



One of the many problems is the varied character of the waste material to be 

 thrown away. Organic compounds, such as garbage, sewage sludge and paper, 

 will certainly have very different rates of decomposition in the marine en^^^on- 

 ment. Other solid waste materials, such as the non-returnable bottles, and 

 various plastics, may have an indefinite life in sea water. Parts of old cars and 

 other metallic objects may rust away and disappear in time but the rubber tires 

 may be expected to persist almost indefinitely. Mixed household wastes can be 

 compacted and bailed and tossed in the ocean where they are "out-of-sight, 

 out-of-mind." 



It seems clear that the only long-term solution to the solid waste problem is 

 the recycling of as much of the material as can be made technologically pos- 

 sible. The Council on Envorenmental Quality in its publication on ocean dumping 

 emphasized the need for recycling and al--o suggested as an interim alternative 

 to ocean disposal the use of the approximately 2 million acres of unreclaimed 

 surface mine lands which are available in the middle Atlantic States. They 

 again re-emphasize the fact that if the United States population is to continue 

 along its present pathway of development, the recycling of solid waste materials 

 is the only ultimate solution to the problem. 



As an interim solution, some types of solid wastes may be dumped at sea 

 without apparent damage to the environment. There are several studies of the 

 potential of developing improved fishing reefs by the dumping of building rubble 

 or old cars on the continental shelf. There is evidence that the fishing over these 

 artificial reefs is better than over a smooth bottom, but it is not yet clear whether 

 the improved fishing represents an accumulation of existing organisms or an 

 actual improvement in the productivity of new organisms. 



Numerous questions concerning the impact of dumping of solid material on 

 the ocean floor cannot be adequately answered with oui' present knowledge and 

 understanding. It seems worthwhile to initiate some studies which might provide 

 the answers which are required. 



/. Seated effluents 



The eflluent cooling water of power plants may be 2.5° F warmer than the 

 ambient temperature of the area. Because of the large demand for cooling water, 

 particularly in the nuclear plants which are less efficient than the fossil fuel 

 plants, the power industry is increasingly planning to site plants on coastal 

 waters, where large volumes of cooling water are available. This raises a host 

 of problems, ranging from the detrimental effects of the heated effluents to the 

 possibility of beneficial uses of low grade waste heat. 



As the water passes through the cooling system of the power plant, there may 

 be direct effects on the biota, the effects of entrainment. The direct effects may not 

 only be the result of the increased temperature of the water but may also in- 

 clude the effect of excessive turbulence on the organisms, the effect of pressure 

 drops within the circulating system and the effects of chlorination when this 

 is used to keep the cooling tubes from becoming fouled by marine organisms. If 

 the amount of water used is a small proportion of the amount of water available 

 because of the circulation, the entrainment effects themselves may also be a 

 small proportion of the effect on biota. Thus, it is important to have a good 

 understanding of the circulation in the neighborhood of the site which may be 

 used for the dilution of the heated eflluents. 



The general environmental effects will also be very different depending on 

 the location of the plant. In northern waters, the problems are quite different 

 than they would be in sub-tropical regions where the summer temperatures 



