400 



materials and. to designate safe sites ; and to issue permits where the applicant 

 presents information indicating tliat proposed transportation and/or dumping 

 will not unreasonably degrade or unreasonably endanger human health, welfare, 

 or amenities, or the marine environment, ecological systems, or economic 

 potentialities. 



Jmi)lementation of this legislation will require the development of criteria and 

 regulations for the granting of permits. This development must recognize both 

 the characteristics of the materials to be dumped and their potential impact on 

 receiving waters. To accomplish this will require not only an augmented re- 

 search effort and understanding on the effects of different \^'aste materials on 

 the marine environment but also a series of baseline technical investigations of 

 existing water quality conditions in present and potential dumping areas. 



As a continuing effort it will be necessary to continuously evaluate and up- 

 date the impact of ocean dumping on the marine environment. While the act 

 specifically assigns surveillance and enforcement functions to the Coast Guard, 

 it will be necessary for EPA to work closely with the Coast Guard in carrying 

 out these functions and in modifying permit requirements and regulations as 

 environmental requirements or conditions change. 



EPA already has available staff expertise on marine pollution problems and 

 has laboratoi-y capabilities of running a wide variety of laboratory tests. It must 

 be recognized, however, that EPA does not presently have any ocean-going ship 

 capabilities; it is therefore anticipated that EPA will make full use of the 

 Coast Guard, National Ocean Survey, and Corps of Engineers' ocean-igoing 

 equipment and personnel to carry out environmental investigations of marine 

 pollution problems. It may also be anticipated that the services of private con- 

 tractors will be utilized for this purpose under the supervision of EPA person- 

 nel. (A contract for establishing the organizational framework of an overall 

 coastal monitoring network, which -vvall include monitoring of ocean dumping 

 zones, will be negotiate during FY 1971. The report from this study should be 

 available about the middle of FY 1972.) 



It should also be recognized that extension of water quality standards to the 

 contiguous zone will require the same type of technical investigation and moni- 

 toring as will be required by the Marine Protection Act specifically for ocean 

 dumping xiroblems. The program outlined here is directed specifically toward 

 implementation of the Marine Protection Act : however, it should be recognized 

 as part of an overall attack on coastal and marine pollution problems. 



A supervisory headquarters staff will be required to initiate tlie program, to 

 supervise its operations, coordinate efforts within EPA and all other Federal 

 and State agencies concerned with the program. The staff would control final 

 granting of pemiits. After development of criteria, regulations, and guidelines 

 for the granting of pemiits had been developed, some of the authorities for the 

 granting of permits will be delegated to the regions. 



Headquarters staff will also be required to coordinate research efforts on a 

 continuing basis and to assist in the continuing review and up-dating of criteria 

 and regulations. It is anticipated that much of the research necessary will be 

 carried out by grants or contracts or integrated into the surveillance and moni- 

 toring programs and baseline technical investigations of environmental 

 conditions. 



Development of a broadly based technical staff to supervise the technical in- 

 vestigations necessary to provide a viable program with the ultunate goal of 

 stopping ocean dumping completely is a necesisary part of the ovei^all research 

 and monitoring effort. A broadl.v based headquarters technical staff is needed 

 to work with the Coast Guard, NOAA. Corps of Engineers, and other Federal 

 and State agencies whose facilities will be used to carry out monitoring and 

 surveillance functions and to make full use of the facilities of other agencies in 

 carrying out ocean disposal research programs. It is expected that each coastal 

 region will develop its own specialized technical expertise to deal with the over- 

 all problem as well as problems unique to the region. 



OCEAN DISPOSAL PERMIT PROGRAM 



Fiscal pear 1972: Positions : 48 : Budget : $500,000 



The law as proposed will become effective 6 months after passage. Within this 

 time interim criteria and regulations for the granting of ocean disposal permits 



