49 
tives. The Agency is currently identifying technologies to separate 
out potentially toxic components from sludges and to encourage 
process changes that reduce the use or encourage the recycling of 
potentially harmful materials so that they do not enter municipal 
treatment works and contaminate domestic sludges. 
It should be clear from today’s discussion that any expanded use 
of the ocean for waste disposal will be done prudently by this 
Agency. Whereas past ocean disposal occurred at historical sites, 
future efforts will be made to find new sites that are best suited for 
a particular waste. The use of field monitoring will also play a sig- 
nificant role to assure that disposal practices are not causing envi- 
ronmental problems. 
While it is difficult to estimate the potential growth of ocean 
dumping in the near future, the Agency has evaluated financial 
management system alternatives to help finance any expanded pro- 
gram of site designation, research, and monitoring that may be 
needed for municipal and industrial disposal. 
The best alternative appears to be a two-part fee system with the 
fees payable directly to EPA’s account for the administration of the 
program. One fee would recover permit application processing 
costs. The second fee would recover the cost of research, site desig- 
nation, maintenance, and monitoring. Adoption of such a system 
would require amendment of the statute. We will work with the 
committee staff on the language to that amendment. 
Recent studies about the effects of past dumping and increasing 
concern about the effects of land disposal have convinced us that 
the ocean must be included as a legitimate disposal option in any 
integrated and well thought out waste management program. How- 
ever, we cannot afford to open up the ocean indiscriminately to 
return to an out-of-sight/out-of-mind philosophy. 
The challenge now is to define the parameters of safe disposal, of 
unreasonable degradation, and of acceptable risks in such a way 
that intelligent judgments and rational tradeoffs of environmental 
effects and costs can be made on a case-by-case basis. 
The Agency believes intelligent judgments and rational tradeoffs, 
along with continued emphasis on techniques to recycle and reduce 
the generation of wastes, are the primary characteristics of the so- 
lution to our waste management problems. The ocean has a role to 
play in that solution, and we will be seeking widespread Agency 
and public involvement in determining what changes to our regula- 
tions, guidelines, and testing methods will best assure that the 
proper safeguards are applied. 
Thank you. 
[Statement of Ms. Hurd follows:] 
