57 
OCEAN VESSEL WITH SOPHISTICATED INCINERATION SYSTEMS HAS DEMONSTRATED 
THE CAPABILITY OF MAINTAINING OPERATING COMBUSTION EFFICIENCIES WITH 
RESULTANT DESTRUCTION EFFICIENCIES OF GREATER THAN 99-9 PERCENT OF 
ORGANIC MATTER- OCEAN INCINERATION HAS BEEN USED SUCCESSFULLY TO 
DESTROY AGENT ORANGE AND OTHER LIQUID CHLORINATED ORGANICS- THE AGENCY 
HAS CONCLUDED ON THE BASIS OF EXTENSIVE MONITORING THAT THIS DISPOSAL 
TECHNIQUE IS A DESIRABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR THE DISPOSAL OF A WIDE RANGE 
OF POTENTIALLY TOXIC ORGANIC WASTES, RESINS, AND PESTICIDES- WHILE 
THERE IS CURRENTLY ONLY ONE CERTIFIED OCEAN INCINERATION VESSEL, THE 
AGENCY IS ENCOURAGING THE GROWTH OF THAT DISPOSAL ALTERNATIVE: 
SLUDGES WITH HIGH INDUSTRIAL CONTRIBUTION 
THE AGENCY IS CONFIDENT THAT MUNICIPAL SLUDGE COMPOSED OF DOMESTIC 
WASTES CAN BE OCEAN DISPOSED WITH MINIMAL IMPACTS WITH PROPER SITE 
SELECTION AND MAINTENANCE- WE ARE LESS CERTAIN OF THE IMPACTS, AND 
THEREFORE MORE CONCERNED REGARDING THE DISPOSAL OF SLUDGES CONTAINING 
LARGE LOADINGS FROM INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES WHETHER FROM INDUSTRIAL OR 
MUNICIPAL SYSTEMS- SUCH SLUDGES ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONTAIN TOXIC 
ORGANICS OR HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF HEAVY METALS- ONE OF THE HARDEST 
PROBLEMS WE FACE IS DETERMINING HOW HIGH THE LEVELS OF TOXIC ORGANICS 
AND HEAVY METALS IN MUNICIPAL SLUDGES ARE BEFORE THEY AFFECT THE 
SUCCESSFUL USE OF DIFFERENT DISPOSAL ALTERNATIVES- ANOTHER QUESTION IS 
TO WHAT EXTENT THESE POLLUTANTS ARE BOUND UP IN THE SLUDGE AND TO WHAT 
EXTENT AND AT WHAT RATE THEY WILL BE RELEASED TO THE ENVIRONMENT - 
UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT DETERMINE SCIENTIFICALLY THE OCEAN’S FULL 
ABILITY TO ABSORB AND BIOLOGICALLY PROCESS TOXIC WASTES, NOR CAN WE 
FULLY TRACK THE FATE AND EFFECTS OF POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED SLUDGES- 
11-267 O—82——5 
