176 
Answer. This study has not been conducted since, although it was authorized, no 
funds were appropriated for it. The Agency has however, studied the effects of in- 
dustrial pollutants on municipal treatment systems in general. The Agency’s recent- 
ly published Assessment of the Impact of Industrial Dischargers on POTW’s is based 
on data on the quality of the influent and effluent of 2,000 POTWs. The assessment 
concludes that local pretreatment programs have been successful in reducing indus- 
trial pollutants from POTW influent. 
The Agency is undertaking a national combined sewer overflow (CSO) study to de- 
termine the source of magnitude of priority pollutant contaminants in CSO’s. Areas 
of Brooklyn’s 26th Ward will be used in a pilot study to test monitoring and sam- 
pling techniques which will eventually be used in the national study. 
Question. What funds are available to EPA in 1982 and have been requested for 
1983 to carry out their responsibilities under Title II of the Ocean Dumping Act? 
Answer. Title II of the Ocean Dumping Act places responsibility for research and 
monitoring regarding ocean processes and pollution with the Department of Com- 
merce. EPA’s responsibilities and funding fall under Title I. The only EPA authori- 
zation in Title II is in section 205, which authorized EPA to conduct a study to 
evaluate options for removal of pollutants from New York City’s municipal sludge 
and for reducing the amounts of such pollutants entering the system. However, no 
funds were ever appropriated for that study (discussed in a previous answer). 
Question. With regard to any permit applications you may receive, do you consid- 
er alternative strategies to dumping at one site only? 
Answer. Generally, permit applications specify the site to be used for the proposed 
ocean dumping. The permitting process involves consideration of alternatives to the 
proposed dumping, at the proposed site, including evaluation of any alternative 
ocean dumping sites. 
Question. During the case-by-case consideration of site designations and permit re- 
views, are the cumulative impacts of other dumping activities or other pollutant 
sources considered, and if so, how? 
Answer. In each action on a permit application, the entire body of data on the 
dumpsite, the types of wastes that have been dumped there in the past, and the an- 
ticipated impacts of the wastes proposed for dumping are considered. To the extent 
that data are available to show the cumulative effects of past dumping, these are 
considered in determining the potential for additional adverse effects that may be 
caused by more dumping. This done on a case-by-case basis for each dumpsite and 
each permit application, using in particular the information presented in the EIS 
for each dumpsite. 
Question. Is the 106 mile deepwater dumpsite being considered by the Department 
of Energy as a disposal option for the radioactively contaminated soils referred to in 
your testimony? 
Answer. Yes, the Department of Energy is considering use of the 106 mile site. 
However, EPA has not yet made a determination whether or not that site would be 
suitable for such dumping. 
Question. Will the designation of the 106 mile site be for dumping of specific types 
of wastes, and if so, for what types of wastes? 
Answer. All ocean dumping site designations specify the types of wastes that can 
be dumped at that site. The proposed designation of the 106 mile site will be for 
aqueous chemical wastes and municipal sludge. 
Question. Would ocean sites previously used for the disposal of radioactive wastes 
be considered for designation as low-level radioactive waste dumpsites? 
Answer. No, primarily because none of the previously used sites meet the current 
minimum depth requirement of 4,000 meters contained in the IAEA criteria for ra- 
dioactive waste sites. There are also other criteria which have been developed since 
that disposal, and so were not considered in the selection of those sites. 
QUESTION SUBMITTED BY Mrs. SCHNEIDER AND ANSWERED BY EPA 
Question. What is the position of EPA regarding whether or not disposal of nucle- 
ar wastes on or under the seabed could be authorized under the ocean dumping 
permit program pursuant to the MPRSA? 
Answer. Under the MPRSA, the disposition of low-level radioactive wastes on the 
seabed, in ocean waters, could be authorized by an ocean dumping permit. Similar 
disposal of high-level radioactive wastes would be prohibited under the MPRSA. 
