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disposal site out of the Bight apex] was unnecessary and potentially 
more damaging to the environment than taking no action whatsoever." 
CHARACTERISTICS OF SEWAGE SLUDGE 
Sewage sludge is a general term used to describe the mixture of water 
and settled solids removed from municipal wastewater during primary 
and secondary treatment operations. The digested sewage sludge slurry 
that is barged to the 12-Mile Site generally contains only 1-5 percent 
solids (95-99 percent water) and like all municipal sewage sludges, 
variable amounts of nutrients, trace metals, microorganisms, and 
organic constituents. This slurry, which is slightly less dense than 
seawater, is readily dispersed and diluted at the disposal site. 
Additionally, primary and secondary treatment operations remove 
undesirable floatable materials from the sludge slurry prior to being 
barged to sea. 
Sources of Contaminants 
Identified sources of wastes discharged into the waters of the New 
York Bight are numerous. The Hudson River drains tens of thousands 
of square miles of land from upstate New York through the heavily 
populated and industrialized areas of the New York City metropolitan 
region before emptying into the New York Bight apex. Direct municipal 
and industrialized wastewater discharges are the most significant 
sources of pollutants to the Bight, whereas direct urban runoff and 
accidental spills also are significant sources of some contaminants. 
