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past year we believe that we should reemphasize certain points to 
insure that our position is clear. 
First, let me review the events that produced the January 1981 
NACOA report, “The Role of the Oceans in a Waste Management 
Strategy,” because we believe that in many ways the situation is 
very much the same today. 
Looking seaward, we had learned much more about the oceans 
than we knew in 1972 when the Marine Protection, Research, and 
Sanctuaries Act, known as the Ocean Dumping Act, was originally 
passed. Concerns about eutrophication of the entire North Atlantic, 
or an ocean pollution-triggered disruption of the global oxygen bal- 
ance—about which at least some scientists expressed concern in 
the early 1970’s—had proved unfounded. The events of 1976—the 
fouling of Long Island beaches and the New York Bight anoxic epi- 
sode—had been examined by scientists and blamed, respectively, on 
a malfunctioning sewer plant in Jamaica Bay, Long Island, and on 
untreated sewage outfall from the Hudson River. Neither of them, 
it seems, were really caused by ocean dumping. 
Despite growing scientific evidence that showed the oceans to be 
considerably less fragile than many thought, a complete ban on 
ocean dumping was imminent, and ocean dumping research was 
being noticeably reduced. 
Looking landward, we found a growing concern over human 
health hazards from land disposal of wastes. Love Canal had been 
in the headlines; ground water pollution was causing alarm in 
many parts of the country; and drinking water wells were being 
closed. Growing scientific evidence showed the land and freshwater 
systems to be more complex than expected. In reaction to this, sev- 
eral laws were passed—the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and 
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, RCRA, of 1976—that 
greatly reduced land and freshwater disposal options. In addition, 
the Clean Air Act of 1970 led to a decrease in the number of incin- 
erators. 
NACOA was concerned that these successive acts, each a reason- 
able response to real environmental concerns, were creating an un- 
tenable situation. The Nation produces about 1.5 billion tons of 
wastes annually, and it was becoming impossible to find an accept- 
able disposal site anywhere for some of these wastes. 
Much work needs to be done on new treatment and recycling 
techniques to reduce the amount and the toxicity of wastes, but it 
is certainly not within the bounds of present technology to elimi- 
nate waste material completely. Some wastes must be disposed of 
somewhere. NACOA was concerned that growing political and eco- 
nomic pressures associated with land disposal problems, and imple- 
mentation of RCRA regulations, might create a backlash forcing re- 
newed pressure for ocean dumping, while research on the effects of 
ocean dumping was being virtually eliminated. 
Against this background, then, NACOA published its 1981 recom- 
mendations. 
Mr. Chairman, I will not read those recommendations, but I 
would appreciate it if they could be put into the record at this 
point. 
Mr. D’Amours. Without objection, that will be ordered. 
[Material follows:] 
