Pi) 
545 
PREPARED STATEMENT OF Hon. JAMES J. HOWARD, CHAIRMAN, PuBLIC WORKS AND 
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE 
I would like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Nese D'Amours for the 
opportunity to submit testimony on the Ocean Dumping Act Amendments of 1982. 
The Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, commonly known as 
the Ocean Dumping Act, was enacted in 1972 as a result of concern over the 
effects of unregulated ocean dumping. The Act established a policy to prohibit 
or strictly limit the dumping of materials harmful to people or the marine 
environment. The 95th Congress strengthened this legislation with my active 
support and established a deadline to terminate ocean dumping of harmful sewage 
sludge by December 31, 1981. The 96th Congress amended this law to include a ban 
on the dumping of harmful industrial wastes with the same termination date. 
It has been three months since the dumping was to end, but still-it continues. 
The marine environment is under siege by harmful sewage wastes, chemical byproducts, 
contaminated dredge spoils and radioactive wastes. These wastes contain known and 
unknown perils for the future of the marine environment and those :vho harvest 
the resources of the sea. Deadly trace metals, and various cancer-causing substances 
have accumulated at the various dumping sites regulated by the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA). We are clearly reaching a critical stage in the ability 
of certain regions of the ocean to neutralize or absorb wastes with the New York 
Bight area Pee head of the list. 
In 1981, EPA dose not to appeal a Federal District Court decision to allow 
New York City to continue dumping 3 1/2 million tons of sludge into the New York 
Bight. This decision,coupled with the new Administration's lack of commitment 
‘to clean up our marine environment has allowed EPA to set precedents and extend 
the dumping permits for certain sludge and chemical dumpers. In a chemical waste 
dumping application, which I have actively opposed, EPA has justified a tentative 
approval for continued dumping with the following statement: 
