575 
=17= 
Mandate of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act 
of 1972 (The Ocean Dumping eee The Ocean Dumping Act created 
2 sagelakeray/macoarcin framework to provide, inter alia, technial 
information for the development of future regulations through the 
evaluation of past sites. 
Since 1974 the Farallon Island site has been investigated 
four times: once in 1974 (at the 900-meter depth) and once in 
1975 (at 1700m) to see if specific drums could be found, and twice 
in 1977 (at 900m and 1700m) when samples were taken. The U.S. 
dumpsites in the Western Atlantic were also surveyed three times 
during 1974-78 (twice at 2800m, and once at 3800m) and similar 
experiments were conducted. These surveys were pioneering 
efforts; not comprehensive examinations of the ocean ps ety ah ok Weel 
Many pictures were taken, but only three drums were actually 
recovered for direct area ee 
The GAO Report relies upon the findings of "EPA officials" in 
relation to those surveys as a primary basis for the Report's con- 
clusion that ocean dumping is not hazardous, even though the Report 
41/ 
states at one point that those surveys are of "questionable value." 
In November of 1980 an EPA official was asked, by Congressman Gerry 
Studds, if the agency believed that the retrieval of only three 
(es) 
BY  Sieisreey ives 2) 
October 1980 Hearings, supra note 29, at 24 (testimony of 
39/ 
avid Hawkins). 
ive} 
1) 
40/ November 1980 Hearings, supra note 6, at 358-79. 
Guy GRO Sisters, Sillsssel woes 3, ens BA. 
