708 
CONCLUSIONS 
5.1 Contamination: 
Contamination and adverse biological effects from the myriad 
sources of wastes to the Bight are sufficiently severe to consider 
an overall plan for contaminant source control. In this paper, 
source control is used in the broadest sense, including better 
control of urban runoff and pre-treatment of waste streams prior to 
the effluent discharge. Pre-treatment and improved operation and 
maintenance of sewage treatment plants can provide substantial 
improvement in the quality of sludge, in the quality of the waste 
water effluent, and ultimately in the quality of dredged material. 
Source control will have an effect on the overall quality and 
quantity of anthroposenic material going into the Bight apex. A 
general improvement in the health of the marine environment can be 
expected. Moreover, source control would open a range of disposal 
options for sewage sludge not acceptabale at present. Among these 
are the opportunity to recycle sludge or use some portion of it as 
a resource. Cleaner sludge would also be less environmentally 
objectionable for ocean dumping. 
5.2 Dispersion: 
The 12-Mile site is the least dispersive of the three available 
dumpsites. This is a result of the site's relatively shallow 
depth, the presence of a topographic depression which tends to 
accumulate temporarily fine-grained organic materials and associated 
contaminants, and the small mixing volume of waters through the 
apex. Dumpsites can be ranked as dispersing or accumulating grounds 
(Champ and Park, 1981). Figure 3 presents a ranking of the major 
sewage sludge ocean dumpsites from around the world, in which the 
New York Bight was ranked the least dispersive ground. Despite 
this ranking, recent examinations of toxic metals data (NOAA, 1981) 
suggest that the Bight has achieved a "steady state" situation with 
regard to contaminant inputs. Although the Bight has been the site 
