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A decision to discontinue dumping at the 12-mile site 

 should give due consideration to complex environmental, legal, 

 economic and jurisdictional factors. If it is determined, 

 however, that additional improvement in the environmental 

 quality of the New York Bight is the over-riding consideration, 

 then, in our view, moving the sludge to the 106-mile site is 

 appropriate. 



Five or six years ago, there was virtually no reasonable 

 alternative to use of the 12-mile site if ocean disposal were 

 to con.inue. Since then we have learned that the disposal of 

 sewage sludge at the 106-mile site may be conducted with 

 little or no permanent harm to the marine environment and its 

 resources or to human health. Preliminary studies indicate 

 that wastes disposed at the 106-mile site would be dispersed 

 quickly and effectively, and would not cause a permanent 

 impact on either commercial fishery or other ocean resources. 

 The studies also indicate that wastes would not wash up on the 

 shores of neighboring mid-Atlantic states. However, the long- 

 term effects of ocean disposal at the 106-mile site are 

 generally unknown and, therefore, its use must be monitored 

 carefully. 



Cuudies of the possible longer-term impact of sewage sludge 

 disposal should be continued, and a realistic baseline characteri- 

 zation should be completed and the monitoring plan developed 



