46 



-12- 



the present sewage sludge dumpers can demonstrate compliance with these 

 criteria at the 106-Mile Site. Some may have to impose significant 

 pretreatment requirements and/or provide additional treatment in order to 

 meet the criteria. 



The Act clearly allows the ocean dumping of municipal sludges, acid 

 wastes, dredged materials, and other wastes which pass the environmental 

 criteria, and where the applicant can demonstrate a need to ocean dump. 

 Several municipal sludge generators have expressed an interest in continued 

 ocean dumping. Thus, it is appropriate to designate a site where there is a 

 clearly expressed interest in ocean dumping. 



In the ocean dumping program there are two processes; one for site 

 designation and the other for permit issuance. In the site-designation 

 process, available scientific and technical information is evaluated in 

 terms of statutory and regulatory criteria to determine the adequacy of the 

 site for the disposal of specific wastes. In the permitting process, which 

 I will discuss in more detail later, the applicant must demonstrate 

 compliance with EPA's criteria on impacts of the proposed dumping on the 

 marine environment, the need for dumping, and the availability and impact of 

 alternate disposal methods. This demonstration is made on a case-by-case 

 basis. 



In response to your question regarding the use of the 12-Mile or 106- 

 Mile Sites for continued use for the dumping of sewage sludges, I should 



