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The dumping of sewage sludge in the Atlantic Ocean involves 

 three sites. The EPA proposes designation of the 106 Mile Site off 

 Delaware's coast for sludge dumping over a five year period. in 

 addition, New York City and six northern New Jersey sewage 

 authorities have petitioned the EPA to redesignate a 12 Mile Site 

 and a 60 Mile Site, both off the New Jersey and New York coasts for 

 sewage sludge dumping. The 12 Mile Site has been used for that 

 purpose for many years. 



The 1980 Environmental impact statement on the 106 mile site 

 said that the feasibility of municipal sewage sludge disposal at the 

 106 Mile site is a special case and that, "...the only reasonable 

 long term solution for disposal of harmful sewage sludge is by means 

 of land-based processes." In view of that statement, I urge the EPA 

 to insist that New York City and northern New Jersey sewage 

 authorities make every possible effort to find land-based means of 

 sludge disposal. 



It is technologically and financially feasible to process and 

 dispose of wastes on land. What is required is a consistent 

 national policy and a national goal to avoid adding to the pollution 

 of the oceans and estuaries. 



Delaware has already made such a commitment. Although Delaware 

 could have requested permission to dump waste materials in the 

 ocean, it did not. Delav;are has established a land based treatment 

 system to assure that the ocean environment is not affected by 

 residual waste disposal. 



