76 
of a new international organization. Kennan— 12/ suggests such an -™ 
international effort centered in four functional areas: (1) col- 
lection, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of research infor- 
mation; (2) coordination of research; (3) establishment of inter- 
national environmental standards; and (4) establishment and 
enforcement of rules for human activities on the high seas, 
stratosphere, outer space, and perhaps the polar regions. 
A summary of specific Federal agency interests and responsi- 
bilities follow: 
1. Corps of Engineers: 
Through long-continued administrative practices stemming 
from the River and Harbor Act of 1899 (Refuse Act), the Corps has 
exercised certain rights to regulate dumping beyond the 3 miles in 
major metropolitan shipping areas. An example of how this agency 
operates is reviewed under Part I, page 19 and in Appendix 2. 
Through its Coastal Engineering Research Center, the Corps of 
Engineers conducts limited studies in coastal ecology to identify 
effects of waste disposal and other engineering activities on the 
ecology of surrounding areas. These studies are conducted under 
contract with universities or other Federal agencies, such as the 
present Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife study on the effects 
of sludge disposal in the New York Bight. 
2. Coast Guard: 
Responsibility for enforcement of Federal maritime laws 
has been given to the Coast Guard. Its authority comes from the 
Refuse and Pollution Acts of 1899, the Oil Pollution Convention 
of 1954, the Oil Pollution Act of 1961, as amended, along with 
the Tanker Act, the Hazardous Cargo Act, and the Water Quality 
Improvement Act of 1970, and the Merchant Marine Safety Program. 
All of these are directly related to measures to prevent inter 
alia the spillage of oil, discharge of sewage, and other danger- 
ous or hazardous commodities. However, there is some doubt as 
to Coast Guard Authority beyond control of oil pollution.) 
Further, the Magnuson Act provides broad authority for the 
Coast Guard to undertake necessary measures to protect the 
security of a port. A major problem would seem to be adequate 
water quality criteria to guide the Coast Guard in its enforce- 
ment and surveillance activities. In addition, the Coast Guard 
12/ To Prevent a World Wasteland: A Proposal. George F. Kennan, 
Foreign Affairs, 48(3):401-413, April 1970. 
53 
