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In the past, the policy has been: “If it is dangerous, dump it 
anywhere you can.” 
In a Commonwealth which is beginning to value its natural fehl: 
tage, and whose five million people are beginning to demand clean 
air and clean water as part of their birthright, this policy must be 
changed to: “If you are not positive the material is harmless, you 
can’t dump it anywhere.” 
This may impose some temporary hardships upon iniaastiys 
schools, hospitals and laboratories, but it must be made clear that 
the Commonwealth expects each such producer of a harmful waste 
to take every possible step to minimize the quantity and the danger 
of such wastes. And each producer must accept a personal obliga- 
tion to dispose of any necessary residue—without regard to ex- 
pense—in the safest possible way. The public demands no less; our 
interest in a continually habitable planet requires such concern. 
_ The Commission feels that the Division of Water Pollution Con- 
trol in the Department of Natural Resources should have primary 
responsibility for the waste control and disposal program author- 
ized by the accompanying bill. It has furnished that Division with 
a list of chemicals supplied by Woods Hole scientists, and has 
recommended that categories of hazardous waste be created ap- 
proximately as follows: 
1. Harmless — may be dumped in the ocean off Boston Lightship. 
2. Relatively harmless — but should be dumped off the conti- 
nental shelf. 
3. Harmful in the marine environment — should be burned, neu- 
tralized, re-cycled or refined on the premises of the producer. | 
4. Harmful in the marine environment — should be burned, neu- 
tralized, re-cycled or refined by a disposal company or refinery. 
5. Harmful — should be banned from the marine environment 
- and any site where it might enter the water table. (Mercury 
and beryllium are in this category.) 
6. Harmful — should be banned from disposal anywhere in the 
“Commonwealth, including its maximum ocean jurisdiction. 
The last category applies to such substances as radio-active 
waste. The Commission has not pursued this problem further’ at 
this time, because it is satisfied that such materials are not pres- 
