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b. Effect on human activities 



Human health may be directly threatened by the ingestion of seafood in shal- 

 low-water areas where material containing toxic substances and pathogenic 

 organisms is dumped. Fish and shellfish may become carriers of hepatitis, polio 

 and other human pathogens by contact with sewage sludge. 



Recreational and aesthetic uses of coastal areas also can be disrupted by ocean 

 dumping. Many beaches near metropolitan areas have been closed on account 

 of the high pathogen content of coastal waters from sewage and waste deposits, 

 or where toxic waste materials have been dumped. Unpleasant odors may be 

 caused by the decomixisition of algae and by anaerobic bacteria. 



Furthermore, ocean dumping may cause substantial economic losses through 

 the destruction of fish and shellfish colonies, their contjuuination with toxic 

 substances or pathogens, or the tainting of their flesh from contact with dumped 

 materials. The cleaning up of polluted beach and coastal areas is also very costly, 

 particularly in densely populated metropolitan areas where dumping tends to 

 be concentrated. Floating and suspended materials may interfere with fishing 

 and navigation activities, and may foul or damage vessels and equipment. 



The following excerpts from the CEQ report of 1970 are designed to give just 

 a few examples of what the magnitude of some of these effects can be : 



"* * * Effluents from land-based sewage outfalls are the major source of 

 coliform bacteria, but ocean dumping of sewage sludge is also significant. The 

 FDA found that ocean bottom sediments up to 6 miles from the New York Bight 

 sludge dump contained coliform counts that exceeded permissible levels. On 

 May 1. 1970, this area, 12 miles in diameter, and a similar area off Delaware 

 Bay were closed to shellfishing. Clams harvested for sale in the New York Bight 

 contained coliform bacteria 50 to 80 times higher than the standards set by FDA. 



"Hepatitis virus are carried by shellfish. A 1961 outbreak of infectious hepa- 

 titis was traced to raw shellfish taken from Raritan Bay, N.J. Shellfish have 

 been collected with polio virus concentrated to at least 60 times that of surround- 

 ing waters. 



"* * * Many beaches have been closed to swimming because of the high coli- 

 form content of the water. Most closed beaches are near large metropolitan 

 areas, such as San Francisco and New York. Floating materials, such as solid 

 waste and oil, po.se a major threat to amenity values. Rotting algae and anaerobic 

 waters cau.se unpleasant odors and visual pollution. And debris are often a 

 hazard to small boats. 



"* * * Significant economic los.'-es result from ocean pollution. A major loss 

 is the commercially valuable fish or other seafood species killed directly or in- 

 directly or rendered inedible. They represent serious social and financial losses 

 because of the near sub.sistence level of many fishermen. 



"In 1969, the total catch of crabs, lobsters, shrimp, oysters, clams, and scallops 

 was 729 million i>ounds. Becau.se one-fifth of the Nation's 10 million acres of 

 shellfish beds are closed due to contamination, it can be estimated that the total 

 catch would have been 181 million pounds higher. This estimate is probably low, 

 since the closed areas are particularly productive — in lush estuarine systems 

 in close proximity to large cities where they would have been harvested inten- 

 sively. Figure 1 indicates the financial impact assuming a loss of one-fifth the 

 potential catch. 



"The loss is well documented in San Francisco Bay. Prior to 1935, the annual 

 commercial harvest of soft shell clams was l)etween 100,000 and 300,000 pounds. 

 Today clam-digging is virtually nonexistent because of pollution. The annual 

 commercial landings of the shrimp fishery prior to 1936 were as high as 6.5 

 million pounds : landings in lOe."* were only 10,000 pounds * * *."' 



3. Effects of the Dumphio of Specific Sul)stinces. — Admittedly, ocean dumping 

 only has contributed partially to some of the episodes described above and our 

 knowledge of the specific effects on the marine environment of the dumping of 

 various substances is still very tentative and incomplete. Indeed one of the major 

 purposes of the recently enacted "Marine Protections, Research and Sanctuaries 

 Act" (as the title suggests) is the commencement of a major coordinated research 

 effort by various Federal agencies into these environmental effects and Title II 

 of that Act specifically directs the Secretary of Commerce, in conjunction with 

 other agencies, to undertake a "comprehensive and continuing program of moni- 

 toring and research" in this regard. Similarly, one of the more immediate objec- 

 tives of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment was the 

 encouraeement of worldwide monitoring and research programs to detf^rmine the 

 presence and effect of various pollutants in the marine environment. Hopefully, 



