importance of the problem of ocean dumping and had initiated studies 

 through its Coastal Engineering Research Center. (Studies summarized in 

 this report) The court furthermore refused to interfere at this stage 

 while the environmental criteria are still uncertain, evaluations on the 

 effects of ocean dumping are continuing and additional legislation is 

 pending. 



Additional legislation has now been enacted on ocean dumping. The 

 Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (Public Law 92- 

 532), was enacted 23 October 1972. This law has the following major 

 provisions: Section 101 of the law bans the transportation for the pur- 

 pose of dumping and the dumping of radiological, chemical, and bacterio- 

 logical warfare agents and high-level radioactive wastes; Section 102 

 authorizes EPA to issue permits for the transportation and dumping of 

 all other material except dredged and fill material and to establish 

 criteria for reviewing and evaluating such permits and designating sites 

 and times for dumping; Section 103 authorizes the Corps of Engineers to 

 issue permits, or regulations for Federal projects, for the transporta- 

 tion of dredged material for ocean dumping according to criteria es- 

 tablished by EPA; Section 107 authorizes the Coast Guard to conduct sur- 

 veillance of dumping activities and enforcement of regulations; finally. 

 Sections 201, and 202, authorize the Department of Commerce (NOAA) to 

 initiate a comprehensive and continuing program of monitoring and re- 

 search regarding the effects of ocean dumping. 



This recent legislation is now the comprehensive legislation on con- 

 trol of ocean dumping. 



2. Background 



a. Trends of Ocean Dumping . Trends of ocean dumping activities 

 along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts since 1949 through 1968 are 

 illustrated in Table 1. The figures do not include dredge spoils or 

 special waste materials such as radioactive wastes and military explo- 

 sives. Nonetheless these figures indicate an increase in the yearly 

 average quantity of waste materials disposed of in U. S. coastal areas. 



The relative quantities and types of waste materials, including 

 dredge spoils, disposed of by ocean dumping during a single year (1968) 

 along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts are given in Table 2. This 

 table shows that dredge spoils constitute the largest percentage of 

 waste materials disposed of (84%). 



Also, more than 62% of all ocean dumping occurs along the Atlantic 

 coast of the United States. Table 3 gives the quantities of materials 

 disposed of in the dumping areas of the New York Bight during the years 

 1965 through 1970. These quantities are given by volume (cubic yards) 

 instead of weight (tons). By considering bulk densities of some of the 

 waste materials (about l.lg/cm^ for mud and cellar dirt, 1.3g/cm^ for 

 dredge spoils, and Ig/cm^ for sewage sludge), we may conclude from Table 



