2. South Essex Sewerage District: A tentative approval was reversed 
to a tentative denial in May 1985. The reason being the inadequate 
assessment of adverse impacts on recreation. Reapplication is 
expected on November 1, 1986. 
3. City of Lynn: A tentative approval was reached in October 1982, 
and EPA is currently reviewing public comments on that approval. 
The waiver application tentatively was denied in 1985. The City of 
Lynn withdrew its intention to reapply in January 1986. 
4. City of Gloucester: A final approval was issued in June 1984. 
5. Town of Swampscott: A decision is pending and will be announced 
by the end of this month. Waiver application denied tentatively in 
March 1985. Town of Swampscott intends to reapply by November 
1, 1986. 
( 
Another source of discharges into the Bay is individual industries. A recent 
reading from our permit files in EPA Region I suggests that approximately 15 individual 
industries discharge into the Massachusetts Bay. This represents a very insignificant 
percentage of the industrial flows in the region. Most of the industries discharge into the 
municipal wastewater treatment facilities of their corresponding cities. As was 
mentioned, the MWRA is the largest municipal discharger in Massachusetts Bay. The 
major pollutant loadings into Boston Harbor from the MWRA system are treated effluent, 
sewage sludge, combined sewer overflows, and dry weather overflows (Figure 9). The 
other pollutant sources to Boston Harbor unrelated to the MDC system are storm water, 
urban runoff, and pollution loadings from the major tributary rivers of the Charles, Mystic 
and Neponset (Figure 3). 
One final source of material impacting Massachusetts Bay is the foul area. 
The foul dumping area site is located 9.3 nautical miles northwest of Boston Light Ship. It 
has been routinely used for dumping miscellaneous chemicals since 1917. Safety Projects 
and Engineering, Inc. (SPE) dumped waste chemicals at the site from hospitals, schools, 
and industry from 1963 through 1976. 
From 1973 through 1976, dumping took place pursuant to ocean dumping 
permits issued by EPA Region I. During this time SPE dumped 933 containers holding over 
4,800 gallons of chemicals. From 1946 through 1970, 4,000 containers of low-level 
radioactive waste licensed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission were also deposited in 
the foul area. A single manifest from February of 1976 indicates that material brought to 
the foul area included 21 chemicals known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, or neoplastic; 
25 halogenated organic compounds; and numerous toxic heavy metal compounds. SPE’s 
dumping at the site ceased 3 or 9 years ago. Under the Marine Protection, Research, and 
Sanctuaries Act permits, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) continues to dump and 
approve dumping of dredge spoils at the regional site. The area has EPA interim 
18 
