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Administering the Ocean Dumping Act
Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act
Administering the Ocean Dumping Act
[EPA Journal - July/August 1975]
In the more than two years since the Ocean Dumping Act became effective, all sea disposal
of wastes in the United States has been brought under full regulatory control by EPA and
many dumpers have been required to stop dumping immediately or to prepare for phasing
out these activities.
The Act, formally known as the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, gives EPA
the responsibility for regulating the dumping of all materials except dredged material.
While the Corps of Engineers has the responsibility for regulating the ocean dumping of
dredgings it must do so using criteria promulgated by EPA in consultation with the Corps.
The Act provides for control of both the transportation of material to be dumped and the
dumping itself. Banned entirely are the ocean disposal of radiological, chemical and biological
warfare agents and high-level radioactive wastes.
James L. Agee, Assistant Administrator for Water and Hazardous Materials, told the House
Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries earlier this year that between 1973 and 1974
there had been a total increase in ocean dumping of about 2.1 million tons from 1973 to
1974.
He explained that while there had been an overall decrease in dumping of industrial wastes
during this period, the net increase was caused by a rise in the dumping of sewage sludge
and construction and demolition debris.
The volume of industrial wastes being discharged at sea is on the decline and EPA has denied
70 permit applications, mostly for chemical dumping, since the Ocean Dumping Act became
effective.
Eleven ocean dumping sites in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico are now used by
approximately 100 permit holders for municipal and industrial wastes. There is no dumping in
the Pacific, although municipal sewage sludge is discharged to the ocean through outfall
lines. The outfall discharges of sludge on the West coast and elsewhere are controlled under
the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
Mr. Agee told the House committee that "...we have seen a major problem emerge which
may have far-reaching effects not only on the ocean dumping permit program, but also on
our entire environmental protection effort."
The problem, Mr. Agee said, is how to dispose of sewage sludge. As more and more cities
upgrade their sewage treatment facilities from no treatment to primary, secondary or
http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/mprsa/01.htm
1/1/2010
Administering the Ocean Dumping Act | EPA History | US EPA
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advanced waste treatment processes, more and more sewage sludge is generated.
The greater degrees of treatment produce greater quantities of sludge and the sludge from
more advanced waste treatment processes tends to contain large quantities of trace metals
and persistent organic compounds, which may have adverse environmental consequences
whether they are incinerated, put on the land or dumped in the ocean.
All present dumping of municipal sewage sludge originates from the highly congested New
York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. The total volume of the sludges from these two
metropolitan areas is almost equal to the volume of all other materials discharged under the
ocean dumping program.
Both the New York and Philadelphia areas are dumping under interim permits which stipulate
that they must seek some way of reducing concentrations of harmful pollutants and must
find alternate methods of disposal.
In discussing the general question of sludge dumping, Mr. Agee has said that "we feel that
the ocean disposal of sewage sludge, whether by dumping or by outfall, can be permitted
only on an interim basis until it is conclusively demonstrated that ocean disposal of sewage
sludge is the most acceptable environmental alternative available for ultimate disposal within
the limitations of available technology."
http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/mprsa/01.htm
1/1/2010