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Federal-state work on marine minerals
Marine Pollution Bulletin
yd3). The Corps planned to dispose of 428 176 m 3 activity, and the need for blow-out prevention technolo(560 000 yd 3) and pending permit applications from 23 gies. The environmentalists also objected to the private entities totalled an additional 65 756 m 3 proposed 50-year implementation period for the dis(86 000 yd3). These 23 applications were primarily posal method, which they felt was an unnecessarily long from marina operators in Long Island Sound who asked period for an 'interim' solution. The multimillion dollar the Corps to consider their dredging operations as cost of the proposal was criticized since it might draw separate units during the permit review process. Under funds from development of long-term solutions to the amendments to the Marine Protection, Research, and disposal problem. Some authorities thought the proposal worthy of Sanctuaries Act, sediments must pass testing requirements if more than 19 115 m 3 (25 000 yd 3) of dredged further consideration since it isolates the sludge from material are to be disposed. Because it considered these the surrounding environment in geologically stable projects individually, the Corps did not require sedi- strata. Although the proposal is still under considerament testing. While it did not rule the Corps was in tion by NOAA, it would appear that political opposierror to consider these applications separately, the tion will kill the proposal long before environmental, court stated it had serious questions concerning the technical, and economic considerations are properly propriety of this policy. The court did rule that the envi- weighed. ronmental impact statement for the site was inadequate in that it did not analyse the types, quantities, or cumulative effects of the dredged material to be disposed at Federal-State Work on Marine Minerals the site. The Department of the Interior and the State of Hawaii have signed a cooperative agreement for joint planning and review of minerals development activities located Seabed Sludge Disposal offshore of Hawaii and Johnston Island. It is hoped that A plan that outlines a new alternative sewage sludge the agreement will result in effective joint management disposal method is being considered by the National of proposed future exploration, leasing, and mining of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). manganese crusts. The federal department and the State Even though the proposal is still an internal document of Hawaii have cooperated for the last four years in undergoing review, the outlined concept has already development of an environmental impact statement for the proposed activities. The new agreement establishes drawn fire from environmental groups. The proposal describes disposal of the sludge by two committees: a Cooperative Steering Committee to injecting it into holes drilled 122 m (400 ft) deep into prepare joint plans, resolve issues, and work with the ocean floor at nearshore sites. Sludge would be federal and state decision-makers on programmes and injected into the lower 61 m (200 ft) of the hole and policy issues; and a Coordination Committee to cosediment would be used to fill the remainder of the ordinate project activities and provide technical hole. Holes would be 102 cm (40 in) in diameter and support. would be located about 15 m (50 ft) apart. A site 34 km 2 (10 nmi 2) would provide room for 1.4 million drill holes, which would be sufficient to dispose of all the sludge generated by New York City in 45 years. The proposal as developed in response to increasing difficulties in disposing of sewage sludge in large urban areas. Cities, such as New York City, face the necessity of finding alternatives to their current ocean dumping practices, which have been banned by the Congress (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 19, 502-503). All current disposal options, including incineration, landfilling, land application, and ocean dumping, have been opposed by environmental and citizens' groups. These options have been implicated in the degradation of air, ground, surface, and marine water quality. Since sludge quantities are estimated to double by the year 2000, NOAA is considering a pilot study of the new seabed disposal technique off the New Jersey or New York coast. Environmental groups have criticized the seabed burial scheme on environmental, legal, technical, and economic grounds. The environmental concerns include potential groundwater contamination and detriment to the marine biota caused by the drilling. The proposal was criticized because there was no consideration of technical concerns, including disruption of the holes through natural phenomena, such as tectonic 106
Early Red Tide in Pacific The earliest appearance of a Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) 'red tide' in more than 60 years has caused an emergency quarantine on mussels and clams gathered from a section of the California coastline north of San Francisco. Outbreaks of the dinoflagellate blooms are common in the warmer months of MayOctober. Ingestion of the dinoflagellates causes concentration of the toxin produced by the dinoflagellates in the meat of the shellfish. When ingested by man, the nerve toxin can cause paralysis and even death. State health officials theorize that unusually high winds associated with recent storms may have caused water column turbulence sufficient to stir up dinoflagellate cysts from the ocean floor. Shellfish are quarantined when testing of shellfish meats detect levels of 80 ~g of the toxin per 100 g of meat. Shellfish were quarantined in early Janyary 1989 when toxicity levels of 1000 p.g. 100 g-1 of meat were found, and toxicities as high as 1800 gg. 100 g-1 of meat have been detected. It is unknown whether the quarantine will have to be extended to other regions or how long it might remain in effect.
yd3). The Corps planned to dispose of 428 176 m 3 activity, and the need for blow-out prevention technolo(560 000 yd 3) and pending permit applications from 23 gies. The environmentalists also objected to the private entities totalled an additional 65 756 m 3 proposed 50-year implementation period for the dis(86 000 yd3). These 23 applications were primarily posal method, which they felt was an unnecessarily long from marina operators in Long Island Sound who asked period for an 'interim' solution. The multimillion dollar the Corps to consider their dredging operations as cost of the proposal was criticized since it might draw separate units during the permit review process. Under funds from development of long-term solutions to the amendments to the Marine Protection, Research, and disposal problem. Some authorities thought the proposal worthy of Sanctuaries Act, sediments must pass testing requirements if more than 19 115 m 3 (25 000 yd 3) of dredged further consideration since it isolates the sludge from material are to be disposed. Because it considered these the surrounding environment in geologically stable projects individually, the Corps did not require sedi- strata. Although the proposal is still under considerament testing. While it did not rule the Corps was in tion by NOAA, it would appear that political opposierror to consider these applications separately, the tion will kill the proposal long before environmental, court stated it had serious questions concerning the technical, and economic considerations are properly propriety of this policy. The court did rule that the envi- weighed. ronmental impact statement for the site was inadequate in that it did not analyse the types, quantities, or cumulative effects of the dredged material to be disposed at Federal-State Work on Marine Minerals the site. The Department of the Interior and the State of Hawaii have signed a cooperative agreement for joint planning and review of minerals development activities located Seabed Sludge Disposal offshore of Hawaii and Johnston Island. It is hoped that A plan that outlines a new alternative sewage sludge the agreement will result in effective joint management disposal method is being considered by the National of proposed future exploration, leasing, and mining of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). manganese crusts. The federal department and the State Even though the proposal is still an internal document of Hawaii have cooperated for the last four years in undergoing review, the outlined concept has already development of an environmental impact statement for the proposed activities. The new agreement establishes drawn fire from environmental groups. The proposal describes disposal of the sludge by two committees: a Cooperative Steering Committee to injecting it into holes drilled 122 m (400 ft) deep into prepare joint plans, resolve issues, and work with the ocean floor at nearshore sites. Sludge would be federal and state decision-makers on programmes and injected into the lower 61 m (200 ft) of the hole and policy issues; and a Coordination Committee to cosediment would be used to fill the remainder of the ordinate project activities and provide technical hole. Holes would be 102 cm (40 in) in diameter and support. would be located about 15 m (50 ft) apart. A site 34 km 2 (10 nmi 2) would provide room for 1.4 million drill holes, which would be sufficient to dispose of all the sludge generated by New York City in 45 years. The proposal as developed in response to increasing difficulties in disposing of sewage sludge in large urban areas. Cities, such as New York City, face the necessity of finding alternatives to their current ocean dumping practices, which have been banned by the Congress (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 19, 502-503). All current disposal options, including incineration, landfilling, land application, and ocean dumping, have been opposed by environmental and citizens' groups. These options have been implicated in the degradation of air, ground, surface, and marine water quality. Since sludge quantities are estimated to double by the year 2000, NOAA is considering a pilot study of the new seabed disposal technique off the New Jersey or New York coast. Environmental groups have criticized the seabed burial scheme on environmental, legal, technical, and economic grounds. The environmental concerns include potential groundwater contamination and detriment to the marine biota caused by the drilling. The proposal was criticized because there was no consideration of technical concerns, including disruption of the holes through natural phenomena, such as tectonic 106
Early Red Tide in Pacific The earliest appearance of a Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) 'red tide' in more than 60 years has caused an emergency quarantine on mussels and clams gathered from a section of the California coastline north of San Francisco. Outbreaks of the dinoflagellate blooms are common in the warmer months of MayOctober. Ingestion of the dinoflagellates causes concentration of the toxin produced by the dinoflagellates in the meat of the shellfish. When ingested by man, the nerve toxin can cause paralysis and even death. State health officials theorize that unusually high winds associated with recent storms may have caused water column turbulence sufficient to stir up dinoflagellate cysts from the ocean floor. Shellfish are quarantined when testing of shellfish meats detect levels of 80 ~g of the toxin per 100 g of meat. Shellfish were quarantined in early Janyary 1989 when toxicity levels of 1000 p.g. 100 g-1 of meat were found, and toxicities as high as 1800 gg. 100 g-1 of meat have been detected. It is unknown whether the quarantine will have to be extended to other regions or how long it might remain in effect.