- Email: [email protected]
Toxic effects in microlayer
Volume 19/Number 10/October 1988
provision could cost New York City, one of the muni- 6 stations in the Maryland regions of the Bay was found cipalities still ocean dumping, as much as S140 million to be contaminated with complex mixtures of metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides. The study in penalties per year. A similar bill (HR4338) was approved by the House report concluded that organisms cannot live in the of Representatives Merchant Marine and Fisheries microlayer for more than a few hours at some of these Committee. The House bill would require any munici- locations, and that mortalities may be as high as 50pality ocean dumping to have an EPA permit by the 65% due to contaminants in the microlayer. end of 1988. A disposal fee would be levied, ranging The report urged that further studies should be confrom $100 per dry ton of sludge dumped after 1988, to ducted during both high and low precipitation periods $250 per dry ton for sludge dumped after July 1990. in the southern, or Virginia, regions of the Bay and The bill would also impose civil penalties that would should be focused on the effects of toxic contaminants range from $1000 to $5000 per dry ton of sludge on blue crab larvae and on reproduction and survival of illegally dumped. eggs from fish species, such as the bay anchovy and the The two bills have pitted New York Congressmen hog choaker. The study also recommended that a workagainst New Jersey and other Atlantic coastal state's shop be held to assess existing knowledge of toxics in Congressmen, New York legislators have opposed the the Bay's microlayer and to develop a research and bills because they feel the bills require the munici- monitoring programme focused on resources potenpalities, and particularly New York City, to get out of tially threatened by surface water contamination. the ocean on an unreasonable schedule. These Congressmen feel New York City cannot meet the deadline Oil and Gas Sale Delayed and cannot afford the fees and penalties that would be imposed for failing to meet the deadline. However, they The Department of the Interior has delayed Oil and were unsuccessful in attempts to temper the provisions Gas Lease Sale 96 in the North Atlantic for at least 6 of the bill by reducing penalties and extending dead- months. Scheduled to take place in February 1989, Sale lines. 96 has been a focus for Congressional and state actions Those Congressmen supporting the ocean disposal to place a moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the ban fear that dumping at the Deepwater Site contri- Georges Bank Outer Continental Shelf region since butes to ocean pollution problems. These legislators 1984. In an effort to avert continued Congressional contend that the nine remaining municipalities continue moratoria, Interior deferred the leasing of large sections to ignore legislation and EPA mandates to end all ocean of the potential sale area through to 1992. In fact, Sale dumping by the end of 1981. The municipalities have 96 would have offered only 2.2 million ha (5.5 million been allowed to continue dumping at the Deepwater acres) for leasing, which is about 11% of the North Site through court order and EPA consent decrees, Atlantic Planning Area. In order to develop a strategy although they were forced to abandon the closer 12- to resolve issues underlying the moratorium, Interior mile site (located approximately 22 km from the mouth and the interested parties have held a series of meetings. of New York Harbour) in the New York Bight. The The parties decided to form a small representative EPA designation of the Deepwater Site expires in 1991. working group to draft a proposal for a lease sale plan In a similar action, the New Jersey Legislature unanim- that would represent an acceptable compromise among ously approved a measure to prohibit the municipalities the parties. The time required for this group's work and in that State from further ocean dumping of sewage analysis of its recommendations would force the leasing sludge after March 1991. of Sale 96 into 1989, under a different Secretary of the The New York legislators and New York City's Interior. Interior plans to analyse data and formulate Mayor Koch contend the dumping does not singifi- recommendations so that the new Administration will cantly contribute to coastal pollution. They claim that have all information necessary for a sound decision on illegal dumping, storm water runoff, and combined leasing this area, which is believed to have a reasonable sewer overflows are the causes of shoreline pollution. potential for discovery of commercial quantities of Therefore, they contend that money spent on penalties, natural gas. It is hoped a compromise can be reached so fees, and alternate sludge disposal methods is money that a sufficient number of lease tracts in water depths that will not be available for remedial measures focused of less than 400 m can be offered to draw bids in both on the real causes of the pollution. With estimates of deep and shallow areas. fees, penalties, and construction of alternative technologies ranging from $200 million to over $700 million, H u g e Lava Field in East Pacific the direction in which these amounts would be spent is a significant contribution. A 21 500 ha (53 000 acre) expanse of lava has been found on the ocean floor 1300 km southeast of the Galapagos Islands. Believed to be the largest lava field Toxic Effects in Microlayer created in recent times, the lava flow was discovered by A study commissioned by the EPA Chesapeake Bay scientists from the Universities of California and Program has concluded that surface-dwelling biota in Hawaii who were mapping a large portion of the East the Chesapeake Bay may be experiencing significant Pacific Rise using a sophisticated sonar system. The mortalities caused by toxics in the microlayer. Defined laval flow extends up to 18 km from its apparent source as the top 0.6 cm of the body of water, the microlayer at and inundates scarps over 61 m high. The researchers 503
provision could cost New York City, one of the muni- 6 stations in the Maryland regions of the Bay was found cipalities still ocean dumping, as much as S140 million to be contaminated with complex mixtures of metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides. The study in penalties per year. A similar bill (HR4338) was approved by the House report concluded that organisms cannot live in the of Representatives Merchant Marine and Fisheries microlayer for more than a few hours at some of these Committee. The House bill would require any munici- locations, and that mortalities may be as high as 50pality ocean dumping to have an EPA permit by the 65% due to contaminants in the microlayer. end of 1988. A disposal fee would be levied, ranging The report urged that further studies should be confrom $100 per dry ton of sludge dumped after 1988, to ducted during both high and low precipitation periods $250 per dry ton for sludge dumped after July 1990. in the southern, or Virginia, regions of the Bay and The bill would also impose civil penalties that would should be focused on the effects of toxic contaminants range from $1000 to $5000 per dry ton of sludge on blue crab larvae and on reproduction and survival of illegally dumped. eggs from fish species, such as the bay anchovy and the The two bills have pitted New York Congressmen hog choaker. The study also recommended that a workagainst New Jersey and other Atlantic coastal state's shop be held to assess existing knowledge of toxics in Congressmen, New York legislators have opposed the the Bay's microlayer and to develop a research and bills because they feel the bills require the munici- monitoring programme focused on resources potenpalities, and particularly New York City, to get out of tially threatened by surface water contamination. the ocean on an unreasonable schedule. These Congressmen feel New York City cannot meet the deadline Oil and Gas Sale Delayed and cannot afford the fees and penalties that would be imposed for failing to meet the deadline. However, they The Department of the Interior has delayed Oil and were unsuccessful in attempts to temper the provisions Gas Lease Sale 96 in the North Atlantic for at least 6 of the bill by reducing penalties and extending dead- months. Scheduled to take place in February 1989, Sale lines. 96 has been a focus for Congressional and state actions Those Congressmen supporting the ocean disposal to place a moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the ban fear that dumping at the Deepwater Site contri- Georges Bank Outer Continental Shelf region since butes to ocean pollution problems. These legislators 1984. In an effort to avert continued Congressional contend that the nine remaining municipalities continue moratoria, Interior deferred the leasing of large sections to ignore legislation and EPA mandates to end all ocean of the potential sale area through to 1992. In fact, Sale dumping by the end of 1981. The municipalities have 96 would have offered only 2.2 million ha (5.5 million been allowed to continue dumping at the Deepwater acres) for leasing, which is about 11% of the North Site through court order and EPA consent decrees, Atlantic Planning Area. In order to develop a strategy although they were forced to abandon the closer 12- to resolve issues underlying the moratorium, Interior mile site (located approximately 22 km from the mouth and the interested parties have held a series of meetings. of New York Harbour) in the New York Bight. The The parties decided to form a small representative EPA designation of the Deepwater Site expires in 1991. working group to draft a proposal for a lease sale plan In a similar action, the New Jersey Legislature unanim- that would represent an acceptable compromise among ously approved a measure to prohibit the municipalities the parties. The time required for this group's work and in that State from further ocean dumping of sewage analysis of its recommendations would force the leasing sludge after March 1991. of Sale 96 into 1989, under a different Secretary of the The New York legislators and New York City's Interior. Interior plans to analyse data and formulate Mayor Koch contend the dumping does not singifi- recommendations so that the new Administration will cantly contribute to coastal pollution. They claim that have all information necessary for a sound decision on illegal dumping, storm water runoff, and combined leasing this area, which is believed to have a reasonable sewer overflows are the causes of shoreline pollution. potential for discovery of commercial quantities of Therefore, they contend that money spent on penalties, natural gas. It is hoped a compromise can be reached so fees, and alternate sludge disposal methods is money that a sufficient number of lease tracts in water depths that will not be available for remedial measures focused of less than 400 m can be offered to draw bids in both on the real causes of the pollution. With estimates of deep and shallow areas. fees, penalties, and construction of alternative technologies ranging from $200 million to over $700 million, H u g e Lava Field in East Pacific the direction in which these amounts would be spent is a significant contribution. A 21 500 ha (53 000 acre) expanse of lava has been found on the ocean floor 1300 km southeast of the Galapagos Islands. Believed to be the largest lava field Toxic Effects in Microlayer created in recent times, the lava flow was discovered by A study commissioned by the EPA Chesapeake Bay scientists from the Universities of California and Program has concluded that surface-dwelling biota in Hawaii who were mapping a large portion of the East the Chesapeake Bay may be experiencing significant Pacific Rise using a sophisticated sonar system. The mortalities caused by toxics in the microlayer. Defined laval flow extends up to 18 km from its apparent source as the top 0.6 cm of the body of water, the microlayer at and inundates scarps over 61 m high. The researchers 503