Number: 1980-10
WHEREAS, the ocean dumping of contaminated river and harbor dredgings represents a significant potential hazard to coastal fish and shellfish and to the human food-chain; and
WHEREAS, this hazard is increased by the dumping of inadequately characterized dredge spoils at inadequately studied ocean dumpsites; and
WHEREAS, the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 and the London Ocean Dumping Convention require full chemical and toxicological characterization of dredge spoils and detailed dumpsite study and evaluation prior to the authorization of any ocean dumping for any period of time; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the Army Corps of Engineers are authorizing the ocean dumping of dredge spoils, including highly contaminated spoils, at 131 unstudied ocean dumpsites throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, such ocean dumping is often authorized without adequate dredge spoil characterization (or without adequate reliance on the results of such characterization);
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 20-23, 1980, in Miami Beach, Fla., hereby urges that governmental agencies–including EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration–industries, and educational institutions accelerate research efforts to fill existing gaps in knowledge concerning the environmental impact of dredge spoil contaminants (in particular, chlorinated hydrocarbons) on marine flora and fauna and on humans; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization opposes the ocean dumping of inadequately tested dredge spoils and the dumping of dredge spoils at inadequately studied and evaluated ocean dumpsites; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization hereby urges the Army Corps of Engineers to make a major and expeditious effort to identify and implement means of reducing the shoaling of rivers and harbors and of otherwise minimizing the need to engage in frequent maintenance dredging; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization further urges the Army Corps of Engineers to make a similar major and expeditious effort to identify and implement environmentally sound alternatives to the open water (or wetland) disposal of contaminated dredge spoils.