Number: 1984-07
WHEREAS, some 300 million tons of “hazardous wastes” are generated each year in the United States and a large proportion of these wastes are being disposed of in environmentally unsound ways (such as landfills, surface impoundments, underground injection wells, and discharges into sewer systems); and
WHEREAS, certain hazardous wastes are best managed through destruction by thermal means, such as incineration; and
WHEREAS, efficient (i.e., better than 99.99%) destruction of certain hazardous wastes can be achieved through incineration both on land and on specially designed incinerator ships; and
WHEREAS, every possible precaution must be taken to minimize both operational and uncontrolled releases into the environment of highly toxic substances;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 15-18, 1984, in Atlanta, Georgia, is opposed to a blanket ban on incineration at sea, believing that it can be an environmentally sound waste management technology when applied to suitable wastes, subject to adequate safeguards, and in appropriate storage, collection, and incineration locations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that commercial ocean incineration permits should be issued only following the promulgation by the EPA of formal ocean incineration regulations, incorporating best applicable incineration and monitoring practices, and reflecting full compliance with all applicable legal requirements; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ocean incineration should be deemed an acceptable technology only until and unless “clearly better” land-based alternatives become generally available; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Federation urges the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard, to conduct a comprehensive, comparative risk assessment to determine the incremental risk of collision posed by new incinerator ships, in relation to the existing risk of collision and spillage associated with cargo and tanker ships which currently transport massive quantities of highly toxic chemical cargoes through our inland and coastal waters.