Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act

References

• http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/oceandumping/

• http://njscuba.net/biology/misc_bottom.html#dumps

• http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/mprsa_before.cfm

• http://www.gc.noaa.gov/documents/gcil_crs_oda.pdf

• http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_p049/rmrs_p049_573_578.pdf

• http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1108&context=pelr

Enforcement

orise.orau.gov

• EPA
• Civil Penalties of no more than $ 50,000
• Criminal Penalties including seizure of property and a fine
• Medical waste penalties
• civil $125,000
• Criminal $ 250,000 or 5 years in prison or both
• Coast Guard
• Surveillance and any other enforcement
• The Ocean Dumping Act preempts the CWA in coastal waters or open oceans, and the CWA controls in estuaries.
• States are permitted to regulate ocean dumping in waters within their jurisdiction under certain circumstances.

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Goals

The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 has two basic aims:

• to regulate intentional ocean disposal of materials
• to authorize related research.
• Title I (Referred to as the Ocean Dumping Act) contains permit and enforcement provisions for ocean dumping.
• Title II contains research provisions.
• Title III authorizes the establishment of marine sanctuaries.
• Title IV authorizes a regional marine research program.
• Title V addresses coastal water quality monitoring.

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MPRSA

• Most commonly known as the ocean dumping act.
• Enacted by congress in 1972.
• Implements the requirements of the London Convention, which is the international treaty governing ocean dumping.
• Put in place to prohibit the dumping of material into the ocean that would unreasonably degrade or endanger human health or the marine environment.

Impacts

• It also provides a research team on ocean dumping and designated protected marine areas.

Changes

What led to this legislation

Pros:

• Virtually all ocean dumping that occurs today is dredged material. Other materials that are dumped include vessels, fish wastes, and human remains.
• The Corps of Engineers issues permits for ocean dumping of dredged material, the bulk of which results from maintenance dredging by the Corps itself or its contractors.
• Average of 70 million cubic yards of dredged sediment material is disposed of in the ocean at designated sites yearly.
• The public is becoming informed of all matters involving MPRSA and is taking an active role in protecting our oceans.
• Other counties continue to make an effort in the cause.
• Sanctuaries are created to protect the waters and the marine life. They are showing effective results.

Table 1. Ocean Dumping Act and Amendments

• 1972 Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act
• 1974 London Dumping Convention Implementation
• 1977 Authorization of appropriations
• 1980 Authorization of appropriations
• 1980 Authorization of appropriations
• 1982 Surface Transportation Assistance Act
• 1986 Budget Reconciliation
• 1986 Water Resources Development Act
• 1987 Water Quality Act of 1987
• 1988 Ocean dumping research amendments
• 1988 Ocean Dumping Ban Act
• 1988 U.S. Public Vessel Medical Waste Anti-Dumping Act of 1988
• 1990 Regional marine research centers
• 1992 National Coastal Monitoring Act
• 1992 Water Resources Development Act

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www.dep.state.fl.us

Virtually unchanged from 1972

• It was enacted to establish a comprehensive waste management system to regulate disposal or dumping of all materials into marine waters that are within U.S. jurisdiction

A number of new authorities have been added.

• Research Responsibilities for the EPA
• Specific direction that EPA phase out the disposal of "harmful" sewage sludge and industrial wastes.
• Ban on the ocean disposal of sewage sludge and industrial wastes by December 31, 1991
• Inclusion of Long Island Sound within the purview of the act
• Inclusion of medical waste provisions

Evaluation

• 1968 38 million tons of dredged material (which, according to the report, was 34 percent polluted), 4.5 million tons of industrial wastes, 4.5 million tons of sewage sludge (which was significantly contaminated with heavy metals), and 0.5 million tons of construction and demolition debris dumped into the ocean.

• Sewage sludge dump site in the New York Bight (Atlantic ocean) the oxygen concentration near bottom waters declined from 61 percent in 1949 to 29 percent, measured at the limits of the dump area, and 10 percent, measured in the center of the site, in 1969. These decreases indicated that dumping could result in rapid and substantial degradation of marine water quality and ecosystems.

• 1968 100 million tons of petroleum products, 2-4 mil. tons of acid chemical wastes from pulp mills, more than 1 mil tons of heavy metals in industrial wastes, and more than 100,000 tons of organic chemical wastes.

• Between 1946 and 1970, more than 55,000 containers of radioactive waste were dumped in the Pacific Ocean. 34,000 containers were dumped off the East Coast from 1951 to 1962.

Impacts

• It has helped limit the waste from the United States into local waters
• It has lessen the weight of non native materials in the ocean
• The wording and enforcement still need improvement.
• My recommendations for the future are to get everyone on board with limiting our negative contribution to the oceans before we pollute them beyond saving.

www.alternet.org

thewatchers.adorraeli.com

Cons:

• City of New York v. EPA
• Dumping of sewage into the Atlantic ocean occurs today
• The MPRSA's wording is faulting in some instances.
• Enforcement
• A lot of the duties given by the act are shuffled around between areas.
• No one seems to want to enforce them properly or they overstep their boundaries as enforcers.
• Effectiveness of conservation areas
• The whole area is not being protected

oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

wallpaperswa.com

Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act

MPRSA

By: Christina Weaver