Articles

More Bad "Stuff" About Ocean Dumping
submitted by Tom Fote

More Bad stuff for Ocean. We need to ask for public hearings.

I received this from Peggy Bowen, Director New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs

In the last few days, I got several Public Notices from the US Army Corp of
Engineers. Two are:
Raritan River and Raritan Bay # RARITRIV/00
and
Buttermilk Channel, NY # Buttermilk-00
Both comment periods expire May 1, 2000
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When they say stuff like the following, I wonder about it. After all, this is the same Corp of Engineers that told us not to worry because things were safe for all the years that I have protested against ocean dumping (since 1976)! and now the area is too toxic to remain uncovered. And it all comes down to money. It is cheaper to dump in our ocean than do anything else.
I have copied from the Public Notice mostly on Buttermilk:
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Buttermilk Channel is between Brooklyn and Governors Island.
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took 7 core samples that then were combined before testing

In there evaluation of the solid phase bioaccumulation it states:

Table 3 indicates that several contaminants bioaccumulated above reference in the clam and/or worm. The testing memo further evaluates these contaminants and concludes that any contaminant that exceeded reference did not exceed any existing regional matrix or dioxin value. Several contaminants which did not have matrix values DID exceed background levels, but in no case did any contaminant accumulate to toxicologically important concentrations even when very conservative assumptions were used in the analysis. Any contaminants that exhibited bioaccumulation test results above reference were all below the acceptable human health risk range and acceptable aquatic effects range.......

...... Sediments in the HARS have been found to be acutely toxic to sensitive
benthic marine organisms in laboratory tests.
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Buttermilk 28 day bioaccumulation test results - chemical analysis of tissue most in ng/g
Total DDT bivalve - 7.17 polychaete (worm) - 5.58
Total PCBs 77.5 87.7
OCDD (a Dioxin?) 14.8 8.13
Fluoranthene 71.1 23.5
Pyrene 103 40.6
Chrysene 51.9 10.8
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And these were on the Raritan River notice
28 day bioaccumulation test results - chemical analysis of tissue
Total DDT bivalve - 3.04 poychaete (worm) - 7.01
Total PCBs 19.49 69.31
OCDD 31.58 27.13
Fluoranthene 40.32 53.80
Pyrene 25.65 39.33
Chrysene 11.69 11.70

(There are many more chemicals that were listed.)
....... Other options are not available at reasonable incremental costs, thus leaving HARS placement as the preferred alternative.
http://www.nan.usace.army.mil
Release For Tomorrow
Tom Fote