The Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988 (ยง 2030) is a United States federal law passed in 1988 that amended the Ocean Dumping Act of 1972. Formerly, ocean dumping was regulated and curtailed by license; this act made the dumping of those materials simply illegal as of 1992. Medical waste is included in the list of banned items, and waste transportation in coastal waters is put under Environmental Protection Agency permit. This act was contemporary to the incident where medical waste (vials of blood, syringes) washed up on the shores of New Jersey and Long Island during the summer of 1988. It pressured the passage in 1988 of the Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA).
History of ocean dumping
For much of history, the ocean was used generally as a dumping ground for many types of waste such as Garbage, Acid Rain, and Toxins. One area off the coast of New Jersey was used beginning in the 19th centruy as a dumping ground for sewage. This area is now known as the 12-mile dumping ground, and has a large amount of toxic metals. Divers are still advised to avoid the area due to the high level of refuse materials and toxins. [1]
References
- ^ Offshore Dumping Grounds, at NJ scuba diving website, accessed 11/11/07.
