Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 1957 - Amendments to Title I of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA of 1972)

(House)
(Rep. Mikulski (D) Maryland and 8 others)

The Administration supports the simple reauthorization of the Act to regulate ocean dumping, and authorization of user fees to cover program costs. The Administration does not support, however, the enactment of H.R. 1957 for several reasons. Specifically, the bill:

— Establishes a preference for on-land disposal of sewage sludge by requiring the Administrator to make a finding that no suitable land disposal site exists before permitting ocean dumping. Given the absence of a definition of "suitable," and regulatory limitations on both land disposal and incineration, new disposal permits for sewage sludge could be tied up in litigation for years.

— Makes it more difficult, more expensive and more timeconsuming to obtain an ocean dumping site designation through addition of more rigid and complex environmental criteria and procedures.

— Mandates unnecessary use of resources on sites used infrequently and with small environmental impact by requiring final designation on short deadlines of sites now in interim status.

— Authorizes Federal payment of costs incurred by ocean dumpers in shifting to new sites from sites closed pursuant to ocean dumping regulation. This is wholly inappropriate and a potentially extremely costly precedent should it be applied to other public interest regulations.

The incremental environmental protection added by the above opposed provisions is virtually nil.