Title 40

SECTION 227.7

227.7 Limits established for specific wastes or waste constituents.

§ 227.7 Limits established for specific wastes or waste constituents.

Materials containing the following constituents must meet the additional limitations specified in this section to be deemed acceptable for ocean dumping:

(a) Liquid waste constituents immiscible with or slightly soluble in seawater, such as benzene, xylene, carbon disulfide and toluene, may be dumped only when they are present in the waste in concentrations below their solubility limits in seawater. This provision does not apply to materials which may interact with ocean water to form insoluble materials;

(b) Radioactive materials, other than those prohibited by § 227.5, must be contained in accordance with the provisions of § 227.11 to prevent their direct dispersion or dilution in ocean waters;

(c) Wastes containing living organisms may not be dumped if the organisms present would endanger human health or that of domestic animals, fish, shellfish and wildlife by:

(1) Extending the range of biological pests, viruses, pathogenic microorganisms or other agents capable of infesting, infecting or extensively and permanently altering the normal populations of organisms;

(2) Degrading uninfected areas; or

(3) Introducing viable species not indigenous to an area.

(d) In the dumping of wastes of highly acidic or alkaline nature into the ocean, consideration shall be given to:

(1) The effects of any change in acidity or alkalinity of the water at the disposal site; and

(2) The potential for synergistic effects or for the formation of toxic compounds at or near the disposal site. Allowance may be made in the permit conditions for the capability of ocean waters to neutralize acid or alkaline wastes; provided, however, that dumping conditions must be such that the average total alkalinity or total acidity of the ocean water after allowance for initial mixing, as defined in § 227.29, may be changed, based on stoichiometric calculations, by no more than 10 percent during all dumping operations at a site to neutralize acid or alkaline wastes.

(e) Wastes containing biodegradable constituents, or constituents which consume oxygen in any fashion, may be dumped in the ocean only under conditions in which the dissolved oxygen after allowance for initial mixing, as defined in § 227.29, will not be depressed by more than 25 percent below the normally anticipated ambient conditions in the disposal area at the time of dumping.