Responsible Agencies
There are four federal agencies that share responsibilities under the Ocean Dumping Act:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA)
- U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the primary agency that is in charge of regulating the disposal of all substances that are disposed in the ocean; this agency also authorize the research and demonstration of activities that are have to do with phasing out sewage and industrial waste disposing. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agency is in charge of dredged spoils. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is in charge of the research on the changes of the marine environment that are caused by humans. The U.S. Coast Guard is in charge of the surveillance of ocean dumping.
The NOAA National Marine Sanctuary program manages a network of underwater areas that are protected by the US. These special bodies of water, like oceans and lakes, are protected by Congress to keep natural and cultural resources while allowing people to enjoy the waters. The Marine Protection, Research, Sanctuaries Act gives way for a national network of marine sanctuaries that are administered by NOAA.The NOAA was created in 1970 after an oil spill 30 miles of the coast of California released 235,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. As time passes and technology advances, the NOAA has added sanctuaries all over the US. Three sites followed from 1992, with Congress designating Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California.
Read more about this topic: Marine Protection, Research, And Sanctuaries Act Of 1972
Famous quotes containing the words responsible and/or agencies:
“Healthy parenting is nothing if not a process of empowerment. As we help to raise our children’s self-esteem, we also increase their personal power. When we encourage them to be confident, self-reliant, self-directed, and responsible individuals, we are giving them power.”
—Louise Hart (20th century)
“While it is generally agreed that the visible expressions and agencies are necessary instruments, civilization seems to depend far more fundamentally upon the moral and intellectual qualities of human beings—upon the spirit that animates mankind.”
—Mary Ritter Beard (1876–1958)