Approved by the Energy, Environment, and Water Policy Committee on November 20, 2023 
Approved by the Public Policy Committee on February 28, 2024
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 18, 2024

Policy

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports:

  • Continued enforcement of the statutes regulating the disposal of wastes into ocean and coastal waters, especially the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), and the Clean Water Act (CWA).
  • Continued research of the long-term impact of waste disposal on ocean and coastal waters.
  • Updated regulations based on research, directing the quality, and limiting the quantity of waste dumping, sewage, and other discharges in ocean and coastal waters to levels that are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.
  • Cooperation with international programs for limiting waste disposal in coastal waters.

Issue

There are short- and long-term costs and environmental consequences associated with disposal of solid and liquid wastes, industrial discharges, and treated wastewater into ocean and coastal waters. Impacts include floating solid waste islands, plastics and microplastics, temperature, and salinity. These concerns have led to increased restrictions and the need for increased enforcement on marine disposal. 

Rationale

Ocean and coastal waters provide vast resources of enormous ecological and economic value. Historically disposal of large quantities of discharges in ocean and coastal waters was practiced without adequate knowledge of the impact of these discharges. Waste dumping has often been indiscriminate and resulted in incidents of marine pollution and poisoning of marine biota that can ultimately be toxic to humans. Bacterial contamination has resulted in increased beach closures, infections in marine wildlife, and suspensions of harvesting from shellfish beds. Waste discharges from drinking water desalination facilities have also changed the salinity and affected the ecosystems of near shore aquatic communities.

Coastal disposal can be acceptable provided that the discharged materials are of comparable composition and quality to that of the receiving water body, the distance from shore and proper diffusion have been evaluated and incorporated, and the disposal would not significantly impact the renewability of aquatic resources, especially in bays and estuaries. In order to develop proper marine management programs and regulation, continued research is required on the fate of pollutants and chemicals introduced into these waters including bottom sediment analysis. This involves monitoring of ocean environments and the use of coastal modeling to assess the impact to fish and wildlife resources and on their support systems. In addition, targeted research is recommended for developing effective sustainable methods of reducing (e.g., beneficial reuse and dry land disposal) the volume of waste and wastewater being disposed in coastal and ocean water environments.

 ASCE Policy Statement 286
First Approved in 1982