Author : David M. Bearden
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 25 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2011-05-18
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1437956254
U. S. Disposal of Chemical Weapons in the Ocean by David M. Bearden Pdf
The U.S. Armed Forces disposed of chemical weapons in the ocean from World War I through 1970. At that time, it was thought that the vastness of ocean waters would absorb chemical agents that may leak from these weapons. However, public concerns about human health and environmental risks, and the economic effects of potential damage to marine resources, led to a statutory prohibition on the disposal of chemical weapons in the ocean in 1972. For many years, there was little attention to weapons that had been dumped offshore prior to this prohibition. However, the U.S. Army completed a report in 2001 indicating that the past disposal of chemical weapons in the ocean had been more common and widespread geographically than previously acknowledged. The Army cataloged 74 instances of disposal through 1970, including 32 instances off U.S. shores and 42 instances off foreign shores. The disclosure of these records renewed public concern about lingering risks from chemical weapons still in the ocean. Contents of this report: Introduction; History of U.S. Disposal of Chemical Weapons in the Ocean; Cessation of U.S. Disposal in the Ocean; Potential Risks from Disposal in the Ocean; Relevant Scientific Studies in Europe and Russia; Response Options and Issues; Response Authorities: CERCLA; Clean Water Act; RCRA; Legislation Enacted in the 109th Congress; Conclusion. Table. This is a print on demand report.