Response actions at offshore hazardous waste sites

Scores of U.S. offshore continental hazardous wastes sites, including radioactive, bulk industrial chemical, unexploded ordnance, and chemical weapons, as well as sunken vessels containing hazardous cargo have gone uninvestigated as to their potential impact on the marine ecosystem. Only one site investigated, the “Santa Clara I”, with advanced technologies resulted in a successful response action not requiring further attention. Other sites investigated continue to plague regulators with unresolved questions. The concerns at three sites, Massachusetts Bay, “Empire Knight”, and Gulf of Farallones are primarily being driven by concern over public perception regarding risk to human health and/or the marine ecosystem. A large suite of acoustic devices, electro-optic imaging systems, remotely operated vehicles and submersibles now enable the application of a range continuum of resolution for offshore site investigations. A systematic investigative approach along a continuum beginning with broad scale, low-resolution data followed as warranted by increasingly higher resolving technologies appears to be the most expedient and flexible systematic approach for chronic sites. However, the high cost of advanced technologies and logistics for offshore investigations, aggravated by reduced agency budgets for research and response is limiting technological access, data acquisition and site investigation closure. New ways of leveraging limited dollars are necessary to fulfill mandates, missions, and research and development needs