Defenders' Experts
MARINE PROTECTION RESEARCH AND SANCTUARIES ACT OF 1972
(16 U.S.C. 1431 to 1445, 33 U.S.C. 1401 to 1445)
This Act authorizes the Secretary of Commerce, with significant public input, to designate and manage national marine sanctuaries based on specific standards. It provides for supervision by the Secretary over any permitted private or federal action that is likely to destroy or injure a sanctuary resource, and requires periodic evaluation of implementation of management plans and goals for each sanctuary. The Act also specifies prohibited activities, penalties and enforcement.
Part II: This Act prohibits transporting any material from the U.S. for the purpose of dumping it into ocean waters, or dumping any material into ocean waters, except as authorized by permit. The Act sets controls on materials and sites for dumping, and requires fees and compliance with agreements for alternative waste management and disposal. The Act also provides for the establishment of monitoring and research programs on the effects of dumping into ocean waters, including the possible long-term effects of pollution, overfishing and human-induced changes in ocean ecosystems.
PURPOSE
"It is the purpose of this Act to regulate
(1) the transportation by any person of material from the United States and, in the case of United States vessels, aircraft, or agencies, the transportation of material from a location outside the United States, when in either case the transportation is for the purpose of dumping the material into ocean waters, and
(2) the dumping of material transported by any person from a location outside the United States, if the dumping occurs in the territorial sea or the contiguous zone of the United States."
LINKS
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
