The Nation : EPA Offers Waste Rules

Without waiting for all of its research results, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules for burning hazardous liquid wastes at sea. Jack Ravan, assistant administrator for water programs, said: “We cannot research this question forever.” The proposal will not become effective until after public hearings and a 90-day wait for public comment, and probably not until October or November, Ravan said. A subcommittee of the EPA’s scientific advisory board warned in a draft report last December that several questions remain unanswered, among them the effects of burning on marine life.