History of ocean dumping in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Gulf of Mexico has also been used as a dumping ground for the coastal states. Initially there was no control over dumping, but the Corps of Engineers was eventually given authority to overview this practice. Then in 1973, the Environmental Protection Agency took over and imposed a stringent permit system and designated specific dump sites. Eight separate permits were issued since then to industries. This paper discusses each permit issued and the contents of the permit. The different methods of discharging wastes vary and are also presented.