Seventies greening

Risk Management, August, 2008

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released a 20-year study showing that environmental laws that were enacted in the 1970s are having a positive effect on the ocean environment. The study also shows, however, a continuation of elevated levels of metals and organic contaminants found near cities and industrial areas.

NOAA's "Assessment of Two Decades of Contaminant Monitoring in the Nation's Coastal Zone from 1986-2005" is the result of analyzing 140 different chemicals coastal and estuarine areas in the United States, including the Great Lakes. NOAA, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, found decreasing national trends of DDT, PCBs and other industrial chemicals. Oil-related compounds, however, continue to flow into coastal waters on a daily basis.