Prohibiting all Hazardous Waste Disposal

Beyond nuclear waste, hazardous waste import and disposal in the Arctic are critical matters. Restrictions on the substance classes permitted to be dumped in the deep Arctic waters would help to provide a legal basis for action against parties who are not living up to their obligations. Ships’ ballast water should not be allowed to be changed in the Arctic, since this could introduce alien species to the region. In addition, no open disposal of trash or sewage, including through the use of a macerator, should be allowed. This would send a message that the Arctic nations recognize that the world’s other oceans have been mismanaged and that they are determined not to make the same mistakes in the Arctic.