§ 671.12 Waste disposal. ( a ) ( 1 ) The following wastes shall be removed from Antarctica: ( i ) Radioactive materials;
( ii ) Electrical batteries;
( iii ) Fuel (both liquid and solid);
( iv ) Waste containing harmful levels of heavy metals or acutely toxic or harmful persistent compounds;
( v ) Poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, rubber and lubricating oils, treated timbers and other products containing additives which can produce harmful emissions or releases;
( vi ) All other plastic wastes except low density polyethylene containers (such as bags for storing wastes) provided such containers are incinerated in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section;
( vii ) Solid, non-combustible wastes; and
( viii ) Fuel, oil and chemical drums that constitute waste.
( 2 ) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the obligations set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) (vii) and (viii) of this section shall not apply if the Director determines that the removal of such wastes by any practicable option would cause greater adverse environmental impacts than would be caused by leaving them in their existing locations.
( b ) All liquid wastes other than sewage and domestic liquid wastes and wastes referred in paragraph (a) of this section shall be removed from Antarctica to the maximum extent practicable.
( c ) Sewage and domestic liquid wastes may be discharged directly into the sea, taking into account the assimilative capacity of the receiving marine environment, and provided that such discharge occurs, wherever practicable, where conditions exist for initial dilution and rapid dispersal, and further provided that large quantities of such wastes (generated in a station where the average weekly occupancy over the austral summer is approximately 30 individuals or more) shall be treated at least by maceration. If biological treatment processes are used, the by-product of such treatment may be disposed of into the sea provided disposal does not adversely affect the local environment.
( d ) Residues of introduced animal carcasses, laboratory culture of micro-organisms and plant pathogens, and introduced avian products must be removed from Antarctica unless incinerated, autoclaved or otherwise sterilized.
( e ) Combustible wastes not removed from Antarctica other than wastes referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, shall be burnt in incinerators which reduce harmful emissions or discharges to the maximum extent practicable and the solid residue of such incineration shall be removed from Antarctica; provided, however, that USAP may continue to bury such combustible wastes in snow pits at South Pole Station, but must phase out such practices before March 1, 1995. Any emission or discharge standards and equipment guidelines which may be recommended by the Committee for Environmental Protection constituted or to be constituted pursuant to the Protocol or by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research shall be taken into account.
( f ) Sewage and domestic liquid wastes and other liquid wastes not removed from Antarctica in accordance with other provisions of this section, shall, to the maximum extent practicable, not be disposed of onto sea ice, ice shelves or grounded ice-sheet unless such wastes were generated by stations located inland on ice shelves or on the grounded ice-sheet. In such event, the wastes may be disposed of in deep ice pits if that is the only practicable option, provided the ice pits are not located on known ice-flow lines which terminate at ice-free land areas or in blue ice areas of high ablation.
( g ) No wastes may be disposed of onto ice-free areas or into any fresh water system.
( h ) Open burning of wastes is prohibited at all permanent stations, and shall be phased out at all other locations by March 1, 1994. If it is necessary to dispose of waste by open burning prior to March 1, 1994, allowance shall be made for the wind direction and speed and the type of waste to be burnt to limit particulate deposition and to avoid such deposition over areas of special biological, scientific, historic, aesthetic or wilderness significance.
( i ) Each unauthorized release of waste in Antarctic shall be, to the maximum extent practicable, promptly cleaned up by the person responsible for such release.