Public Notice: Emergency Permit for the Disposal of a Humpback Whale Carcass - Marblehead, Massachusetts

Summary

The EPA issued an Emergency Permit for the Town of Marblehead to dispose of the carcass of a humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, into ocean waters. The deceased whale washed ashore along Preston Beach, Marblehead, Massachusetts late in the day on April 25, 2024. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Stranding Coordinator was notified, and the whale carcass was examined on April 26, with measurements and samples collected for laboratory analysis.

Given the location of the carcass on the rocky shoreline, burial was not possible, and no other feasible upland disposal options were identified. Given the lack of upland options and the determination of the potential risk to human health from allowing the whale to decompose in place on the shoreline of this populated area, EPA issued an Emergency Permit allowing ocean disposal of the carcass on April 29. On May 2, the whale carcass was towed approximately 46 miles offshore to a location outside of Massachusetts Bay and established shipping lanes and was released at approximately 6 pm EDT in hopes that it would be assimilated naturally into the marine food chain.

Unfortunately, prevailing winds and currents returned the carcass into Massachusetts Bay, and it made landfall on May 14 in Swampscott, remarkably a short distance from its original landfall in Marblehead. Given the advanced state of degradation of the carcass at that point (limiting the potential for towing) and an identified non-rocky portion of the Swampscott beach, the carcass was buried on the beach on May 18.

Under the ocean dumping regulations, emergency permits may be issued for any materials except those prohibited by 40 CFR 227.5 when the Administrator determines that there exists an emergency requiring the dumping of such materials, which poses an unacceptable risk relating to human health and admits of no other feasible solution.

Applicants or Respondents

Related Documents

• Emergency Permit for Marine Carcass Disposal - Marblehead, MA (pdf) (1.03 MB)
  This is an emergency permit that allows the permittee to transport the marine mammal carcass of a humpback whale, found along the shore of Preston Beach, Marblehead, MA and dispose of it at the provided coordinates within the EPA designated Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site if the carcass is weighted such that it will sink to the bottom, or at a distance of at least 15 miles east of the eastern boundary of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary such that the carcass is not expected to drift back to the shoreline prior to decomposing/sinking and is not expected to cause any disruption in vessel traffic. EPA has determined that there has been demonstrated to exist an emergency, requiring the dumping of this material, that poses an unacceptable risk relating to human health and admits of no other feasible solution. The US Coast Guard Sector Boston will be notified by phone of this emergency permit.