After decades of mounting concern and scientific discovery, two members of Congress have introduced legislation to investigate and address the extensive DDT pollution off the Southern California coast. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced the Ocean Protection and DDT Reduction Act this week, proposing a federal framework to confront a problem that has horrified scientists and policymakers.
Since the post-World War II era, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste, largely from the nation’s biggest DDT manufacturer, were dumped into the ocean. Though the chemical dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT, was banned more than 50 years ago, it remains potent and takes generations to break down. Scientists continue to find significant amounts of the pesticide in present-day dolphins and coastal-feeding condors, and research has linked its presence to an aggressive cancer in California sea lions. Traces of DDT have also been found in zooplankton and deep-sea fish off the Los Angeles coast, suggesting the chemical might be infiltrating the base of the marine food web.
Initial federal regulatory findings suggest that barrels of DDT waste were likely poured directly into the ocean near Catalina Island. However, further investigation by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which set out to map the seafloor, not only identified corroding barrels but also discovered discarded military explosives from the World War II era. Compounding the issue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found records revealing 13 other areas off the Southern California coast approved for dumping between the 1930s and early 1970s. These sites received military explosives, radioactive waste, and various refinery byproducts, including 3 million metric tons of petroleum waste.
Despite extensive research, there has been no clear path forward or dedicated governmental leadership to tackle the problem. The Ocean Protection and DDT Reduction Act seeks to fill this gap by designating the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the primary coordinating agency. NOAA would work in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, and other relevant agencies.
The proposed legislation also authorizes $6 million annually through 2034 to fund a comprehensive program. This program would focus on mapping the full extent of the contamination on the seafloor and tracking how DDT and related chemicals are spreading through the water and the food web. Additionally, the bill calls for scientists to analyze and explore potential cleanup possibilities, such as bioremediation, and to develop new tools and scientific approaches that could be applied to other ocean waste disposal sites across the nation.
Representative Carbajal emphasized that Southern California communities "depend on a healthy ocean" and that there is a responsibility to protect these waters, expressing hope for a “real, meaningful solution” to the problem. Senator Padilla added that communities “deserve to know what’s in the water” and what it means for their health, fisheries, and future, noting the bill would put NOAA’s scientists to work on mapping and tracking the contamination, and exploring cleanup options.
David Valentine, whose research team at UC Santa Barbara first discovered the corroding barrels, highlighted that while California is “ground zero” for this issue, the bill's advancements could be applied nationwide. He noted a "robust research community" is ready but has lacked the consistent, focused program the bill now offers. Environmental scientist Mark Gold, who has advocated for DDT cleanup for over 30 years, called the bill’s passage monumental. Gold, now director of CalCOFI for Scripps Institution of Oceanography, stressed the critical need to integrate data from the deep ocean, the Palos Verdes Shelf, and the Dominguez Channel to provide decision-makers with the information required to protect public health and the environment. Gold described it as “one of the most tragic environmental stories” in the nation’s history, arguing it "deserves an ending."
Carbajal and Padilla are currently working to build bipartisan support for the bill in both the House and the Senate.
