News In Brief

Gulf of Mexico ruled out by EPA for burning wastes

The Environmental Protection Agency refused Wednesday to allow an Illinois-based company to burn hazardous wastes in the Gulf of Mexico. Jack Ravan, EPA's assistant administrator for water programs, cited technical , legal, and operating deficiencies in denying the permit request from Chemical Waste Management Inc. of Oak Brook, Ill.

He also rejected an EPA hearing officer's recommendation that Chemical Waste Management be granted a research permit for test burns of 3.3 million gallons of hazardous wastes at a site 195 miles off the coast of Texas.