Ships need enough water below their keels to keep them safely afloat at all times. Dumping at Sea permits authorise harbour authorities to take action to keep ports, harbours and waterways safe for navigation.  

Obligations on Dumping at Sea Permit holders include 

  • Ensuring that they operate within the terms of their permit 
  • Ensuring that marine mammals and other animal and plant life are not endangered 
  • Ensuring that any national heritage is protected, for example sunken vessels 
  • Keeping full records of the dredging and disposal works 

Legal Obligation on Dumping at Sea Permit Holders 

As the holder of a Dumping at Sea Permit issued by the EPA, you are required by law to comply with the conditions of your permit. 

The EPA provides a range of services to help you to comply with your Dumping at Sea Permit: 

EDEN Portal for interacting with the EPA 

Register as a User and Sign In to the EDEN Portal for all of your regulatory interactions with the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, including 

  • access your Dumping at Sea Permit and any amendments to it
  • submit monitoring returns and performance reports – Annual Environmental Report, Commencement Notifications; (any other routine submissions?)
  • notify OEE of incidents and complaints
  • respond to OEE instructions and corrective actions
  • request approval to make alterations to your site or operations
  • review your environmental performance and licence compliance 

Access EPA’s Guidance Documentation 

Guidance on Requests for Alterations to a Dumping at Sea Permit 

Dumping at Sea Application Prioritisation Scoring System

AER Guidance

Preparation and Submission of the AER for Dumping at Sea Permit Holders 

OSPAR Dumping Report Template 

Access to information about Dumping at Sea 

You can search for all information that is in the public domain about your permit and your environmental performance at the following link: 

Recent Commencement Notices

Due to a temporary technical issue, we are publishing recent commencement notices here. These notices will be available here until the new system is in place.

Learn more 

To search for a Dumping at Sea Permit 

Make an environmental complaint 

Access EPA information on compliance and enforcement