Dumping of sludge from shipsE+W
9. It shall be the duty of the licensing authority (within the meaning of section 24 of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 M1), in the exercise of its functions under Part II of that Act (deposits in the sea), to secure that—
(a)the dumping of sludge from ships to surface waters is phased out by 31st December 1998; and
(b)the total amount of toxic, persistent or bioaccumulable materials in sludge so disposed of is licensed for disposal and progressively reduced in the period ending on that date.