A recent change in Federal tests, though, foreclosed that dumping option when most of the harbor mud failed to meet new standards covering contaminants and toxicity.

Worse still, he said, is the lack of evidence that the harbor mud dumped at sea has had any adverse impact.

It hung with a seeming impatience-wreathed in seaweed and coated with greenish slime-above the tail which dangled down to the harbor mud.

It smelled disagreeably of harbor mud.

It could take more than 4 million tons of tainted harbor mud - more than a year's worth of dredging.

For 80 years, all of the dredged harbor mud was routinely dumped at sea east of Sandy Hook.

The half-dozen vessels drop onto the harbor mud, their masts tilting at various angles.

One recent pilot waste-disposal project, using harbor mud to seal up old mine shafts in Pennsylvania, cost $70 a cubic yard.

Over the years, dumped harbor muds have caused significant degradation of coastal waters for which sewage sludge has been incorrectly blamed.

Jean Bart settled into the harbor mud with decks awash.