94-17772. Notice of Availability of Dredged Material Testing Manual, Request for Comment, and Announcement of Public Information Sessions

[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 139 (Thursday, July 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-17772]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 21, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OW-FRL-5017-5]

 

Notice of Availability of Dredged Material Testing Manual, 
Request for Comment, and Announcement of Public Information Sessions

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and requests public 
comment on the draft testing manual entitled ``Evaluation of Dredged 
Material Proposed for Discharge in Waters of the U.S.--Testing Manual 
(Draft)''. The manual was prepared by an Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA)/Corps of Engineers (CE) workgroup comprised of individuals 
from headquarters, field offices, and research laboratories of both 
agencies with scientific and/or programmatic expertise related to 
dredged material discharge activities. Copies of the draft manual can 
be requested by writing to Ms. Shirley Walker at the address listed 
below under ADDRESSES. Public information sessions will be held at 
various locations around the country to discuss the draft manual.

DATES AND LOCATIONS: Written comments must be postmarked or submitted 
by hand on or before October 19, 1994 to Mike Kravitz at the address 
listed below under ADDRESSES.
    Public information sessions will be held at the following locations 
and dates to discuss the draft testing manual ``Evaluation of Dredged 
Material Proposed for Discharge in Waters of the U.S.--Testing Manual 
(Draft)'':
    Boston--August 2, 1994, Ramada Hotel-Airport, 225 McClellan Hwy., 
Boston, MA 02128 [phone [phone], fax [phone]]; 
Washington, DC--August 3, 1994, Marriot Crystal City, 1999 Jefferson 
Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA 22202 [phone [phone], fax (703) 413-
0192]; Atlanta--August 4, 1994, Ramada Hotel-North, 1419 Virginia 
Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30337 [phone [phone], fax [phone]]; 
San Jose--August 30-31, 1994, San Jose Hilton, 300 Almaden Blvd., San 
Jose, CA 95110 [phone [phone], fax [phone]]; Seattle--
September 1-2, 1994, Red Lion Hotel-Airport, 18740 Pacific Hwy., 
Seattle, WA 98188 [phone [phone], fax [phone]]; Chicago--
September 13-14, 1994, Holiday Inn O'Hare, 5440 N. River Rd., Rosemont, 
IL 60018 [phone [phone], fax [phone]]; St. Louis--
September 14, 1994, St. Louis Airport Hilton, 10330 Natural Bridge Rd., 
St. Louis, MO 63134 [phone [phone], fax [phone]]; 
Houston--September 15, 1994, Holiday Inn Intercontinental Airport, 
15222 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Houston, TX 77032 [phone [phone], 
fax [phone]].

ADDRESSES: A copy of ``Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for 
Discharge in Waters of the U.S.--Testing Manual (Draft)'' can be 
obtained by calling or writing to Ms. Shirley Walker, U.S. Corps of 
Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, IM-MI-R, 3909 Halls Ferry 
Road, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 39180-6199; telephone: [phone].
    Comments may be mailed or delivered to: Mike Kravitz, Mail Code 
4305, Attention: Testing Manual Comments, Office of Science and 
Technology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: [phone]. Commenters are requested 
to submit an original and 3 copies of their written comments and 
enclosures. Commenters who want receipt of their comments acknowledged 
should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. No facsimiles 
(faxes) will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mike Kravitz, Mail Code 4305, Office of Science and Technology, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460 
(telephone: [phone]); or Kirk Stark, Regulatory Branch, CECW-OR, 
Office of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 20 
Massachusetts Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20314 (telephone: [phone]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed discharges of dredged or fill 
material in fresh, estuarine, and saline (near-coastal) waters, or 
``waters of the United States,'' must be evaluated to determine the 
potential environmental impacts of such activities. Specifically, 
Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, Public 
Law 92-500, as amended by the Clean Water Act (CWA), Public Law 95-217, 
requires that the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of 
the U.S. be permitted by the Corps of Engineers (CE). EPA has the 
primary role in developing the environmental guidelines--the section 
404(b)(1) Guidelines (Guidelines)--in conjunction with CE, by which 
permit applications must be evaluated. The Guidelines are published at 
40 CFR part 230. Fundamental to the Guidelines is the precept that 
dredged or fill material should not be discharged into the aquatic 
ecosystem, unless it can be demonstrated that such a discharge will not 
have an unacceptable adverse impact either individually or in 
combination with known and/or probable impacts of other activities 
affecting the ecosystems of concern.
    Dredged material testing is part of the larger evaluation of a 
proposed discharge activity to determine its compliance with the 
Guidelines. Sections 230.60 and 230.61 of the Guidelines provide the 
basis for certain contaminant-related factual determinations regarding 
the potential environmental effects of a proposed discharge. The 
present draft testing manual, ``Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed 
for Discharge in Waters of the U.S.--Testing Manual (Draft),'' details 
the physical, chemical, and biological evaluation procedures outlined 
in Secs. 230.60 and 230.61. The manual includes technical guidance on 
sampling and analysis, physical and chemical evaluations, bioassays 
(toxicity and bioaccumulation), quality assurance/quality control, 
evaluation of discharges from confined disposal facilities, evaluation 
of mixing, statistical methods, and identification of ammonia toxicity. 
It uses a tiered testing approach which is scientifically valid and 
cost-effective. Conclusions reached utilizing this manual will be used 
to make factual determinations of the potential environmental effects 
of a proposed discharge of dredged material.
    This manual will replace the May 1976 testing protocol, 
``Ecological Evaluation of Proposed Discharge of Dredged or Fill 
Material into Navigable Waters,'' which will no longer be applicable. 
Since development of the 1976 guidance, EPA and CE have gained a great 
deal of experience in testing dredged material for environmental 
effects. Much of this experience has been used in the development of a 
1991 ``ocean'' testing manual to implement requirements in the Marine 
Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act for evaluation of potential 
environmental impacts associated with the discharge of dredged material 
in waters seaward of the baseline of the territorial sea. Further 
technical improvements, such as the refinement of bioassay tests, have 
been incorporated in the present draft testing manual, ``Evaluation of 
Dredged Material Proposed for Discharge in Waters of the U.S.--Testing 
Manual (Draft),'' which implements dredged material testing 
requirements under the CWA.
    The final testing manual will be published in approximately 6 
months after review and consideration of the comments received on this 
draft.

    Dated: July 18, 1994.
Mark Luttner,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. 94-17772 Filed 7-20-94; 8:45 am]
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