69 



After completion of the application, the public notice and 

 public input phase begins. This process requires a minimum of 30 

 days for public input, but can take longer for complex and 

 controversial proposals. It allows input from all interested and 

 affected entities, federal, state and local agencies and the 

 public. 



Consistent with the environmental objectives and 

 requirements of the regulatory program, the Army attempts to 

 reduce delays that impact the regulated public. While we have 

 shared responsibilities with EPA in regulating the disposal of 

 dredged material, we continue to work with EPA and other agencies 

 to minimize duplicative evaluations. In addition, Title V of 

 WRDA 1992 somewhat modified the regulatory process under the 

 Ocean Dumping Act by establishing specific timeframes for certain 

 actions by the Army and EPA. Notwithstanding such statutory 

 timing requirements, which apply to certain elements of the 

 process, other required elements in the process can unavoidably 

 take significant amounts of time. 



EVALUATION PROCEDURES 



Our ongoing initiatives with EPA to revise and update the 

 Federal environmental guidance for testing and evaluating 

 proposed discharges of dredged sediment are of high priority. 

 The aforementioned Green Book was originally published in July 

 1977 and most recently revised jointly by the Corps and EPA in 

 the Spring of 1991. It contains important technical 

 implementation guidance for testing sediments proposed for ocean 

 disposal. The Green Book utilizes biological testing, with 

 chemical analysis as necessary, to provide effects-based 

 conclusions with a tiered framework. Under a tiered framework, 

 more sophisticated testing is used only when necessary for 

 decision making. Several regional Green Book implementation 

 manuals, which are an important component of this national 

 process, have been completed. 



There are many similarities in the procedures for dredged 

 material testing between inland and near coastal waters and the 

 oceans; however, differences do exist. This is due to the 

 slightly different regulatory approaches under the implementing 

 regulations of the CWA and the Ocean Dumping Act. To further 

 enhance the consistency in testing procedures, the Corps and EPA 

 have formed a working group that is completing a draft "Inland 

 Testing Manual" that is patterned after the Green Book. We 

 believe that implementation of the Inland Testing Manual will 

 provide even more consistency for dredged material testing. 



The Corps and EPA recently issued a comprehensive technical 

 management strategy, entitled, "Evaluating Environmental Effects 

 of Dredged Material Management Alternatives - A Technical 

 Framework," designed to identify environmentally acceptable 



