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and chemical composition, and geographic location of pollutants in aquatic sediment. 

 Title V further provides that EPA is to undertake a new comprehensive and continuous 

 national program to monitor the extent and severity of sediment contamination. In 

 addition, under WRDA of 1992 EPA is to establish and co-chair, with a designee of 

 the Secretary of the Army, a National Contaminated Sediment Task Force which is 

 charged with advising the Agency and the Corps on a range of issues related to 

 contaminated sediment management. 



EPA is using existing data and modifying ongoing programs to respond to 

 WRDA's provisions. With regard to data on sediment contamination, we are currently 

 focussing our efforts on collecting available information in order to develop a national 

 inventory of contaminated sediment sites. We are developing that inventory to obtain 

 a near term assessment of the extent and severity of the problem, delineate areas 

 which may be contaminated and need further assessment, and identify areas which 

 we know are contaminated and potentially have an impact on ecosystems. 



EPA is also gathering existing information on sources of sediment contaminants. 

 Agency data bases such as the Toxics Release Inventory and the Permit Compliance 

 System are being used to link contaminated sediment sites with known point source 

 discharges. EPA will use the site inventory to target geographic areas for assessment, 

 pollution prevention, remediation, and dredged material management activities. EPA 

 will prepare a report to Congress on the site inventory as required by WRDA Title V. 

 EPA has not been able to initiate a new program to collect and analyze sediment 

 samples across the country. The Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 



