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If the sources of sediment contamination are not abated, however, it will do little 

 good to clean up an area which continues to receive contaminated sediments through 

 natural siltation processes. Congress has a spotty record in funding vital aspects of the 

 Clean Water Act, such as Section 115 (sediment remediation) or Section 319 (nonpoint 

 source control provisions) and the result is to exacerbate the sediment problem. There are 

 still too many partially controlled sources of pollution into U.S. waters, including approved 

 point discharges. Although nonpoint sources are much harder to control and normally do 

 not result in "hot spots," controlling them is essential to restoring and maintaining the overall 

 health of our coastal and marine waters. 



In any urban or industrial harbor, there are likely to be some sediment constituents 

 found in concentrations in excess of naturally occurring "background" levels. These levels 

 will differ greatly from region to region, and harbor to harbor. In addition, the 

 environmental effects of contaminate vary according to factors such as salinity levels, type 

 and density of sediment (e.g, clay or sand) and temperature. 



Our overall national understanding of the scope of the contaminated sediment 

 problem is still incomplete. Because the vast majority of highly contaminated sediments are 

 not found in navigation channels where the Corps or the ports routinely dredge, a larger 

 effort is needed to better define the problem, as well as to prioritize the areas obviously in 

 need of remedial action because they pose a serious threat to human health or the 

 environment. The public port community supported provisions included in the Water 

 Resources Development Act of 1992 (WRDA '92) that require a survey of contaminated 

 sediment sites nationwide, as well as the establishment of a National Contaminated 

 Sediment Task Force to work with EPA and the Corps. Our understanding is that while the 

 survey is well underway, EPA and the Corps have not yet taken any steps to establish the 

 Task Force. 



Current Regulation of Dredged Material Adequately Protects the Environment 



In order for the sediments to be dredged and moved to another site in the water, 

 they must meet national criteria established by the EPA and the Corps, as well as more 

 specific regionally based federal criteria, coastal zone consistency requirements, and state 

 water quality standards. Sediments not meeting the requirements, if they are to be dredged 

 at all, are isolated from the biota using capping, borrow pits or placement behind dikes 

 along a waterway. 



For the navigational dredging program, EPA and the Corps currently have adequate 

 authority to control and manage contaminated sediments. This assessment is confirmed by 

 the EPA's ongoing development of a contaminated sediments strategy, which will rely on 

 existing statutory authority. These two agencies have moved forward with initiatives to 

 better manage both clean and contaminated dredged material, including developing long 

 term disposal management strategies and beneficial uses for dredged material. 



