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greater percentage of this workload is in off-channel, inner 

 harbor areas with more limited water exchange, which generally 

 translates to a correspondingly higher percentage of fine-grained 

 sediments with which contaminants are most likely to be 

 associated. 



What types of future problems may be associated with 

 this? 



ANSWER Mr. Rees: Many of these areas are integral to the 

 economic vitality of our national navigation system. The 

 immediate problem is the ability of the project sponsors to find 

 suitable disposal sites for contaminated material. In addition, 

 the regulatory reguirements which would likely be imposed on 

 disposal of contaminated material could entail extreme costs. If 

 the project sponsors either cannot find or cannot afford 

 acceptable disposal sites, then the continued need for the 

 related Federal project may come into question. 



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