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Questions and Answers for the Record 



Hearing Before House MM&F-OGM&OCS on 30 March 1993 



Ocean Disposal of Contaminated Dredge Material 



Question from Mr. Green - The Corps of Engineers is doing a 

 study at the Waterways Experiment Station to predict the inflows 

 of low, medium, and high rates of fresh water into Galveston Bay. 

 The Corps is studying what will happen under these various 

 scenarios. The low and most of the medium inflows have been 

 completed, however it has been said that the high inflow will 

 take a year to a year and a half. I would like to know why it 

 will take such a long period of time to do the high inflows and 

 what can be done to expedite this study? 



ANSWER Mr. Rees: Studies to assess the environmental impacts of 

 dredged material disposal from the Houston-Galveston Ship Channel 

 were developed in the Fall of 1988. The clear intent of all 

 agencies participating was that all necessary studies would be 

 completed in 1992. When we learned recently that the studies are 

 not complete and some interests involved are asking for an 

 additional one and one-half years of further study, we called for 

 a full Washington level review of what has been done in the past 

 four years and why an additional year and a half of study is 

 needed. That review has been underway for a few weeks and a 

 conference is scheduled between Washington level technical 

 reviewers and managers and the field people involved in the study 

 to determine the need for additional studies. We expect it will 

 take a month or two after the conference to sort through all the 

 information and perspectives and reach a decision on whether to 

 proceed with additional studies. We will report back to you as 

 soon as we have done so. 



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