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The past discharge of pollutants that persist for long periods of time in 

 sediment is responsible for some of today's sediment quality problems. 

 However, sediment contamination is not solely the legacy of past discharge 

 of pollutants. Because of the lack of sediment chemical criteria and 

 appropriate sediment bioassay methods, current procedures for writing 

 water quality based point source discharge permits may not fully account for 

 sediment contamination. EPA studies have documented cases of sediment 

 contamination caused by ongoing stormwater discharges, combined sewer 

 overflows, and discharges from metal finishing industries, pulp and paper 

 mills and oil storage terminals. Nonpoint sources of contaminants, including 

 runoff from urban areas and agricultural fields and atmospherically deposited 

 pollutants, aggravate sediment contamination concerns. 





