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QUESTION: 



What problems has EPA had in developing the contaminated sediment 

 survey provided for by Title V of the Water Resources Development Act of 

 1992? How can these problems be overcome and when do you expect to 

 get this survey to Congress? 



ANSWER: 



The Agency has already begun work on the WRDA Title V Contaminated 

 Sediment survey, which we are calling the National Sediment Inventory. 

 This inventory will be a compilation of available chemical, physical, and 

 biological data describing sites of potential and probable sediment 

 contamination. To develop this inventory, we are initially compiling 

 information contained in the national data bases such as EPA's STORET and 

 Ocean Data Evaluation Systems, and data in other systems developed by 

 NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and 

 the EPA Regional offices. An EPA report, "Framework for the Development 

 of the National Sediment Inventory", describes the design of the National 

 Sediment Inventory, and how the inventory will be used by Agency Program 

 offices. 



In fiscal year 1993, we will gather all of the available sediment data from 

 the national data bases. In fiscal year 1994, a report to Congress on the 

 inventory will be prepared and submitted. Also in fiscal year 1994, the 

 inventory will be reviewed by all of the EPA Regional offices, and additional 

 data will be added. Following fiscal year 1994, EPA will continue to 

 maintain and update the National Sediment Inventory on a regular basis, and 

 to report to Congress on a biannual schedule. 



Funds would be required to be redirected at EPA to support development of 

 the inventory. It will be very difficult to gather and analyze all of the 

 available data that have been collected and archived by Federal agency field 

 and regional offices, State and local agencies, universities, and other 

 organizations. Problems encountered in compiling and analyzing the 

 available data include: lack of existing data from many geographic areas, 

 inconsistencies in the quality of data, lack of documentation concerning data 

 quality, lack of information from many sites concerning the biological 

 availability of contaminants (such as total organic carbon measurements), 

 lack of biological effects data from many sites, inconsistent data formats, 

 and difficulties associated with reviewing and analyzing data that are not 

 stored in computer readable format. Given the limited resources available 

 for compilation of the inventory, EPA will initially gather only those available 



