296 



QUESTION: 



Has there been a contaminate [sic] subcommittee in the Inter-agency 

 Coordination Team to declare dredged material in Galveston Bay suitable for 

 beneficial use? 



ANSWER: 



The Interagency Coordination Team (ICT) was formed to help determine the 

 scope of studies necessary to evaluate the impacts of the proposed 

 widening and deepening of the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channels 

 (HGNC). One of several subcommittees of the ICT, the Contaminants 

 Subcommittee was formed to address contaminants issues associated with 

 the project. The Subcommittee is comprised of representatives from the 

 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas 

 Water Commission. 



Based on the evaluations and results obtained from testing sediments in the 

 HGNC, the Contaminant Subcommittee concluded (and the ICT concurred) 

 that there are no contaminant concerns related to dredging and disposal of 

 maintenance material from the HGNC project, and that the material is 

 considered acceptable for beneficial uses in the ocean and bay. 



