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1992 which establish a National Contaminated Sediments Task Force and 

 require a survey of sediment contamination nationwide. These initiatives 

 should help to get a more accurate picture of the extent and severity of 

 sediment contamination in our nation's harbors, as well as other sites. In 

 addition, WRDA '92 requires the Corps to undertake a long term study of 

 dredged material disposal needs. 



7. In your testimony, you state that the vast majority of highly contaminated sediment 

 are not found in navigation channels where the Corps or the ports routinely dredge, 

 a larger effort is needed to define and prioritize the problem. While it is the intent 

 of the National Contaminated Sediments Task Force to assess this problem, do you 

 feel that the task force is sufficient enough to adequately address this problem? If 

 not, what would you recommend? 



Answer: AAPA strongly supports the establishment of the National Contaminated 



Sediments Task Force, and worked hard last year with Congress and the 

 regulatory agencies to define the appropriate roles and responsibilities of the 

 Task Force. Despite the fact that seven months have passed since Congress 

 mandated the establishment of the Task Force, nothing has been done ! We 

 ask your help in contacting the Administration and urging them to set up the 

 Task Force as soon as possible. 



8. Does the Port Authority support the idea of developing a numerical sediment quality 

 criteria? If so why? Do you feel that biological assessments are an adequate 

 assessment? 



Answer: AAPA supports the development of numerical sediment criteria, as they' 



become scientifically justifiable, to be used in conjunction with the biological 

 effects tests currently utilized by EPA. EPA's Green Book testing manual 

 anticipates the development of numeric criteria and the incorporation of those 

 criteria into its tiered testing regime. Because of the scientific uncertainty 

 inherent in national numeric criteria, the Green Book would permit the use 

 of site specific biological testing to determine the actual environmental impact 

 of the proposed disposal activity. Numeric criteria should not be used a pass- 

 fail standards. 



It is very important, that specific numeric criteria are no t proposed by EPA 

 without accompanying proposed guidance on how thev will be implemented 

 in the various regulatory programs . Will these criteria be used a cleanup 

 standards under Superfund?...How will they be used to set point source 

 discharged limits under the Clean Water Act?...How will they be incorporated 

 into the Ocean Dumping Program? 



