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APPLICATION OF 



SEDIMENT QUALITY CRITERIA 



AND STANDARDS 



I. Why be concerned about sediment contamination? 



When poilutants are discharged into a waterway, a substantial 

 portion accumulates in the sediments on the bottom. Sediments that have 

 "collected" pollutants can, under particular chemical or physical conditions, 

 release those pollutants back into the water column, affecting water quality. 

 Additionally, there are numerous aquatic organisms that are continuously 

 exposed to pollutants in sediments because they live in or on sediments, 

 and/or they ingest sediments as a method of finding food. There is no 

 longer any doubt that contaminated sediments are a critical and widespread 

 problem: 



o Contaminated sediments are responsible for several 

 Superfund sites, most notably Massachusetts' New Bedford 

 Harbor, Waukegan Harbor on Lake Michigan, and 

 Commencement Bay in Puget Sound. 



o A 1987 study conducted for the EPA found contaminated 

 sediment sites throughout the country (see Appendix). 

 .Among the study's findings are that 43 "toxic hotspots" in the 

 Great Lakes have contaminated sediments. 



o The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

 has documented fish diseases caused by contaminated sediments in 

 Washington State's Puget Sound. 



o A portion of sediments dredged for navigational purposes 

 and dumped in open waters is contaminated, thus creating a 

 potential hazard to our waters and coasts. In the Great 

 Lakes, for example, approximately 50 percent of the sediment 

 dredged for navigational purposes must be confined in 

 storage facilities due to contamination. 



Given this evidence, it is apparent that sediments in many areas must be 

 cleaned up, still clean sediments need to be protected, and other sediments 

 must be better managed to protect the environment. Our long-term goal is 

 to restore contaminated areas to their original state or as close as possible. 

 We must also prevent new contamination in these areas and in pristine 



