From 1977 to 1992, DAMOS conducted monitoring surveys based on a 1 nmi 

 (nautical mile) square disposal site centered at 41° 16.100' N, 72° 04.600' W (SAIC 

 1988). In 1982, the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) for the 

 disposal of dredged material in the LIS region recommended the continued use of the four 

 existing disposal sites in LIS, including New London (US ACE 1982). These four sites had 

 been identified prior to the completion of the FPEIS by the Connecticut-New York Interim 

 Plan (NERBC 1980). The Interim Plan identified center coordinates for a slightly different 

 location (0.2 nmi due north of the DAMOS coordinates). As of 1 January 1996, DAMOS 

 adopted the new center coordinates as defined in the Interim Plan as 41° 16.300' N, 72° 

 04.600' W in North Atlantic Datum 1927 (NAD 27). It is unknown why the original 

 DAMOS center coordinates were not in agreement with the Interim Plan, but no projects 

 were directed to the southern edge of the site during this period, so the change has had no 

 effect on disposal site management or monitoring. This change corrects the slight 

 discrepancy and brings DAMOS in agreement with the FPEIS. Similar changes have been 

 made to the Central Long Island Sound Disposal Site and the Cornfield Shoals Disposal 

 Site. 



The location of NLDS intersects with two important management boundaries: a 

 300-m wide submarine transit corridor; and the New York-Connecticut state boundary 

 (Figure 1-1). The submarine transit corridor has been established to minimize conflict 

 between submarine traffic to, and from, the submarine base in Groton, CT and disposal 

 buoys that may not be seen when submarines transit submerged. The state boundary 

 affects state regulatory authority under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) and the 

 issuance of state water quality certification for disposal permits (Carey 1998). Under the 

 CZMA, states must concur that disposal activities in their state waters are consistent with 

 their federally approved Coastal Zone Management Plans before permits are issued by the 

 US ACE. 



The long-term observation of the effects of disposed dredged material is facilitated 

 by the construction of distinct sediment mounds within a disposal site. Development of 

 disposal mounds is achieved by directing barges to predetermined locations typically 

 marked by surface buoys, which have taut-line moorings to maximize position stability. 

 When necessary, mounds are constructed in phases to allow for capping of material 

 deemed unsuitable for open- water disposal. Capping is a subaqueous containment method 

 that utilizes material determined to be suitable for open-water disposal (hereafter referred 

 to as capping dredged material, or CDM) to overlay and isolate deposits of unacceptably- 

 contaminated dredged material (UDM) from the surrounding environment (Fredette 1994). 



Monitoring Cruise at the New London Disposal Site, 1992 - 1998 



