multi-agency effort was initially known as the Puget Sound 
Initiative, and later as the Puget Sound Estuary Program 
(PSEP). 
The Puget Sound Estuary Program is different than any other 
estuary program currently sponsored by EPA. The primary 
difference is the three-pronged approach being used in 
Washington State. Other estuary programs emphasize 
characterization of estuarine conditions and long-term 
planning, while deferring problem resolution until extensive 
study has been completed. The PSEP program, on the other hand, 
places equal, if not greater, emphasis on taking early action 
to control currently recognized environmental problems. The 
approach encourages enhanced regulatory and enforcement 
activity throughout the life of the program. 
The focus of PSEP resources on issues related to chemical 
contamination is also unique among similar estuary programs 
across the nation. The decision to emphasize chemical concerns 
was based on: (1) consensus among the Puget Sound scientific 
community that the unchecked spread of chemical contamination 
is the most serious problem threatening the Sound today, and 
(2) that limited resources spread thinly over multiple issues 
could purchase only minimal environmental improvement. 
Finally, PSEP is unique because the technically oriented 
federal program is being conducted in concert with a 
comprehensive planning effort initiated at the state level. 
The Puget Sound Water Quality Authority (PSWQA), created by the 
Washington State Legislature in 1985, has been tasked with the 
mission of developing a long-term management plan for the 
Sound. In addition, PSWQA has the responsibility of working 
with state and local agencies to ensure that plan 
recommendations are implemented. This state commitment is 
significant because it frees the federal program to focus 
resources on technical issues, rather than dividing limited 
funds between both research and planning. Moreover, the 
partnership of PSWQA and PSEP provides a vehicle for ensuring 
that the regulatory and research needs identified by PSEP are 
addressed expeditiously at the state and local level. 
This paper describes the Puget Sound Estuary Program; the 
environmental concerns that lead to its creation and the 
strategies that are being developed for addressing them. The 
three main components of PSEP are highlighted: development of 
toxics control programs for the most heavily contaminated parts 
of the Sound; characterization of the Sound's water quality 
problems and resources; and development of management tools and 
a management framework for addressing current pollution 
problems and preserving the future quality of Puget Sound. 
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