Environmental Concerns That Lead to the Creation of PSEP 
During the 1980's, studies by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic 
Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA), the Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE), 
and others, identified significant biological problems involving toxic 
contaminants at a number of locations in Puget Sound. Significant 
concentrations of priority pollutants and other chemicals, including highly 
toxic and very persistent materials, such as polychlorinated biphenyls 
(PCBs), and heavy metals, such as mercury, arsenic and lead, were identified 
in the sediments of a number of urban and industrial embayments. 
In addition, field surveys identified abnormalities in bottom dwelling 
communities and increased frequencies of diseases (i.e., liver tumors, skin 
lesions) in fish caught in areas with high concentrations of chemicals in 
the sediments. It was suspected that the edible tissue of fish and 
shellfish harvested in certain parts of the Sound might contain potentially 
harmful levels of chemical contaminants. Whether or not the consumption of 
these animals posed a significant threat to human consumers was not known, 
but data indicated that species in higher trophic levels, which fed on Puget 
Sound organisms, were accumulating potentially harmful chemicals in their 
tissues. 
In 1985, these and other concerns about the well-being of the estuary 
prompted the Congress to appropriate funds for use by EPA in initiating the 
Puget Sound Estuary Program. PSEP combines a near-term search for solutions 
to current problems, together with longer-term research and monitoring to 
improve predictive capabilities. The program was created to strengthen and 
better coordinate the collective regulatory, research, and resource 
management efforts of the many agencies having responsibilities in the 
Sound. Currently, a total of sixteen federal, state, and local agencies, 
and several universities and indian tribes participate in the Estuary 
Program. 
Goals and Objectives of PSEP 
The long-term mission of the PSEP is to ensure the maintenance 
of a healthy marine environment that allows maximum beneficial 
use of the Sound and its resources. Collectively, the 
participating agencies seek to achieve a level of 
environmental quality that provides for the protection of 
public health and welfare, assures protection and propagation 
of a balanced, indigenous population of fish, shellfish, and 
wildlife, and allows recreational activities in and on the 
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