v»EPA
Number 3
April 1991
Contaminated Sediments News
Options for EPA Sediment Strategy to be Picked in April
In 1989, EPA established a Sediment
Steering Committee to coordinate
sediment activities among the many
Headquarter Offices with authority to
address sediment issues and the ten
Regional Offices. The Steering
Committee is chaired by the Assistant
Administrator for Water; its members
include Deputy Assistant Adminis-
trators, Office Directors and the ten
Deputy Regional Administrators.
In January 1990, the Sediment
Steering committee decided to
prepare an Agency-wide Sediment
Management Strategy. The Steering
Committee formed four workgroups
(Assessment and Identification of
Risk, Prevention, Remediation, and
Management of Dredged Material) to
draft options for the strategy: Since
February 1990, 85 staff have worked
on the four workgroups and have:
• prepared three drafts of each of
fourteen issue papers (February-
August 1990);
• briefed senior managers including
EPA Deputy Administrator Habicht
(September-December 1990); and
• presented options for a strategy to
other Federal agencies and ten
States (January 1991).
In March and April .1991, Senior
managers were briefed on the views of
Federal agencies and States. On May
1, the Steering Committee will meet to
select preliminary options for the
strategy. In June, a draft strategy will
be presented to industry and
environmental groups for review.
Contaminated Sediment
Assessment
Methods Workshop
A Contaminated Sediment Assess-
ment Methods Workshop will be held
in Narragansett, Rl on May 6-8, 1991.
These annual workshops, sponsored
by EPA's Office of Water, are intended
to further the development of sediment
criteria and sediment assessment
methods through the exchange of
ideas and information. This workshop
is open to anyone who wishes to
attend. If you are interested in pre-
senting information or have questions
on the purpose and goals of the
workshop please contact Chris Zarba
at (202)475-7326. If you would like to
be placed on a mailing list to receive
all pertinent information on this
' workshop call 1 -800-726-4853.
Printed on Recycled Paper
Sediment Activities
Around the Country
EPA Headquarters
SUPERFUND
An evaluation of 486 FY 82 through
third-quarter FY 89 Superfund site
Records of Decision (RODs) was
undertaken to obtain site-specific
information regarding sediment
contamination, response action
methods, and performance goals. •
(A ROD is a document which reflects
extensive site investigation data and
preliminary decisions on the type and
extent of response action planned).
Based on this review, 69 sites identi-
fied contaminated sediments in the
(continued on p. 2).
Contaminated Sediment
, Activities Timeline
Mar 18-21,1991. Fifth Federal
Interagency Sedimentation Conference.
Practical Sediment Management Issues
and Answers. Federal Interagency
Subcommittee on Sedimentation. Las
Vegas. NV.
Apr 7-10,1991. Founding Conference
of the Society of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry-Europe.
Environmental Sciences and Sustain-
able Development. University of
Sheffield, England.
Apr 17-18,1991. American Society of
Testing Materials Sediment Toxicology
Subcommittee Meeting. Atlantic City,
NJ.
May 6-8,1991. ContaminatecTSedi-
ment Assessment Methods Workshop.
U.S. EPA, Office of Water. Narra-
gansett, Rl.
May 19-23,1991. Annual Conference
of the Society for Ecological Restora-
tion. Orlando, FL
Jun 2-7,1991. Annual Conference of
the International Association for Great
Lakes Research. Sessions on contami-
nated sediment and ARCs projects.
SUNY Buffalo, NY.
Jun 18-19,1991. Remedial Ap-
proaches for Sites with Contaminated
Sediments: Seminar Series. U.S. EPA.
Atlanta, GA. Other dates listed on p. 2.
Sep30-Oct3,1991. 18th Annual
Aquatic Toxicity Workshop. Ecological
Perspectives on Aquatic Toxicology.
Government Conference Centre.
Ottawa, Canada.
CS News is produced by EPA-OWRS to
exchange relevant information on
contaminated sediments and to increase
communication among interested parties.
To obtain copies of this report or to
contribute information, contact Mike
Kravttz, EPA-HQ at (202)475-8085.
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ROD. Of these 69 sites, remediation
was selected for 49 sites. The types
of remedial action selected were cate-
gorized into two subsets consisting of
excavation followed by treatment (30
sites) or excavation and containment
(19 sites). The treatment technologies
most commonly employed were incin-
eration and solidification/stabilization.
Of 67 sites where specific sediment
contaminants of concern are provided,
45 sites list metals as contaminants of
concern; the most frequently occurring
ones are lead, chromium, cadmium,
arsenic, and zinc. Other contaminant
groups frequently identified are volatile
organic compounds, PAHs and PCBs.
Cleanup goals varied between sites
dependent upon applicable or relevant
and appropriate requirements
(ARARs) and risk assessments. For
more information, contact Carol Bass,
OERR, at (202)475-9752.
OFFICE OF PESTICIDE PROGRAMS
(OPP)
OPP is currently developing a sedi-
ment bioassay for the freshwater
mollusk, Anodonta imbecilis. A grant
has been given to the University of the
District of Columbia to research the
uptake of sediment-bound pesticides
by freshwater mollusks. This study
will be phased, initially using the
pesticide atrazine on A. imbecilis and
gradually expanding to other pesti-
cides and organisms. The information
will be used to make regulatory
decisions. For more information
contact Tom Bailey, OPP, at (703)557-
1666.
OFFICE OF WATER ENFORCE-
MENT AND PERMITS (OWEP)
OWEP, in cooperation with the
Environmental Research Laboratory at
Duluth and other ORD and OW
offices, has developed a draft guid-
ance document designed to enable
regulatory authorities to better identify
and, where necessary, control biocon-
cantratable organic compounds that
may be present in effluents, nonpoint
source runoff, receiving waters,
bedded sediments, dredged material,
and the tissues of aquatic organisms.
Availability of the draft document
entitled, "Assessment and Control of
Bioconcentratable Contaminants in
Surface Waters" \s scheduled to be
announced in the Federal Register in
April 1991.
The approach outlined in the draft
guidance is designed to identify and
determine the concentration of specific
organic compounds in complex mix-
tures, and predict their concentrations
in exposed organisms. The approach
is designed to focus on those com-
pounds that can be reliably predicted
to accumulate in fish and shellfish so
that regulatory authorities may make
more informed decisions with regard
to controlling these substances.
Field validation of the bioconcentration
evaluation protocol is underway. For
more information contact Rob Wood,
OWEP, at (202)475-9534.
OFFICE OF WATER REGULATIONS
AND STANDARDS/CRITERIA AND
STANDARDS DIVISION
National Sediment Quality Criteria
Draft sediment criteria documents for
phenanthrene, acenapthene, dieldrin,
endrin, fluoranthene and DDT are
under development and final "check"
bioassays are being conducted for
.each contaminant. Following internal
EPA reviews, the draft criteria docu-
ments will be published in the Federal
Register in August 1991 for a 60 day
public comment period. Included in
the public review process will be the
Sediment Quality Criteria Guidelines
(for non-ionic organic contaminants).
This document will articulate the
technical basis behind the sediment
criteria.
Acid Volatile Sulfide Identified as
Key Factor in Determining the
Bioavailability of Metals Bound to
Sediments
Recent work on the development of
sediment criteria for metal contami-
nants strongly suggests that measure-
ments of the acid volatile sulfide (AVS)
content of sediments is extremely
valuable in assessing the toxicity of
divalent metals bound to sediments. It
is expected that AVS normalization will
provide the basis for development of
sediment criteria for metal contami-
nants in anoxic sediments. Persons
needing technical assistance on
sediment AVS sampling and analysis
and preferred methodologies for
measuring AVS can contact Chris
Zarba, CSD, at (202)475-7326.
National Estuary Program
NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY HARBOR
ESTUARY
An initial toxics categorization is near
completion for the NY-NJ Harbor
Estuary Program as part of its charac-
terization process. The list of toxics of
concern provided in this report is
designed to serve as a basis for -the
formulation of a Comprehensive
Conservation Management Plan for
the estuary. Ambient water column
and edible fish flesh concentrations of
toxics were compared against existing
water quality and fish tissue standards
and criteria for exceedances. Bulk
sediment chemical concentrations in
the estuary were also compiled and
(continued on p. 4)
Remedial Approaches for
Sites with Contaminated
Sediments: Seminar Series
Ed Barth of ORD's Center for Environ-
mental Research Information in Cin-
cinnati, OH, is organizing a one and a
half day seminar series to dissemi-
nate technical information available
from the EPA, the Corps of Engineers,
and the international community for
dredging, disposing and treating con-
taminated sediments. The intended
audience is Superfund remedial proj-
ect managers, permit writers, contract-
ing engineers, and other individuals
involved with small-scale sediment
problems. A handbook is being devel-
oped to serve as a working document
during the seminar series, as well as a
practical resource for attendees to use
at work. Other pertinent handbooks
will also be distributed. There is no fee
for attending the seminars; dates and
locations are June 18-19, 1991, At-
lanta, GA; June 20-21, Philadelphia,
PA; July 10-11, San Francisco, CA:
July 30-31, Chicago, IL; August 1 -2,
Kansas City, MO. To register, call
Equity Associates at (615)688-0999.
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ocus:
Chesapeake
Bay
Program
The Chesapeake Bay Program
The Chesapeake Bay Program was
the first estuary to be entered into the
National Estuary Program. During the
1975-1983 research phase of the
Chesapeake Bay Program, only a few
studies focused on contaminated
sediments. These were mainly
baywide sampling efforts to map
levels of sediment contaminants
through chemical "fingerprinting" tech-
niques developed at Virginia Institute
of Marine Science. As the Program
entered its Implementation Phase in
1984, topics took a back seat to
nutrient reduction and resource man-
agement programs. However, some
basic state and federal sediment
toxicant monitoring programs were -
intiated to provide a foundation for
more comprehensive assessments.
With the signing of the 1987 Chesa-
peake Bay Agreement and the devel-
opment of the Basinwide Toxics Re-
duction Strategy in 1988, toxics resur-
faced as a major focus of the Pro-
gram. Further investigations into
contaminated sediments within
Chesapeake Bay, which are described
in the following series of articles, have
since been initiated. For more infor-
mation on the Chesapeake Bay
Program, contact Richard Batiuk,
EPACBLO, at (301 )267-0061.
Sediment Contaminant Monitoring
Routine monitoring of surficial sedi-
ments for metal and organic contami-
nants is seen as a reliable means of
obtaining regional contaminant distri-
butions in the Chesapeake Bay and
an effective tool to document reduc-
tions in sediment contaminants.
Annual monitoring of Chesapeake Bay
mainstem sediment was conducted by
the Maryland Department of the Envi-
ronment (MDE) at 22 stations in 1984
and 1985; funds are
being sought to reinsti-
tute this program for
1991 and 1992. In
,1986, MDE initiated an
Identical-program to
monitor sediment metals
and organics in the
Maryland bay tributaries
at over 40 stations. In
Virginia, mainstem sediments were
monitored at 8 stations in 1984, 1985,
and 1986 by the Virginia Water Control
Board (VWCB). In 1986, 28 stations in
Virginia's bay tributaries were moni-
tored for metals and organics. For
more information, contact Richard
Eskin, MDE, at (301)631-3681 and
Debra Trent, VWCB, at (804)367-
0073.
Ambient Toxicity Assessment Pilot
Program
In 1990, the EPA Chesapeake Bay
Program and the Maryland Depart-
ment of Natural Resources funded a
2-year program to broadly assess
ambient toxicity of living resources
habitats for the purpose of identifying
defined regions where ambient toxicity
levels warrant further investigations of
effects on living resources. Sediment
toxicity assessments is one of the
three components of the pilot program,
the others being water column toxicity
and biomarkers. The tiered battery of
test methods are being applied to
heavily polluted areas (Baltimore
Harbor and Elizabeth River), critical
. habitat areas with potential toxic
conditions (Potomac River) and a
"control" site (Wye River). Adult and
juvenile Streblospio benedicti (poly-
chaete worm) survival and growth test;
juvenile Palaemonetes pugio (grass
shrimp) survival and growth test; Lepi-
dactylus dytiscus (amphipod) survival,
growth and reburial test; and Hyalella
azteca (amphipod) survival and growth
test will all be conducted as part of the
ambient program. For copies of the
workplan or reports as they become
available, contact Ray Alden, Old
Dominion University in Norfolk, VA at
(804)683-4195.
MDE is participating in this ambient
toxicity assessment pilot program by
conducting Leptocheirus plumulosus
(amphipod) and H. azteca survival
tests. University of the District of
Columbia (UDC) investigators are also
participating, conducting a series of
recently developed bivalve larvae
sediment toxicity tests. For more in-
formation, contact Eli Reinharz, MDE.
at (301)631-3797 and Harriette
Phelps, UDC, at (301)474-0471.
Estuarine Sediment Bioassay
Development
Through joint funding from the EPA
Chesapeake Bay Program,and the
EPA Office of Puget Sound, EPA
Environmental Research Laboratory-
Newport investigators are developing
cultures for Leptocheirus plumulosus,
Lepidactylus dytiscus, Ampelisca
abdita, Monoculodes edwardsi and
Corophium lacustre from organisms
originally collected in Chesapeake
Bay. From these cultures, two organ-
isms, L plumulosus and A. abdita,
have been selected for further acute
and chronic toxicity test procedure
development. Once the test proce-
dures have been validated in the
laboratory, the procedures will be field
validated with sediment collected from
sites in Chesapeake Bay representing
suspected contaminated and uncon-
taminated sediments. The results of
this work combined with that of others
will ensure sediment bioassay tech-
niques are available that can cover the
full range of salinities in estuarine
systems. For more information,
contact Rick Swartz, ERL-Newport, at
(503)867-4031 or Ted DeWitt, Oregon
State University, at (503)867-0260.
In close coordination with ERL-
Newport investigators, there are
several concurrent bioassay develop-
ment efforts ongoing in the Chesa-
peake Bay area. Researchers at Old
Dominion University (ODU) are
refining chronic test procedures for L.
dytiscus and Streblospio benedicti.
Maryland Department of Environment
(MDE) is developing a partial-lifecycle
chronic test for L plumulosus, while
University of the District of Columbia
(UDC) investigators are finalizing Mya
arenaria, Corbicula fluminea and
Crassostrea gigas chronic test proce-
dures. For more information, contact
Ray Alden, ODU,. at (804)683-4195;
Eli Reinharz, MDE, at (301)631-3797;
(continued on p. 4)
-------
and Harriette Phelps. UDC, at
(301)474-0471.
NOAA Involvement in the
Chesapeake Bay
As part of NOAA's National Status and
Trends (NS&T) Program, 17 monitor-
ing stations are sampled throughout
Chesapeake Bay to collect information
on sediments, bivalves, and fishes.
The Benthic
Surveillance
Project has
collected data
at 5 sites since
1984 and the
Mussel Watch
Project added
12 stations in
1986. lnFY92
^ Chesapeake
Bay
NOAA is
planning to
study historical
trends in Bay pollution using sediment
cores. For more information contact
Torn O'Connor, NS&T Program, at
(301)443-8655.
(continued from p. 2)
surficial sediment concentration
gradient maps are being produced for
this effort.
Contact Eric Stem, Region II, at
(212)264-5283, if you have any
research information or available data
sets on water column, fish tissue, or
sediments for the New York-New
Jersey Harbor Estuary.
NARRAGANSETT BAY ESTUARY
PROGRAM
One of the priority concerns for the
Narragansett Bay Estuary Program is
the presence of historic and continuing
contamination of metals and organics
from both point and non-point sources
In the estuary. In order to rank the
most contaminated sites in Narra-
gansett Bay, sediment quality surveys
are being conducted to determine the
benthic community at several sites as
well as the chemistry of surface
sediments. Camera surveys are also
being used to measure the redox
potential to estimate biological activity
at the sites. For more information
contact Katrina Kipp, Region I, at
(617)565-3523.
GALVESTON BAY PROGRAM
Members from the Galveston Bay
Program are participating on an
interagency coordinating team to
address the problem of dredging and
dredged material disposal in
Galveston Bay. This team will deter-
mine possible disposal sites and
alternatives for dredged material. For
more information contact Frank
Shipley, Galveston Bay Program, at
(713)283-3950.
SAN FRANCISCO ESTUARY
PROJECT
The San Francisco Estuary Project
(SFEP) has initiated a "dredging re-
use demonstration project" to promote
the beneficial use of dredged material
in the San Francisco Estuary by 1)
identifying and documenting the most
feasible sites for beneficial use
projects; 2) demonstrating the feasibil-
ity of using dredged spoils for possible
wetland habitat creation, levee mainte-
nance and/or erosion control; and 3)
generating real-life information regard-
ing costs, monitoring and construction
requirements for such projects.
Recently, SFEP has produced two
documents relating to the subjects of
dredging and pollutants in the San
Francisco Estuary: 1) Status and
Trends Report on Dredging and
Waterway Modification in the San
Francisco Estuary, and 2) Status and
Trends Report on Pollutants in the
San Francisco Estuary. To receive a
copy of these documents, or for more
information on the dredging re-use
demonstration project, contact Mike
Monroe, SFEP, at (415)464-7993.
SANTA MONICA BAY
RESTORATION PROJECT
The Santa Monica Bay Restoration
Project (SMBRP) has initiated a study
of physical and chemical characteris-
tics of contaminated sediments off the
Palos Verdes Peninsula. A geophysi-
cal survey served to assess sediment
surface and underlying structure. This
information will ultimately lead to
mitigation alternatives. For more
information contact Rainer Hoenicke,
SMBRP, at (213)266-7500.
PUGET SOUND ESTUARY
PROGRAM
The Puget Sound Estuary Program
has recently published a report
highlighting the accomplishments of
ne Puget Sound Urban Bay Action
Program, entitled "The Urban Bay
Action Program: Action Team Accom-
plishments 1985- 1990". This program
began in 1985 with funding ^om EPA
to develop and carry out ac;.on plan-s
for seven urban harbors and embay-
ments around the Sound.
The goals of the program are to
protect these ecosystems from further
degradation from man-made-toxics
(and other water quality problems as
appropriate), to restore degraded
areas and to protect beneficial uses.
Contaminated sediments is one of the
major focuses. This program has
already been immensely successful in
enforcement efforts and remedial
actions, and can serve as a useful
model for geographically targeted
watershed protection efforts. EPA has
also produced a report which de-
scribes the basic approach and -
philosophy of the program entitled
"The Urban Bay Action Program
Approach: A Focused Toxics Control
Strategy", document number EPA 91 0/
9-90-002. For more information
contact Jack Gakstatter, Region X, at
(206)553-0966.
ORD-DULUTH
Further research continues on the
development of TIE (toxicity identifica-
tion evaluation) methodologies for
sediments. As mentioned in the last
newsletter, TIEs are used to identify
specific compounds responsible for
toxicity in acutely toxic sediments.
Ongoing TIE research includes the
following:
• Investigating benthic species for
testing as opposed to upper water
column organisms;
• Evaluating the suitability of pore
water as a test fraction; and
• Developing alternative analytical
methodologies for sediment TIEs.
The TIE methodology will be useful for
(continued on p. 5)
.4
-------
making permit decisions for NPDES
permits,-aiding managers in making
decisions about remediation options,
and lending insight concerning
dredged material disposal options.
Other ORD-Duluth activities include:
• Conducting further metal criteria
work regarding AVS concentrations in
sediments using both laboratory and
field testing. They are currently
working at freshwater sites contami-
nated with copper.
• Initiating an effort to develop food
chain models. These models will be
used as a basis for sediment criteria
development for bioaccumulative
metals and the evaluation of NPDES
permits.
• Continuing field validation studies
for the EqP approach for nonpolar
organics. Scientists are currently
working at a site near Huntsville, AL,
contaminated with DDT.
• Initiating mesocosm studies with the
pesticide dieldrin, to validate the EqP
approach for deriving sediment quality
criteria.
• Working witrrthe Great Lakes
Region V to assess dredged material
to assist in disposal decisions.
• Continuing development of stan-
dardized toxicity tests with suspended
and solid phase sediments, as well as
aqueous fractions of sediments
(elutriate, pore water).
For more information contact Gary
Ankley, ORD-Duluth, at (218)720-
5603.
ERL-GULF BREEZE
ERL-Gulf Breeze has been working
with synthetic contaminated sediments
to determine the effects on estuarine
and freshwater vascular plants. Using
substrates with varying concentrations
of organic matter, contaminant effects
on survival and growth of seedlings
was studied. The effects of twelve in-
dustrial and municipal effluents as well
as herbicides on vascular plants were
also examined. Prior to these experi-
ments, several plant types and ani-
mals were studied to determine if
there would be any changes in
reproduction, growth, and ecdys'is as
a result of being in artificial sediments.
All organisms responded positively to
this environment. These findings are
contained in publications-by Walsh, et.
al., listed under-the Relevant Litera-
ture section of this newsletter.
ERL-ATHENS
Scientists at ERL-Athens have been
working with the EPA Office of Water
Regulations and Standards to develop
sediment quality criteria for the
purpose of managing contaminated
sediments in the nation's waterways.
One approach used in the develop-
ment of sediment quality criteria is the
equilibrium-partitioning (EqP) ap-
proach. This approach is based on
assessing the risk associated with
porewater exposure of sedimentary
contaminants to the behthic commu-
nity. ERL-Athens has produced a
report, "A Geochemical Assessment
of Potential Porewater Exposure to
EPA-Regulated Metal and lonizable
Organic Contaminants for Use in De-
veloping Equilibrium-Partitioning Sedi-
ment Quality Criteria" which assesses •
the ability to predict porewater con-
centrations of various metals and
organic compounds using geochemi-
cal-speciation modeling. For more
information contact Nick Loux, ERL-
Athens, at (404)546-3174.
ORD-CINCINNATI
On June 13-14, 1990, EPA's Risk
Reduction Engineering Laboratory
(RREL) sponsored a "Workshop on
Innovative Technologies for the
Treatment of Contaminated Sedi-
ments". Its purpose was to provide
interested parties with current infor-
mation on innovative treatment tech-
nologies for contaminated sediments,
and to provide RREL staff the oppor-
tunity to increase their understanding
of the problems associated with the
management of contaminated sedi-
ments treatment at various locations
throughout the United States.
The workshop was organized into six
sessions related to policy and technol-
ogy development: Setting the Scene;
Dredged Materials Removal, Pretreat-
ment, and Disposal; Extraction Tech-
nologies; Biological/Chemical Treat-
ment Technologies: Other Technolo-
gies of Interest; and an open discus:
sion on Future Direction for Contami-
nated Sediments Treatment.
A full report highlighting the workshop
is available through the National
Technical Information Service and is
listed under the Relevant Literature
section of this newsletter. For more
information contact Jon Herrmann,
ORD-Cincinnati, at (513)569-7839.
Regional Programs
REGION!
Region I and the New England Divi-
sion, Corps of Engineers, are currently
updating the regional dredged material
testing manual developed in 1989. As
reported in the August 1989 issue of
"Contaminated Sediments News", this
manual was developed within the
framework of the national testing
protocol which was issued Draft in
January 1990. When the draft na-
tional manual is issued "interim" in
1991, an updated regional manual will
also be issued reflecting the national
guidance. Proposed changes in the
regional document beyond the na-
tional guidance include methodologies
for:
• Sample collection and storage;
• Modified flow-through amphipod
toxicity tests; and
• Chemical analyses of marine
sediments and tissues.
Region I plans to issue the revised
protocol in the summer/fall of 1991.
For more information contact Dave
Tomey, Region I, at (617)565-4425.
The State of Connecticut is currently
handling at least 3 cases whe're
companies have been ordered to
remove sediments contaminated with
lead. The Upjohn Company and the
International Nickel Company are
removing lead-contaminated sediment
from Connecticut rivers, while lead
shot will be removed from land owned
by DuPont in Lordship, CT. Specific
cleanup objectives are now being
established for each project. For more
information contact Dick Mason, CT
DEP, at (203)566-5903.
, 5
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REGION II
Scientists in Region II are analyzing
samples which were collected in
October as part of a monitoring
program at the New York Bight Mud
Dump Site. Sediment and polychae-
tes were collected from thirty-nine
stations and analyzed for metals,
dioxin, and organochlorines. For more
information contact Alex Lechich,
Region II. at (212)264-1302.
Region II and the New York District of
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are
in the process of developing evalu-
ative guidelines for the ocean disposal
of dredged material contaminated with
2,3,7,8-TCDD at the 6-Mile Ocean
Disposal Site. As part of this evalu-
ation, they are determining the long-
term bioavailability (180 days) of
chlorinated hydrocarbons as evi-
denced by bioaccumulation in repre-
sentative marine species. Contami-
anted sediment for the bioassays was
collected at the Diamond-Shamrock
site in the lower Passaic River, NJ.
For more information contact Eric
Stern, Region II, at (212)264-5283.
REGION IV
Regio'n IV is gaining momentum in its
efforts to address contaminated
sediments issues. Current activities
include the recent establishment of an
Inter-Divisional Contaminated Sedi-
ments Workgroup to address regional
concerns, whose first task is to provide
input to the Agency-wide Sediment
Management Strategy. The
Workgroup is also creating an inven-
tory of coastal sediment chemistry and
biological effects information. Upon its
completion, this database will be
evaluated to determine specific
locations of concern as well as areas
in need of further testing. A regional
Inter-agency Contaminated Sediments
Task Force is also in the planning
stages. For more .information, contact
Catherine Fox, Region IV, at
(404)347-2126.
REGION V
In October 1990, Ralph R. Bauer, the
Deputy Regional Administrator of
Region V announced a plan to reduce
the total toxic releases into the Grand
Calumet River, IN, by 50% over the
next five years. The Grand Calumet is
a tributary of Lake Michigan that has
served as an industrial sewer since
the late 1800s. Its sediments have
become so saturated with contami-
nants that, according to Bauer, "every
pound of pollutants (released) winds
up in the Great Lakes".
To support the 50% toxins reduction
goal, Region V is using a multi-media,
geographical enforcement initiative in
Northwest Indiana. On a single day
last fall, the Department of Justice, on
behalf of the Region, filed lawsuits
against Inland Steel for violations of
the CWA, CAA, RCRA and SDWA at
their Indiana Harbor plant and against
Bethlehem -s\ for violations of
RCRA and sLWA at its Burns Harbor
plant. A third suit was also filed
against Federated Metals, a smelting
facility, to remedy releases of hazard-
ous wastes into a lake and wetland.
These lawsuits seek substantial
penalties and cleanup, including
sediment contaminant cleanup where
necessary.
In addition to these filings, the Region
also announced the settlement of
CWA litigation against USX Gary
which requires the steel giant to spend
$25 million to improve water pollution
controls, $7.5 million to conduct a
sediment contamination investigation
and cleanup of five miles of the Grand
Calumet, and the payment of a $1.6
million penalty. For more information
contact Michael Mikulka, Region V, at
(312)886-6760.
REGION IX
The California State Water Resources
Control Board (SWRCB) recently
sponsored a technical workshop on
Sediment Quality Assessment and the
development of sediment quality
objectives for bays and estuaries of
California. At the February 6-8
workshop, experts from around the
country outlined overall assessment
strategies and identified critical areas
of research and development needed
to support sediment quality objectives.
A summary of workshop conclusions
should be available in April 1991.
Contact Stefan Lorenzato, SWRCB, at
(916)322-3048 for a copy.
In June 1990, the SWRCB published a
report entitled, "Evaluation of the AET
Approach for Assessing Contamina-
tion of Marine Sediments in Califor-
nia". This report describes recent
work devoted to determining the
feasibility of developing California
Sediment Quality Assessment values
using the Apparent Effects Threshold
(AET) method that has been previ-
ously used in the Puget Sound area.
For more information contact Brian
Melzian, Region IX, at (401)782-3163.
REGION X
The Puget Sound Water Quality
Management Plan (Plan) is a compre-
hensive action plan addressing a
range of problems affecting Puget
Sound's water quality. The Plan called
for the development of a sediment
management program to address the
identification and handling of contami-
nated sediments in Puget Sound. The
program includes provisions for
improving controls for sources of sedi-
ment contamination, a decision
process for conducting sediment
cleanup, requirements for dredging
and disposal of sediments and sedi-
ment quality standards.
In March of 1991 the Washington De-
partment of Ecology (Ecology)
adopted a final rule known as, "Sedi-
ment Management Standards". This
rule contains chemical and biological
sediment quality standards that define
how sediment contamination is
measured and establishes a goal for
the quality of sediments throughout
the State. The rule details how the
sediment quality standards will be
applied in source control decisions
(e.g., NPDES permits), including
provisions for establishment of "sedi-
ment impact zones" (dilution zones) in
those areas where technical feasibility
or cost prevent permitted discharges
from meeting the sediment standards.
The rule also establishes a cleanup
decision process for investigating and
conducting contaminated sediment
cleanup actions, including chemical
and biological sediment cleanup
standards.
Ecology is also drafting a new state
rule known as the Dredged Material
(continued on p. 7)
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Management Standards. These
standards witt address sediment
testing; site designation; dredging,
material transport, and disposal; and
site monitoring for confined disposal in
three environments (upland,
nearshore, and aquatic). The rule is
scheduled for adoption in 1991.
Great Lakes National
Program Office (GLNPO)
GLNPO established the Assessment
and Remediation of Contaminated
Sediments (ARCS) Program for the
development and testing of assess-
ment and remedial action alternatives
for contaminated sediments. GLNPO
and the Lake Michigan Federation are
producing a series of Fact Sheets on
the ARCS Program. To receive these
Fact Sheets contact Glenda Daniel,
Lake Michigan Federation, at
(312)939-0838.
Five sites were listed as requiring
priority consideration in the Great
Lakes region. Information summaries
on each of these sites have been
produced which include existing
information on sediment and tissue
contamination in the areas. In addi-
tion, a summary has been compiled on
treatment technologies which includes
a literature review and ranking of each
treatment technology that could be
applied to the Great Lakes sediment.
For more information contact Dave
Cowgill, GLNPO, at (312)353-3576.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is
evaluating a separation technique to
allow beneficial use of marginally
polluted dredged material from Duluth-
Superior Harbor. In order to maintain
suitable depths for commercial naviga-
tion, approximately 100,000 cubic
yards of silt, sand, and clay are
dredged and disposed of annually
from the adjacent St. Louis Bay and
Superior Bay. At Duluth-Superior
Harbor the typical disposal method
has been placement within the Erie
Pier Confined Disposal Facility (CDF).
CDFs are large diked containment
areas typically placed in the water or
along the shoreline near the channel
to be dredged. CDF siting
requires a large parcel of
property in highly devel-
oped urban areas. Siting
is controversial and often
has resulted in a loss of ;,
valuable wetland or
shallow water habitat.
Recently, a construction
firm suggested removing
the sand from the dredged
material to market it as fill for road
construction projects. A "washing"
operation was developed within the
CDF; by manipulating the flow of water
down a sluiceway constructed in the
dredged material, the heavier sand
particles settled out while the fines
(and associated contaminants) were
carried down into a pond area of the
CDF. The sand was subsequently
moved to a storage area on the CDF
to dry.
Samples from the washing operation
indicated that this procedure was
successful in recovering coarse
material. Whereas the dredged mate-
rial typically contained 70% fines, the
washed material being reclaimed
contained 15% fines. Total organic
carbon (TOC) values in the dredged
material were 1 -5% while the washed
material contained less than 0.1%
TOC. Total concentrations of nickel,
lead, copper, zinc, mercury, and
cadmium were reduced in the washed
material as compared to the dredged
material by factors of 50-90%. All
measured contaminants in the washed
material were below levels of concern
and would be judged suitable for
unrestricted disposal by the Corps.
Based on these results, the Corps will
be investigating the use of this separa-
tion technique at other harbors. By
extending the life of CDFs, disposal
costs are reduced and dredged
material is managed more effectively.
For more information contact Dave
Bowman, U.S. COE-Detroit, at
(313)226-2223.
NOAA
As part of its National Status and
Trends Program, NOAA is conducting
a number of studies on sediment
quality, including surveys of sediment
toxicity in selected estuaries. A survey
of sediment toxicity in San Francisco
Bay was completed in thelate winter/
early spring of 1990. Tests were
performed with mussel larvae and sea
urchin larvae exposed to elutriates and
with the Microtox test of organic
extracts from 45 sites. A number of
the sites were determined to be toxic
throughout the estuary. The 1990
survey data will be published in a
NOAA Technical Memorandum in the
spring of 1991. The report will also
include the summarized results from
61 previous studies of sediment
toxicity in San Francisco Bay, as well
as an overview of other measures of
toxicant-associated biological effects
on resident fish and invertebrates'.
Sediments from 39 sites in the Hudson
River/Raritan Bay estuary will be
tested with amphipods, bivalve larvae,
and Microtox tests in the spring of
1991. Samples will be collected from
Western Long Island Sound, the East
River, lower Hudson River, the Kills,
Newark Bay, and Raritan Bay. Data
are expected to be available by late
summer 1991.
A survey of the toxicity of sediments
from 30 sites in Tampa Bay, FL, is
scheduled to begin in June 1991.
Samples will be collected in Hillsbor-
ough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, middle and
lower Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay
and within the other subdivisions of
the estuary. Toxicity tests will be
conducted with amphipods exposed to
solid phase sediments, Microtox tests
of organic extracts, and sea urchin
sperm following exposure to porewater
extracts. Data should be available in
the fall of 1991.
For more information contact Doug
Wolfe, NOAA, at (301)443-8933 or Ed
Long, NOAA, at (206)526-6338.
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RELEVANT LITERATURE
Management Plan Assessment Report for Dredged Material Management Year 1989 (PSDDA
Annual Report). PSDDA 1990. Contact Sediment Management Unit Dept of Ecoloav
MailstopPV-11.Olympia.WA 98506. . '
Guidelines for Contaminated Sediment Cleanup Decisions: Sediment Ranking System Wash-
ington DOE. 1990. (See contact under first entry). '
Standards for Confined Disposal of Contaminated Sediments: Development Documentation
Washington DOE. 1 990. (See contact under first entry).
' Standards for Confined Disposal of Contaminated Sediments: Literature Review Annotated
Bibliography, Volume Estimates, & Legal Analysis. Washington DOE. 1990. (See contact
under first entry).
The Effects-Based Design Process (Confined Disposal of Contaminated Sediments) Wash-
ington DOE. 1 990. (See contact under first entry).
A Geochemical Assessment of Potential Porewater Exposure to EPA-Regulated Metal and
tonizable Organic Contaminants for Use in Developing Equilibrium-Partitioning Sediment
Quality Criteria. Loux, N.T., C.T. Javert, J.D. Allison, S.M. Hassan and C.R Chafin 1990
Contact Wayne Garrison at (404)546-3145.
Artificial Sediments for Use in Tests with Wetland Plants. Walsh, G.E., D E Weber L K
Brashers and T.L. Simon. 1990. Environ. Exp. Bot. 30:391-396. '
™ AET APProach for Assessing Contamination of Marine Sediments in Califor-
nia (SWRCB, 1990: Report No. 90-3 WQ). Contact Stefan Lorenzato at (916)322-3048.
Interpretation of Metal Concentration in Estuarine Sediments of Florida Using Aluminum as a
Lewis> KL Windom' m Ryan- F-
Protocol for Juvenile Neanthes Sediment Bioassay.
Malek at (206)553- 1286.
EPA Region X. 1 990. Contact John
Status and Trends Report on Dredging and Waterway Modification in the San Francisco
Estuary (SFEP, 1990). Contact Mike Monroe at (415)464-7993.
Status and Trends Report on Pollutants in the San Francisco Estuary (SFEP, 1990) Contact
Mike Monroe at (41 5)464-7993. ' >•""'«*"
Synthetic Sediments: A Tool for Research. Walsh, G.E., D.E. Weber L K Esry and M T
Nguyen. 1991. Proc. Fifth Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference, March 18-2l'
1 991 . Las Vegas, NV.
The Urban Bay Action Program: Action Team Accomplishments 1985-1990 (EPA 1990)
Contact Jack Gakstatter at (206)553-0966. '
The Urban Bay Action Program Approach: A Focused Toxics Control Strategy (EPA 1990-
EPA 91 0/9-90-002). Contact Jack Gakstatter at (206)553-0966.
Tpxieity Assessment of Dredged Materials: Acute and Chronic Toxicity as Determined by
Bioassays and Bioaccumulation Tests. Melzian, B. 1990. jn: Proceedings of the International
7^na,r °n Environmental Aspects of Dredging Activities, 27 November-1 December
1989, Nantes, France. Contact Brian Melzian. Region IX, at (401)782-3163.
Workshop on Innovative Technologies for Treatment of Contaminated Sediments, June 13-14
1990. Summary Report (EPA 1990; EPA/600/2-90/054). (Order No. P 890- 1 10-1 34/AS Call'
703-487-4650 to obtain a copy).
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