United States
                          Environmental Protection
                          Agency
                                                       Office of Water
                                                       (4305)
                                            EPA-823-N94-003
                                            Number 12
                                           . September 1994
                          Contaminated
                          Sediments  News
Contaminated  Sediment
  Management  Strategy
           Signed  by  EPA
            Administrator
On August 22,1994, EPA Administrator
Carol Browner signed the Federal
Register notice of availability of EPA's
Contaminated Sediment Management
 CS News is produced by EPA OST to exchange
 information on contaminated sediments and to
 increase communication among interested
 parties.. To obtain copies of this report or to
 contribute information, contact Jane Fanis, EPA
 OST, at (202)260-8897

 To be added to the mailing list or to make
 changes to your address, please fax your
 request to Charlie MacPherson, Tetra Tech, at
 (703) 385-6007.
  Inside this issue...

  Headquarters Activities	2
  Regional Activities	3
  Focus: Inland Testing Manual
  Available for Comment	4
  ORD Activities	,

  Creature Feature..

  Announcements...
                       ....7

                       .10

                       ..11
Strategy. The proposed Strategy
describes specific actions that EPA will
take to reduce environmental and human
health risks associated with contaminated
sediment.  The Strategy does not propose
new regulation. EPA is acting under
existing statutory and regulatory author-
ity to implement policies to consistently
prevent, assess, and remediate contami-
nated sediment. Because the proposed
Strategy is a unique plan of action
developed to address a significant
national environmental problem, and to
streamline decision-making within and
among EPA programs, the Agency is
taking the unusual step of requesting
public comment on this internal EPA
work plan.

Requests for copies of the Strategy (EPA
823-R-94-001) should be sent to the U.S.
EPA National Center for Environmental
Publications and Information, 11029
Kenwood Road, Building 5, Cincinnati,
OH 45242; (513) 891-6561, FAX
(513) 891-6685. The public comment
period will end in late October. For inore
information on the Strategy, contact Tom
Armitage, EPA/OST, at (202) 260-5388.
                                                                    Contaminated Sediment
                                                                       Activities Timeline
October 31-November 3,1994. 1994
International Hazardous Material Spills
Conference. Buffalo, NY. Contact Sarah
Bauer at (202) 260-8247.

October 30-November 3,1994. 15th .
Annual Meeting of the Society of
Environmental Toxicology and Chemis-
try. Denver, CO. Contact Bill
Stubblefield, Program Chair, at
(303) 493-8878.

November 15-16,1994. Symposium on
Ecological Risk Assessment: Use, Abuse
and Alternatives. Corvallis, OR.
Contact the conference assistant, Oregon
State University, at (503) 737-2329.

November 29-December 2,1994.
Meeting on Water Quality Standards/
Criteria and Related Programs. Seattle,
WA. Contact Liz Hiett, Tetra Tech, at
(703) 385-6000.

December 5-9,1994. Meeting on Water
Quality Standards/Criteria and Related
Programs. Chicago, IL. Contact Liz
Hiett, Tetra Tech, at (703) 385-6000.

February 13-16,1995. National Estuary
Program Coastal Technology Transfer
Conference. New Orleans, LA.  Ab-
stracts due September 30,1994. Contact
Betsy Tarn, USEPA, at (202) 260-6466.

March 29-April 1,1995. Gulf of Mexico
Symposium. Corpus Christi, TX. For
more information call 1-800-699-GULF.

March 10-14,1996. Sixth Federal
Interagency Sediment Conference. Las
Vegas, NV. Abstracts due December 16,
1994. Contact Jerry Bernard, Technical
Program Chairman, at (202) 720-5356.

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 Headquarters
      Activities
  Regional Review of National
    Sediment Inventory Data
           Completed

Tliis summer, all 10 EPA Regions have
been busy reviewing the sediment
chemistry data from their Regions
contained in the National Sediment
Inventory (NSI). The data will be used
to develop the first biennial Report to
Congress on contaminated sediments in
the United States. Specifically, the
Regions were asked to:

(1) verify sites (i.e., waterbody seg-
    ments) targeted as potential areas of
    concern;
(2) identify sites that may have been
    incorrectly targeted as potential
    areas of concern;
(3) identify potential areas of concern
    that were not targeted but should
    have been; and
(4) provide EPA Headquarters with
    additional sediment quality data
    that should be included in the NSI
    to make it more accurate and
    complete.

To assist them in their review, EPA
Headquarters provided each Region
with a copy of The National Sediment
Inventory: Preliminary Evaluation of
Sediment Chemistry Data, Vol. 1:
Approach and
National
Results and
Vol. 2:
Regional
Remits, as
well as the
actual sedi-
ment chemis-
try data in a dB ASE 3+ format and
various options for approaching this
labor-intensive effort.  In addition,
conference and one-on-one calls were
held throughout the summer to answer
any questions the Regions might have
had during their review of the informa-
tion.

The Regional review of the NSI
sediment chemistry data was very
successful due to the hard work and
dedication of the EPA Regions and the
states (NY and WA) that assisted
them. Special thanks go to Matt
Liebman, Region 1; Audrey Massa,
Region 2; Marilyn Gower, Region 3;
Doug Johnson, Region 4; Ken Klewin,
Region 5; Phil Crocker, Suzy
McKinney, and Paul Koska, Region 6;
Lyles Cowles, Region 7; Phil Johnson,
Region 8; Erika Hoffman, Region 9;
and John Malek, Region 10. Regions
also submitted important data sets that
will be added to the NSI to make it
more complete. For more information
on the NSI, contact Catherine Fox,
EPA OST, at (202) 260-1327.
   EPA and Industry Working
Together to Better Understand
          and Prevent
   Sediment Contamination

Over the past several years there has
been a growing effort by EPA and a
variety of industries to work together
to identify and address contaminated
sediment issues. In response to EPA's
effort to develop sediment quality
criteria, sediment bioassays, and
supporting methodologies, a variety of
industries have taken the initiative to
better understand the potential impacts
caused by contaminants that when
released into the environment are
deposited to sediments. These joint
efforts are typically focused on  •
(1) field studies near existing contami-
nant release areas to determine
whether ongoing activities might result
in degraded benthos, (2) laboratory
studies to understand the processes by
which contaminants and natural
sediments interact, or (3) a combina-
tion of both approaches. In some cases
only technical recommendations are
provided by EPA on a proposed study
design. In other cases the study is
conducted jointly, with industry and
EPA having different responsibilities
but sharing the resulting data.

Early involvement by the regulated
community has definite advantages to
both EPA and the industries involved.
Such collaboration allows a more
complete understanding of the science
and related issues by all parties and
provides a basis for more meaningful
comments and research. This informa-
tion can be used by EPA to better
address problems in the early stages of
an effort. Modifications to methodolo-
gies that are made early in an effort can
be more readily incorporated into
program strategies. The additional data
generated from cooperative efforts
helps shape and support developed
methodologies. Opportunities for early
review and comment by the public
were particularly apparent with the
recent review of the first five sediment
criteria. Prior to the Federal Register
notice announcing the availability of
the criteria for public review and
comment, there were two opportunities
for informal review and comment on
the criteria documents and supporting
methodology. As a result of these
reviews, fewer individual commenters
found it necessary to provide com-
ments during the formal public review.

Industry groups representing the
manufacture of petroleum products,
soap and detergents, chemicals, and
photographic film have either com-
pleted or are in the process of conduct-
ing contaminated sediment studies.
Other institutions are considering
similar efforts.  Cooperative efforts '
between EPA and industry are an
effective way to address environmental
problems without relying on traditional
command and control measures.

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       Regional
      Activities
Region 5

   LTV Steel Dredging Begins

On July 27,1994, Ron Kovach of EPA
Region 5 led an information-gathering
tour of a sediment remediation project
being conducted at the LTV Steel East
Chicago, Indiana, steel plant. The
remediation project began July 1
pursuant to a Clean Water Act Consent
Decree that requires the facility to
remove and remediate all of the
sediment (approximately 110,000 cubic
yards) in its No. 2 Intake Flume.  The
remediation consists of both sediment
removal via diver-assisted vacuuming
of the sediment and deoiling/dewater-
ing of the sediment via coagulation/
flocculation in conjunction with final
sand filtration of the discharge and belt
filter pressing of the sludges. The
deoiled/dewatered belt filter press
solids are landfilled in a special waste
landfill in Wyatt,
Indiana. Re-
claimed oils from
the project are
recycled back
into the facility's
waste oil recla-
mation system.
Final discharge
of any waters
from the
remediation project is through a
regulated NPDES-permitted outfall.
For more information contact Ron
Kovach, Region 5, at (312) 886-1441.

Region 6

    Channels Evaluated for
   Sediment Contamination

Region 6 initiated a project last year
with Battelle Ocean Sciences to
evaluate the extent of sediment con-
tamination by dioxins, furans,
hexachlorobenzene, and polychlori-
nated biphenyls in seven dredged
channels in Texas and Louisiana. The
channels of interest in Texas are
Matagorda Ship Channel, Freeport
Harbor/Brazos River, Houston Ship
Channel/Galveston Bay and Channel,
and Sabine-Neches Ship Channel; in
Louisiana, Mississippi River South-
west Pass, Mississippi River Gulf
Outlet, and the Calcasieu River and
Pass.

The Region conducted a literature
survey and data search using publica-
tions, agency reports, and available
databases. As anticipated, large data
gaps were identified for the majority of
compounds in the areas of interest.

This coming year, through continuation
of the contract, the Region will develop
a sampling plan and will collect and
analyze sediments from these channels
and their respective reference areas for
the compounds of interest. The Region
will use the data to assist in  decisions
regarding the disposal of dredged
material. For more information contact
Suzy Cantor-McKinney, Region 6, at
(214) 665-6693.

       Sediment Study at
         Patrick's Bayou

The Region is working with the Texas
Natural Resource Conservation
Commission on a study of contami-
nants in Patrick's Bayou. Patrick's
Bayou is a small, tidally influenced,
effluent-dominated tributary of the
Houston Ship Channel. Sampling took
place July 25-27, 1994. Chemical
analyses are being performed for water
and sediment samples collected from
10 stations. Parameters monitored
include standard field parameters,
conventional parameters, and priority
pollutants in water and sediment.  At
selected sites benthic macro-
invertebrate community assessments
and toxicity tests on water and sedi-
ment elutriates, using marine chronic
 toxicity tests, are being conducted.
 Recent data have shown that this
 bayou has several inorganic and
 organic contaminants of concern in
 bottom sediments, as the water column
 and sediment toxicity have demon-
 strated. This study will aid in deter-
 mining the distribution of contaminants
 within the bayou and possible sources.
 For more information contact Philip
 Crocker, Region 6, at (214) 665-6644.

 Region  1 O

       Biological Indicators
 Developed for Superfund Site

 A year-long project has culminated in
 the development of biological indica-
 tors to be used as performance stan-
 dards for the sediment cap at the St.
 Paul Waterway Area Remedial Action
 and Habitat Restoration Project (the
 Project) at the Commencement Bay
 Nearshore/Tideflats Superfund Site,
 Tacoma, Washington. The perfor-
 mance standards are designed to assess
 the protect! veness of the clean-up
 remedy at the Project. Development of
 biological indicators by Simpson
 Tacoma Kraft Company and Cham-
 pion International Corporation, with
 approval by the U.S. EPA, is required
 by the 1991 St. Paul Waterway
 Consent Decree and the Monitoring,
 Reporting, and Contingency Plan
 (Exhibit A to the Federal Consent
 Decree).

 Biological indicators for the marine
 benthic community are described in the
 document Biological Indicators,  St.
 Paul Waterway Area Remedial Action
 and Habitat Restoration (Parametrix,
 June 1994). For the past year, EPA has
 been working very closely  with
 Simpson, Champion, arid consultants
to develop this comprehensive and
 detailed biological indicators approach.
During its development, the previous 5
 years of site-specific benthic infauna
data were thoroughly reviewed, and
 approximately 60 biological experts
(continued on p. 7)

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           Draft Inland Testing Manual  (ITM)  Now
                       Available for Comment
Introduction

The draft Inland Testing
Manual (ITM) contains up-to-
date procedures to implement
requirements in the Clean
Water Act (CWA Section
404(bXD Guidelines) for the
evaluation of potential contami-
nant-related impacts associated
with the discharge of dredged
material'in fresh, estuarine, and
saline (near-coastal) waters.
Formally titled Evaluation of
Dredged Material Proposed for
Discharge in Waters of the U.S.—
Testing Manual (Draft), the
manual was prepared by a joint
Environmental Protection
Agency/Corps of Engineers
workgroup.  The draft ITM is
currently being released for
public review and comment and
will be finalized in early 1995 in
response to comments received.
The ITM addresses:
                  The ITM includes

       Statutory and Regulatory Background
       Scope and Applicability
       Overview of Testing and Evaluation
       Technical Guidance
          Sampling and Analysis
          Physical and Chemical Evaluations
          Bioassays (Toxicity and Bioaccumulation)
          Quality Assurance/Quality Control
          Evaluation of Discharges from Confined
          Disposal Facilities
          Evaluation of Mixing
          Statistical Methods
          Identification of Ammonia Toxicity
•   contaminant-related impacts
   associated with discharges of
   dredged material in open
   water disposal areas

•   contaminant-related impacts
   to surface water and sur-
   rounding environs associated
   with dredged material effluent
   discharged from confined
   disposal areas.

The ITM does not address:

•   impacts associated with the
   dredging activity itself

•   impacts associated with the
   discharge of fill material (ex-
   cept where dredged material
   is used for fill and there is a
   reason to believe that
   contaminants might be re-
   leased).

•  impacts associated with the
   discharge of dredged material
   in the ocean, under the Ma-
   rine Protection, Research and
   Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA).

The ITM provides a national

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                   evaluate existing information;
                    testing only for exclusions
         WATER COLUMN
     measure and model dissolved
       contaminants; compare to
               WQS
        measure toxicity; model
     suspended phase; determine
         toxicity after mixing
            case-specific
            toxicity tests
           BENTHOS
       calculate theoretical
     bioaccumulation potential;
       compare to reference
     measure toxicity; measure
    bioaccumulation; compare to
     FDA limits and to reference
          case-specific
     toxicity; bioaccumulation;
           other tests
                                          TIER I
                                   (generally represents
                                   existing information)
          TIER II
     (solely concerned
      with chemistry)
         TIER III
 (generic bioassay [toxicity
and bioaccumulation] tests)
         TIER IV
 (specific bioassay [toxicity
 and bioaccumulation] and
       other tests)
              Overview of ITM Tiered Testing Approach

testing framework that consti-
tutes one element of an overall
decision-making process for
determining whether dredged
material can be discharged into
CWA section 404 waters.  The
ITM is intended to provide for
consistency between dredged
material evaluations under
CWA and MPRSA.  In recogni-
tion of the importance of site-
and situation-specific concerns,
regional flexibility in implemen-
tation and application is allowed
within this national framework.
Tiered  Testing
Approach

The ITM uses a tiered testing
approach as described below:

Tier I - Involves an examination
of existing information to
(1) determine whether there is
"reason to believe" that the
dredged material needs to be
tested for potential adverse
effects  and (2) identify any
contaminants of concern rela-
tive to testing in later tiers.
Material may be excluded from
further testing if there is reason-
 able assurance that (1) it is not
 a carrier of-contaminants or
 (2) it is adjacent and similar to
 the disposal site material,, and
 dispersal of the discharge can
 be controlled.  Some limited
 testing might be necessary to
 confirm such exclusions.

 Tier n - Is concerned solely
 with sediment and water chem-
 istry.  Tier II provides useful
 information through screening
 tools,  but not all possible deter-
 minations can be reached at
 this tier. It presently consists of

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(1) measuring dis-
solved contaminants,
(2) evaluation of state
Water Quality Stan-
dard (WQS) compli-
ance using a numeri-  C=i>
cal mixing model,
and (3) evaluation of theoreti-
cal bioaccumulation potential
for nonpolar organic chemi-
cals.

Tier in - Employs well-de-
fined, nationally accepted
bioassays Including (1) water
column laboratory toxicity
tests, (2) whole sediment
laboratory toxicity tests, and
(3) whole sediment
bioaccumulation tests. Appro-
priately sensitive organisms
are recommended, including
benchmark species for evalu-
ating the sensitivity of regional
species.  Summaries of test
conditions and test acceptabil-
ity criteria for all recom-
mended bioassay species are
also provided. Toxicity testing
emphasizes acute responses,
generally survival. Water
column toxicity evaluations
consider mixing of the dredged
material at the discharge site.
Benthic bioaccumulation
testing provides for the deter-
mination of bioavailability
through 28-day exposure
tests. Tier m testing will
usually provide sufficient
Information for use in the
overall decision-making pro-
cess for compliance with the
Guidelines.

Tier I]tf: - Will be used only in
certain cases, where results
from tests in earlier tiers are
insufficient to determine the
potential adverse effects of the
material to be discharged. Tier
IV, like Tier HI, uses toxicity
and bioaccumulation tests;
however, (1) toxicity tests may
involve field (rather than labo-
ratory) exposures, different
endpoints (e.g., chronic rather
than acute), different species,
or longer laboratory exposures;
(2) bioaccumulation tests may
involve field (rather than labo-
ratory) exposures using trans-
planted or resident organisms,
or longer laboratory exposures.
Tier IV can also include
benthos studies.

Reference Sediment - Is the
key to the evaluation of
dredged material. Results of
tests using reference sediment
provide the point of comparison
(reference point) to which
effects of dredged material are
compared. Reference sediment
is generally collected outside
the influence of previous dis-
posal operations at the disposal
site, but near enough to the
disposal site that the reference
sediment is subject to all the
same Influences (except previ-
ously disposed dredged mate-
rial) as the disposal site. It
should not be located in the
immediate vicinity of spills,
               6
outfalls, or other significant
sources of contaminants, and it
should have a grain size as
similar as practicable to that of
the dredged material. The
reference sediment concept is
the subject of a CWA
rulemaking that will be pro-
posed in the Federal Register
for public comment prior to
issuance of the final ITM.

Contacts

A copy of the draft ITM can be
obtained from Shirley Walker,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Waterways Experiment Station,
at (601)634-2571.

Comments can be mailed or
delivered to Mike Kravitz as per
-the July 21, 1994, Federal
Register
notice  .
 announc-
 ing the
 availability of the draft ITM
 (59 FR 37234).

 For more information contact
 Mike Kravitz, U.S. EPA Ofllce of
: Science and Technology, at
 (202) 260-8085; or Kirk Stark,
 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
 Office of the
 Chief of
 Engineer, at
 (202) 272-
 1786.

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 (continued from p. 3)
 from around the United States were
 interviewed. This information was
 used to build a suite of analytical
 processes using marine benthic data
 that will allow observations of biologi-
 cal change at the Project site. Use of
 the biological indicators approach will
 enable EPA to determine whether the
 natural habitat at the Project has been  •
 restored to support a productive
 biological community, and will allow
 evaluation of any potential sediment
 recontamination in the upper layers of
 the sediment cap.

 Region 10 believes that this biological
 indicators approach represents a
 noteworthy advance in establishing
 performance standards that can be used
 to evaluate and manage marine sedi-
 ment restoration projects. EPA
 anticipates approving this document by
 September 1994.

 For more information contact Karen
 Keeley, Region 10, at (206) 553-2141,
 or John Malek, Region 10, at
 (206) 553-1286.
             ORD
      Activities
 ORD-Duluth

 Use of AVS in a Field Setting

 ORD-Duluth recently completed a field
• study to determine the appropriateness
 of using acid volatile sulfide (AVS) in
 a field setting to predict the
 bioavailability of metals. Sediments
 collected from a pond were spiked with
 various concentrations of zinc and then
 returned to the pond so that the effects
 on benthic community structure could
 be observed.  Results seen in the field
 were consistent with predictions made
 based on laboratory data. Where no
effects were predicted, i.e., at
metal:AVS ratios less than one, there
was no observable effect on the benthic
community structure. For more
information contact Gfary Ankley,
ORD-Duluth, at (218) 720-5603.

Phototoxicity of PAHs

ORD-Duluth is currently conducting
mechanistic laboratory studies to
determine the phototoxicity of polycy-
clic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
relative to the intensity of sunlight to
which an organism is exposed, as well
as the concentration of the PAH.  The
PAHs used in these experiments are
fluoranthene, anthracene, and pyrene.
Researchers hope to develop a joint
toxicity model to make hazard predic-
tions. Contact Gary Ankley, ORD-
Duluth, at (218) 720-5603.
      Workgroup Formed for
           Sediment TIEs

    A workgroup has recently been
    formed to continue research on •
    sediment toxicity identification
    evaluations (TIEs). The workgroup
    consists of members from ORD-
    Duluth, Narragansett, and the
    National Biological Survey. The
    members hope to develop an
    advanced methods document for
    sediment TIEs within the next year
    and a half.  For more information
    contact Gary Ankley, ORD-
    Duluth, at (218) 720-5603.
 ERL-IMarraffigansett

 EMAP-E Statistical Summaries
 Available for Virginian and
 Louisianian Provinces

 The Statistical Summaries for EMAP-
 Estuaries Virginian Province - 1991
 and for the Louisianian Province -
 1992 are now available for distribution.
 The Virginian Province summary
 contains results from annual monitor-  .,
 ing of indicators of the ecological  *
 condition of bays and estuaries from
 Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape
 Henry, Virginia, during July, August,
 and September of 1991.  The Louisi-
 anian Province summary contains
 results from sampling the estuaries of
 me Gulf of Mexico during July and
 August of 1992. Data were collected at
 more than 300 stations and included
 water quality .(temperature, salinity,
 water clarity, and dissolved oxygen
 concentrations), sediment contamina-
 tion, sediment toxicity, benthic com-
 munity structure, fish community
 structure, fish gross pathology, and fish
 tissue contamination.  The data are
used to estimate the current status of
the ecological condition of Province
resources and to provide a baseline for
identifying future trends.

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For copies of the Statistical Summa-
ries, contact Darryl Keith, EMAP-
Virginian Province Manager at ERL-
Narragansett, (401) 782-3135; and
John Macauley, EMAP-E Louisianian
Province Manager, ERL-Gulf Breeze,
at (904) 934-9353.

ERL-Gulf Breeze

EMAP-E Sediment
Contaminant Distributions

The Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment Program (EMAP) is a
long-term program developed by the
U.S. EPA in conjunction with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
.Administration (NOAA) and the
National Biological Survey. It will
provide the public, scieritists, and
Congress with information that can be
used to evaluate the overall health of
the Nation's ecological resources.  The
EMAP-Estuaries (EMAP-E) compo-
nent will provide information on the
ecological condition of the Nation's
estuaries as part of this larger program.
During the period from 1990 to 1993,
EMAP-E investigated the ecological
condition of the Virginian Province and
the Louisianian Province, which
encompass all coastal waters, bays, and
estuaries from Cape Cod, Massachu-
setts, to Cape Henry, Virginia (the
Virginian Province), and the estuaries
of the Gulf of Mexico from Anclote
Anchorage, Florida, to the Rio Grande,
Texas (the Louisianian Province).
Scientists collected data on sediment
chemistry, benthic community struc-
ture, and fish pathology, as well as
physical parameters such as salinity,
temperature, and dissolved oxygen.

EMAP-E has examined nearly 1200
sediment samples from both the
Virginian and Louisianian Provinces
for 125 different contaminants, includ-
ing PAHs, PCBs, pesticides, heavy
metals, alkanes, andbutyltins.

In general, contaminant concentrations
in the sediment are at moderate levels.
Thirty-four percent (±3 percent) of the
Virginian Province and 6 percent (±2
percent) of the Louisianian Province
have a concentration of any contaminant
above the Effects Range Medium (ERM)
criterion. The ERM criterion is the
concentration of a contaminant that will
result in ecological effects approximately
50 percent of the time based on scientific
literature studies. In the Virginian
Province, ERM values are exceeded for
PAHs in 1 percent (±1 percent) of the
sediments; for PCBs, less than 1 percent;
for pesticides, 1-2 percent; and for heavy
metals, 25-33 percent.

A more protective indicator of contami-
nant concentrations is the Effects Range
Low (ERL) criterion, which is the
concentration of a contaminant that will
result in ecological effects about 10
percent of the time. In the Virginian
Province, sediments exceed the ERL
values for any contaminant in 65-82
percent of the estuarine area. PAHs
exceed this criterion in 6 to 9 percent of
the sediments; PCBs, in less than 1
percent of the sediment; pesticides, in 10-
15 percent of the sediments; and heavy
metals, in 65-80 percent of the sediments.
                                       EMAP-Estuaries
                               Biogeographical Provinces
                                Continental  United States
         Columbi
                                                                                     cadian
        Californi
                                                                              arolinian

                                                                                est Indian

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Louisianian Province sediments
rarely exceed the ERM criterion.
PAHs exceed the criterion in less
than 1 percent of the sediments, arid:;;
mercury exceeds the criterion in 2
percent of the sediments. There are
no exceedances for PCBs, pesticides,
or other heavy metals. Tributyltin
(TBT) and alkanes were also mea-
sured in the Louisianian Province,
although no criteria exist for these
contaminants. Three to four percent
of the sediments had TBT concentra-
tions greater than 5 ppb and 8-9
percent had total alkanes concentra-
tions greater than 7000 ppb.
Using the more protective ERL
criterion in the Louisianian Province,
PAHs exceed the criterion in 3 to 4
percent of the sediments, pesticides
in 23-34 percent of the sediments,
and heavy metals in 11-22 percent of
the sediments.

There are distinct differences in the
suites of contaminants in the two
provinces. The Virginian Province
is characterized by industrial
contaminants and some urban
pesticides (e.g., chromium, zinc,
DDT, and chlordane). The Louisi-
anian Province is characterized
primarily by agricultural contami-
nants (e.g., dieldrin, chlordane,
mercury, and arsenic).

Sediment toxicity reflects the bio-
availability of contaminants and
directly demonstrates the potential
for effects on aquatic life. Nineteen
percent (±3 percent) of sediments in
the Virginian'Province were toxic tern
test animals exposed fo the sediments
for 10 days. Toxicity is defined as
greater than 15 percent mortality
during the exposure. Sediments in
the Louisianian Province are toxic in
9 percent (±3 percent) of the estua-
rine area.

EMAP-E scientists also analyzed
data on fish tissue and water quality.
These results will be published in a
Report to Congress in the fall. For
more information on the EMAP-E
program, contact Kevin Summers,
ERL-Gulf Breeze, at (904) 934-9244.
                           Availability   of
                           Toxicity  Test   Manuals
      As part of EPA's Proposed Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy, all EPA program offices have agreed to
      use consistent chemical and biological test methods to determine whether sediments are contaminated. Solid-phase
      acute sediment toxicity tests and bioaccumulation tests^selected^y the EPA's Sediment Tiered Testing committee,  .
      have been developed for Agency-wide use in assessing sediment quality. The tests selected are:

      1) Ten-day freshwater acute toxicity test using Hyalella azteca and Chironomus teutons.                 •   \.
      2) Twenty-eight day freshwater bioaccumulation test using Lumbricultis variegatus.
      3) Ten-day marine and estuarine acute toxicity test using the amphipods Ampelisca abdita, Rhepoxynius abronius,
         Hyalella azteca, Eohaustorins estuarius, and Leptocheirus plumulosus.                     •
      4) Twenty-eight day marine bioaccumulation test using Macoma nasuta and Neries spp.

      The documents are currently being printed, and copies will be distributed by EPA's Center for Environmental Re-  •
      search Information (CERI) in mid-October. The two methods documents are titled Methods for Measuring, the
      Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of Sediment-Associated Contaminants with Freshwater Invertebrates (EPA 600/R-94/
      024) and Methods for Measuring the Toxicity of Sediment-Associated Contaminants with Estuarine and Marine
      Amphipods (EPA 600/R-94/025).  To obtain copies of the methods documents call CERI at (513) 569-7562.

      The marine bioaccumulation method is available in a separate document entitled Guidance Manual: Bedded Sedi-
      ment Bioaccumulation Test (EPA/600/X-89-302).
  •eqiez stnjo s,v
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   CREATURE

    FEATURE:
Name the Genus and species of this flesh-eating voracious predator. (Hint: it's not
the one with the trendy aqua socks). Answer on p. 9.
         10

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                      Announcements
              Call for Papers

  The Sixth Federal Interagency Sedimentation
  Conference will be held on March 10-14, 1996, in
  Las Vegas, Nevada. The theme for the conference is
  "Sedimentation Technologies for Management of
  Natural Resources in the 21st Century."  The
  conference is being sponsored by the Subcommittee
  on Sedimentation of the Interagency Advisory
  Committee on Water Data. Topics include data
  collection, reservoir management, research and
  practical applications, sediment quality, modeling,
  coastal and estuary sedimentation, floodplain
  management, processes, watershed management,
  nonpoint source, remote sensing/GIS applications,
  data sharing, and wetland sedimentation. Abstracts
  are due by December 16,1994. For more informa-
  tion contact: Jerry Bernard, Technical Program
  Chairman, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, DC  20013.
  (202)720-5356.
Gulf of Mexico Symposium

The Gulf of Mexico Program is
announcing the Third Biennial Gulf of
Mexico Symposium to be held March
29-April 1,1995, in Corpus Christi,
Texas. The symposium, "Steering a
Course to the Future", is an opportu-
nity for scientists, teachers, students,
citizens, industry, and government
officals to discuss and learn about the
issues relating to the Gulf.

Opportunities for making oral and
poster presentations are available. For
more information on participating in
or attending the symposium, please
call 1-800-699-GULF.
                    Symposium on Ecological
                      Risk Assessment:  Use,
                      Abuse and Alternatives

                  This symposium will be held on November
                  15-16,1994, in Corvallis, Oregon. The •
                  purpose of this symposium is to explore
                  the philosophical basis for the use of risk
                  assessment in solving ecological problems.

                  The symposium is being sponsored by the
                  Center for Analysis of Environmental
                  Change.

                  For more information contact:
                  Conference Assistant
                  College of Forestry
                  Oregon State Univesity
                  Corvallis, OR 97330
                  Tel: (503)737-2329
                  FAX: (503)737-2668
              Call for Abstracts

The National Estuary Program Coastal Technology
Transfer Conference will be held February 13-16,1995,
in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference is being
hosted by the U.S. EPA and the Barataria-Terrebonne
National Estuary Program. Abstracts are due Septem-
ber 30,1994. For more information contact Betsy Tam,
Oceans and Coastal Protection Division, U.S. EPA, 401
M Street, "SW, Washington, DC  20460. (202) 260-6466,
FAX (202) 260-9960.
                                              11

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