Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy-Fact Sheet http://www.epa.gov/OST/cs/stratefs.html
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^ EPA's Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy
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° Introduction
u To address the ecological and human health risks thai contaminated sediment poses in many
n- U.S. watersheds, HP A announces publication of its Contaminated Sediment Management
Q Strategy. Also available, through the Office of Water Docket, is the Response to Public
('omments Document. The Strategy is an HP A workplan describing actions the Agency
believes are needed to bring about consideration and reduction of risks posed by
contaminated sediments. In the Strategy. EPA summarizes its understanding of the extent
and severity of sediment contamination, including uncertainties about the dimension of the
problem and describes the cross-program policy framework in which the Agency intends to
promote consideration and reduction of ecological and human health risks posed by
sediment contamination.
The Strategy establishes four goals to manage the problem of contaminated sediment, and
describes actions the Agency intends to take to accomplish these goals. The goals arc: 1) to
control sources of sediment contamination and prevent the volume of contaminated sediment
from increasing; 2) to reduce the volume of existing (in-place) contaminated sediment: 3) to
ensure that sediment dredging and dredged material disposal are managed in an
environmentally sound manner; and 4) to develop a range of scientifically sound sediment
management tools for use in pollution prevention, source control, remediation and dredged
material management.
Concerns About Sediment Contamination
Recent studies of the quality of the nation's lakes, rivers, and bays, and concerns about the
economic impacts associated with contaminated fish and disposal of contaminated dredged
material make sediment contamination an important issue.
o HPA estimates that 10 percent of the nation's lakes, rivers, and bays have sediment
contaminated with toxic chemicals that can kill fish living in those waters or impair
the health of people and wildlife who eat contaminated fish (Listing ofl-'ish and
Wildlife Consumption Advisories. EPA 823-C-97-004. 1997: The Incidence ami
Severity of Sediment Contamination in Surface Water of the United Stales. HP A
823-R-97-006. 007, 008, 1998).
o fifteen percent of the nation's lake acreage and 5 percent of the nation's river miles are
under state-issued fish consumption advisories. All of the Great Hakes and a large
portion of the nation's coastal waters are also under advisory (Listing of Fish and
Wildlife Consumption Advisories. EPA 823-C-97-004. 1997).
o Billions of dollars of economic activity are potentially affected by contaminated
sediment because of the loss ol'recreational and commercial fishing and the increased
cost of disposing of contaminated material dredged to aid navigation.
Why EPA Needs a Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy
HP A needs an Agency-wide Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy because
cooperation among many HPA offices is necessary to address the problem of contaminated
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Contaminate Sediment Management Strategy-Fact Sheet http://www.epa.gov/OST/cs/stratefs.html
sediment.
o Contaminated sediment is an environmental problem in the nation's water bodies that
is not handled by a single EPA office or authority.
o The multimedia sources of ongoing contamination and the need to remediate historical
contamination require coordinated Agency-wide actions.
What the Strategy Will Aecomplish
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