r/EPA
United Slates
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Science and
Technology (4301)
Washington, DC 20460
823-N-94-OOR
OCTOBER 1994
             Water
                          NEWSLETTER
          WATER QUALITY CRITERIA AND STANDARDS
     EPA Administrator Signs Agency-vide Contaminated Sediment
Management Strategy:  The Standards and Applied Science Division
has coordinated  the development of an Agency-wide Contaminated
Sediment Management Strategy which was signed by EPA
Administrator Carol Browner on August 22, 1994.   An announcement
of availability  of the proposed Strategy for public comment was
published in the Federal Register on August 30, and the public
comment period is scheduled to end on October 31, 1994.

     The proposed Strategy describes specific actions that EPA
will take to reduce environmental and human health risks
associated with  contaminated sediment.  EPA is acting, under
existing statutory and regulatory authority, to implement
policies to consistently assess, prevent, and remediate
contaminated sediment.

     Contaminated sediment poses
ecological and human health risks in
many watersheds  throughout the United
States.  In these watersheds, sediment
serves as a contaminant reservoir from
which fish and bottom dwelling
organisms can accumulate toxic
compounds and pass them up the food
chain.  Toxic chemicals in sediment
come from discharges of industrial
waste and sewage; stormwater runoff
from waste dumps, city streets and
farms, and sir pollutants.  The
magnitude of the toxics problem in the
United States is evidenced in more
than 1,200 State advisories that have
been issued against consuming fish that have accumulated toxic
bioaccumulative  contaminants from sediment and other sources.

      More than  ten Federal statutes provide 'authority to many
EPA program offices to address the problem of contaminated
sediment.  This  has resulted in fragmented, and in some cases
duplicative, efforts to complete the necessary research,
technology development, and pollution control activities required
to effectively manage contaminated sediment.  Often it has been
difficult for EPA programs to agree upon the fundamental question
of whether sediment at a particular site 'poses ecological or
human health risks.  The proposed Contaminated Sediment

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Management  Strategy was developed  to streamline decision-making
within and  among the Agency's program offices by promoting and
ensuring:  the use of consistent  sediment assessment practices,
consistent  consideration of risks posed by contaminated sediment,
the use of  consistent approaches to management of contaminated
sediment risks,  and the wise use of scarce resources for research
and technology development.

      Goals  of the Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy:
EPA's proposed Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy
describes actions that the  Agency will take to accomplish the
following four strategic goals:  1) Prevent further sediment
contamination that may cause unacceptable ecological or human
health risks; 2)  When practical, clean up existing sediment
contamination that adversely affects the Nation's waterbodies or
their uses,  or that causes  other significant effects on human
health or the environment;  3) Ensure that sediment dredging and
dredged material  disposal continue to be managed in an
environmentally sound manner; 4) develop and consistently apply
methodologies for analyzing contaminated sediments.

What  the Strategy Does:   The proposed Contaminated Sediment
Management  Strategy is comprised of six component sections:
assessment,  prevention,  remediation, dredged material management,
research, and outreach.   In each section, EPA describes actions
that  the Agency will  take to accomplish the four broad strategic
goals.

      In the assessment section of the Strategy EPA proposes that
Agency program offices all  use standard sediment toxicity test
methods and chemical-sped fie sediment quality criteria to
determine whether sediments are  contaminated.   Actions that EPA
will  take to develop  a national  inventory of sites and sources of
sediment contamination (the National Sediment Inventory) are
described in the  assessment section of the proposed Strategy.
The National  Sediment Inventory  will be used by EPA to target
sites  for contaminated sediment  assessment,  prevention, and
remediation.   These assessment actions will enable EPA to focus
on cleaning up the most contaminated waterbodies,  and ensuring
that further sediment contamination is prevented.

     EPA's plan  to stop sediment contaminants
from reaching the environment is described in
the prevention section of the proposed Strategy.
In order to  regulate  the use of pesticides and
toxic  substances  that accumulate in sediment,
EPA proposes the  use  of acute sediment toxicity
tests  to support  registration of chemicals under
the Federal  Insecticide,  Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act and the Toxic Substances Control
Act.   In the prevention section of the Strategy
EPA also proposes:  developing effluent guidelines for industries
that discharge sediment contaminants in significant amounts;
using pollution prevention policies to reduce or eliminate

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sediment contamination resulting from noncompliance with permits;
preparing guidelines for design of new chemicals to reduce
bioavailability and partitioning of toxic chemicals to sediment;
and implementing point and nonpoint source controls that will
protect sediment quality.  EPA's prevention actions will stop
further contamination of sediment and reduce ecological and human
health risks.

     In the remediation section of the Strategy EPA proposes
using multiple statutes to require contaminated sediment
remediation by parties responsible for pollution.  These statutes
include the Comprehensive Emergency Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act  (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act  (RCRA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA), the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Oil
Pollution Act.  EPA states in the proposed Strategy, however,
that the Agency will not proceed with a clean-up if a combination
of pollution prevention and source controls will allow the
sediments to recover naturally in an acceptable period of time.
EPA's remediation actions will clean up existing sediment
contamination that adversely affects the Nation's waterbodies.

    • In the dredged material management section of the proposed
Strategy,  EPA discusses the development of technical guidance
regarding dredged material testing, dredged material disposal
site selection, and disposal alternatives.  EPA actions described
in the proposed Strategy will ensure continued disposal of
dredged material in an environmentally sound manner.

       In the research section of the Strategy,
EPA proposes a program of investigative research
that is needed to: develop and validate new
chemical-sped fie sediment criteria and other
sediment assessment methods; improve EPA's
understanding of the transfer of sediment
contaminants through the food chain; and
develop and evaluate a range of technologies for
remediating contaminated sediments.  EPA's
proposed research program will support improved assessment,
prevention, and remediation of contaminated sediment.

     The outreach section of the proposed Strategy describes
actions that EPA will take to demonstrate, through public
involvement, the Agency's commitment to, and accountability for,
sediment management efforts.  EPA will produce, and make
available to the public, regular status reports on sediment
management activities.

Copies of the Strategy are Available:  Requests for copies of
EPA's Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy  (EPA document
number EPA 823-R-94-001) should be sent to: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Publications
and Information, 11029 Kenwood Road, Building 5, Cincinnati, Ohio
45242; telephone: 513-891-6561, fax:  513-891-6685.

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     Comments  on  the Strategy may be mailed or
delivered  to:  Contaminated Sediment Management
Strategy Comment  Clerk,  Water Docket MC-4101,
Room L102, Environmental Protection Agency,  401
M Street,  S.W., Washington,  D.C.  20460.
Commenters are requested to submit an original
and 3  copies of their written comments and
enclosures.    For further information contact
Tom Armitage at  (202)  260-5388.
ELIZABETH SOUTHERLAND
ACTING DIRECTOR, STANDARDS
& APPLIED SCIENCE DIVISION
MARGARET J. STASIKOWSKI
DIRECTOR, HEALTH &
ECOLOGICAL CRITERIA DIVISION

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MEETING NOTICE -  THE  1994
INTERNATIONAL HAZARDOUS
MATERIAL   SPILLS
CONFERENCE

The concept of partnerships—working together for
a common goal of improved safety and health—is
the theme of the 1994 International Hazardous
Material Spills Conference.  The conference, from
October  31-November 3,  1994  at the  Hyatt
Regency Hotel and Convention Center in Buffalo,
NY, will feature discussions and presentations on
how cooperation between disparate groups with
different  agendas has resulted in greater  public
awareness; improved industry safety procedures;
and strenghtened international, national and state
laws and programs.   Anyone interested  in the
prevention, preparedness and response to chemical
accidents should attend this three-day interactive
conference. For registration information,  please
contact  Angela  Moody,  of Professional  and
Scientific Associates, at (703) 442-9824.

GREAT  LAKES  WATER   QUALITY
INITIATIVE
FRED LEUTNER
 (202)  260-1542

EPA  PUBLISHES DATA NOTICE
FORGLI

On August 30, 1994, EPA published a notice in
the Federal Register  (59  FR 44678) inviting
comment on three reports we are considering in
developing the final Water Quality Guidance for
the Great Lakes System. The three reports are:

(1)  "Results of Simulation Tests Concerning the
Percent Dissolved Metal in Freshwater Toxicity
Tests."   The notice invites comment on whether
the conversion factors contained in the report for
converting total  recoverable metal criteria to
dissolved metal criteria should be adopted in the
final GLI methodology for aquatic life.

(2)   "1991-1992 Michigan Sport Anglers Fish
Consumption Study." The report contains data on
fish consumption rates for the State of Michigan.
The notice invites comment on whether the GLI
methodologies for development of human  health
criteria and values should be adjusted based on
the results of study.

(3)    "Great  Lakes  Water Quality Initiative
Technical Support Document for the Procedure to
Determine Bioaccumulation Factors, July 1994,"
The notice invites comment on whether changes in
the GLI methodology for deriving bioaccumulation
factors should be incorporated in the final role.

The public comment period ends September 29,
1994.  EPA is on schedule to meet a court ordered
deadline to sign the final rulemaking for the GLI,
entitled Water Quality Guidance for the Great
Lakes System, by March  13, 1995.  For  more
information on how  to  obtain the  documents
described  in the notice, call Wendy Schumacher
(312-353-2079).

WATER QUALITY  STANDARDS
DAVE  SABOCK
 (202)   260-1315
SASD    INFORMATION
TECHNICAL MATERIALS
AND
Documents,  videos and software developed by
SASD can now be  requested from  the Water
Resource Center via e-mail.  The e-mail address
is:   waterpubs@epamail.epa.gov.   The Water
Resource Center is staffed by a contractor, Labat-
Anderson. If you would like to speak to someone
in the Water Resource Center, call 202-260-7786.

MULTI-REGIONAL  MEETINGS
IN SEATTLE/CHICAGO


Multi-regional meetings on  numerous  water
quality  criteria and  standards topics of current
interest are scheduled for Seattle, November 28-
Dec.  1  and  in Chicago, December 5-9.   These
meetings are particularly  useful for State and
Tribal  representatives  as  well  as  municipal.
environmental, and industrial groups.
A meeting devoted to reviewing and evaluating
EPA's fish advisory program and how it compares
with State programs  will be held on the last day.
Topics for the criteria and standards workshops
include: human health and aquatic tife criteria
development methodologies, endangered specks
act  issues,  independent  applicability,  m«tais

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criteria, protection  of existing uses, and other
subjects.

Information on these meeting may  be obtained
from Liz Heitt, Tetra Tech, 10306 Eaton Place,
Fairfax, VA 22030, telephone 703-385-6007.

WQS   PROMULGATIONS
UNDERWAY

Several  water  quality  standards promulgation
actions are underway at the end of FY94. Final
action on the San Francisco Bay/Delta is nearing
completion. EPA is also working on proposal to
re-establish criteria for toxic pollutants as part of
several California water plans that were found by
the California Supreme Court to be invalid due to
administrative errors in the State.  Issues  with
respect to the antidegradation  policy  are  the
subject of another promulgation proposal being
developed  to  apply  to Florida.   A  proposed
rulemaking affecting the  mixing  zone language
adopted by New Mexico and disapproved by EPA
is expected to be published for public review and
comment early in FY95.

WQS   HANDBOOK   TO    BE
REPUBLISHED

The Water Quality Standards Handbook-Second
Edition will  be  republished  early in  FY95  to
include  several  major  guidance  documents
produced by EPA since the second  edition was
published late  in 1993.   The new  guidance
incorporated  into the Handbook includes:  (1)
derivation of water-effect ratios, (2) the Office of
Water policy statement on metals,  and (3) an
interpretation of the antidegradation policy  as it
relates  to  nonpoint  sources.   Each  of these
documents has been released  by EPA.  Then*
incorporation  into  the   Handbook   is   for
convenience.

The Handbook will be distributed directly to the
EPA Regional offices,  the States and Tribes.
When available, copies may be  obtained from the
EPA Resource Center 202-260-2814. Copies will
not be available until at least several weeks after
this newsletter is issued.
DIVISION    GETS   A    NEW
CONTRACTOR

The Cadmus Group was awarded a contract to
provide  services to the Standards and Applied
Science Division. The new contractor has previous
experience in other Office of Water programs.

WQS   ACADEMY   PLANS  FOR
FY95
The highly successful
Water  Quality
Standards Academy, a
formal  training
program  in  criteria
and standards aimed
at  people   with  6
months or less experience, will continue in FY95.
Academy  sessions are planned  for:  Salt Lake
City, Utah in January 1995; Tampa, Florida in
February;  Albany,  NY,  in  March; Portland,
Oregon in April, and Minneapolis, MN in May.
In addition,  there will be a session or two in
Washington,  DC.   In FY94,  a total  of  406
participants completed the course.  Six  hundred
and fifty-two people have attended the Academy in
the past two years.

MEMORANDUM   OF
AGREEMENT ON END ANGERED
SPECIES ACT IN NEGOTIATION

The  task  of negotiating a memorandum  of
agreement between EPA, the Fish and Wildlife
Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service
is  continuing.   The  draft  agreement covers
consultation procedures on water quality criteria,
water quality standards, and NPDES permits.

NEW VIDEOS FOR FY 95

Two  new videos are expected to be completed
early in FY95 as production is now underway.
The videos are: Developing Site-Specific Criteria;
Total Maximum Daily Loads and Water Quality
Standards.  Upon completion, our video library
will contain 11 titles. All videos are available free.

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RISK      ASSESSMENT      AND
MANAGEMENT  BRANCH
TOM  ARMITA6E
 (202)   260-5388

DRAFT   INLAND   TESTING
MANUAL COMPLETED

In July 1994 a joint Environmental Protection
Agency/Corps of Engineers (EPA/CE) Workgroup
completed a draft Inland Testing Manual (ITM)
which contains up-to-date procedures to implement
requirements in the Clean Water  Act  (CWA
Section 404(b)(l) Guidelines) for the evaluation of
potential contaminant-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)," it  is available for public
comment as per the July 21,1994 Federal Register
notice (59 FR 37234).  A copy of the draft ITM
may be obtained from  Shirley  Walker,   CE
Waterways Experiment Station, at (601) 634-2571.
For further information, contact Mike Kravitz,
EPA, at (202) 260-8085.

NATIONAL   FORUM   ON
MERCURY IN FISH

Approximately   250
people  attended  the
National  Forum  on
Mercury  in   Fish
which  the   Fish
Contamination section
organized and hosted.
The  Forum was held
in   New   Orleans,
Louisiana  from
September 27-29,1994. The Forum was primarily
targeted towards regulatory personnel who must
understand and respond to concerns about possible
human health effects resulting from mercury in
fish tissues.  National experts spoke on such topics
as: mercury's biogeochemical cycling; watersheds
and habitats where mercury is a concern; mercury
toxicity and risk assessment; risk management and
communication; and mercury control strategies.
A Proceedings Document will be completed in FY
95.   For further  information,  contact Ricfc
Hoffmann at (202) 260-0642.

RISK   COMMUNICATION
GUIDANCE DOCUMENT

In September,  a revised  draft  SASD's Risk
Communication guidance document was sent out
for peer review and comment to various State
agencies  who  issue  fish  consumption  health
advisories. The document, titled Guidance for
Assessing Chemical Contaminant Data for Use in
Fish Advisories. Volume IV: Risk Communication
is  part of SASD's guidance  series on  fish
consumption advisories. The final document wfll
be published in FY 95 after completion of the peer
review process.  For  further information, contact
Rick Hoffmann at (202) 260-0642.

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT BRANCH
RUSS  KINERSON
 (202)  260-1330

REGIONAL TMDL WORKSHOPS

The Watershed Modeling Section of SASD, along
with the watershed branch of  OWOW,  has
sponsored TMDL technical workshops throughout
the country. The final two workshops in the series
are scheduled for November 8-10 in San Francisco
(Region 9) and December 13 -15 in Seattle (Region
10).  These workshops are designed to provide
technical and programmatic support for Regional,
State, and local government personnel responsible
for developing  and  implementing  TMDLs.
Tentative topics include:  hands-on computer
modeling for point source,  nonpoint source, and
watershed loading,   a  technical discussion  of
bioaccumulation, bioavailability, and monitoring
in support of TMDLs, regional case studies, and
highlights of the HQ technical support program's
efforts to make TMDL models more user friendly.
For more information call Dave Smith in Region
9  (415-744-2012), Allen  Henning in  Region  10
(206-553-8293), or Marjorie Coombs at HQ (202-
260-9821).

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COASTAL    OIL    AND    GAS
ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT

The effect of existing discharges of produced water
on the coastal environment in the Gulf of Mexico
and Cook Inlet, Alaska  were investigated in
support of the proposal (scheduled for January
1995) of the coastal subcategory of the oil and gas
industry effluent guideline. Estimates were made
of impacts on aquatic life and of risk to human
health from consumption of contaminated seafood.
The potential ecological benefits resulting from the
proposed effluent guidelines were also investigated.

PHARMACEUTICAL
MANUFACTURING
ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT

The environmental assessment was completed for
the  proposed   pharmaceutical   manufacturing
effluent guideline (scheduled February 1995).  The
discharges,  both  direct  and  indirect,  were
evaluated for possible excursions of water quality
criteria and for other possible  adverse  effects.
Also,  the release of ozone precursors from the
effluent to the atmosphere was evaluated for both
human health and agricultural effects.  Human
exposure to compounds released to air and the
expected cancer cases were estimated  for Puerto
Rico.

MIDDLE    PLATTE   RIVER
ECOLOGICAL   RISK
ASSESSMENT    CASE     STUDY

The watershed level ecological risk assessment of
the Middle Platte continued with strong regional
and state participation. The Middle Platte is one
of five case studies selected to follow and expand
the principles established in EPA's Framework for
Ecological Risk Assessment.   The initial phase of
the risk assessment (problem formulation)  was
completed and formally  reviewed by the  Risk
Assessment Forum, allowing initiation of analysis.
Problem   formulation  established   the goals,
breadth,  and focus of the assessment.  Major
factors considered during the process include stake
holder values, ecosystem stressor characterization,
observed ecological effects, and ecological end
points of concern. This evaluation resulted in the
development of conceptual  models that  include
hypotheses  about  potential risks to  ecological
resources   within  the  watershed   ecosystem.
Samples of endpoints selected for this case study
include sandhill cranes;  western prairie  fringed
orchids; and the community integrity of wetland
types including  wet   meadow,  aquatic,   and
sandbar.   Direct destruction of wetlands, water
withdrawal for irrigation, and use of pesticides
were  identified as  important stressors  in the
system.

The second phase will  focus on modeling the
hydrology  (both ground and  surface) to better
understand  the   impact   on   the  Platte
wetland/riverine ecosystem.  To reduce impacts
from  these activities a  variety  of management
practices are being implemented.  These practices
will be reviewed as part of the risk assessment
process.

RAPID   REASSESSMENT    OF
COMBINED     SEWER
OVERFLOWS

A draft of  the report
entitled   "Combined
Sewer Overflows and
the  Multimetric
Evaluation  of  their
Biological   Effects:
Case  Studies in Ohio
and New York"  has
been  received  and is
currently undergoing
review and comment.   This is a report  on two
case studies designed to determine the biological
effects of combined sewer overflows on receiving
streams   using  EPA's  Rapid  Bioassessment
Protocols (RBPs), and to evaluate the utility of the
RBP  methodology  as   a  monitoring  tool  in
urbanized   streams.     We   found  significant
deleterious  effects of CSOs,  in combination with
other effects  of urbanization,  on the  benthic
invertebrate community, but also documented
recovery of the biota following removal of CSOs.
Results  obtained  with  the  RBP  methodology
agreed well with historical data supplied by  State
personnel.   RBPs may prove to be a useful tool

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for,  among  other things, characterizing  CSO
effects  and  monitoring the  effectiveness   of
controls,  under  the  Agency's  CSO  permitting
policy.  The document is expected to be finalized
early in FY95.

SPREADSHEET-BASED  MIXING
ZONE EQUATION DEVELOPED

An equation  is described in the TSD (Technical
Support Document) to help permit writers analyze
discharge mixing zones.   Bruce  Zander,  the
TMDL coordinator in Region VOX analyzed and
developed improvements to this  equation that
substantially  unproved its  utility to  permitting
situations. Daryl Brydie, a summer intern from
Virginia  State  University, analyzed Zanders
improvements  and  then  programmed  these
improvements into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet
is very easy to use, with sections for data entry
and range analysis.  Graphic depictions of the
plume are displayed as the user  enters input
parameters for visual feedback of what's occurring
in the stream.  The  mixing zone spreadsheet is
written for Excel 5.0, but a Lotus 1-2-3 version is
also available.

WQ   MODELS  GO   GOPHER

Final preparations have been  made to  upload
SWMM, SWRRB and P-ROUTE on the Gopher
server which is connected to the INTERNET at the
National  Data  Processing  Division (NDPD)  in
Research Triangle Park, N.C.  The Public Access
on  the  Internet project  is  an  experimental
prototype which offers EPA information to the
public.  EPA is determined to play a lead role in
making environmental information available to the
public.   To  that end, OIRM and NDPD are
positioned to assist EPA program offices, regions
and labs to electronically mount information  on
the Internet and make this information available
to  the  public.    This greatly  expands our
information  sharing  and  technical  outreach
capabilities.

MINI GRANTS
projects to support the TMDL program through a
series of "Mini Grants."  The purpose of these
grants  are  to initiate  projects  that  can  be
continued through local funding if they prove to
be valuable in TMDL work.  The projects are
selected on their applicability to other areas of the
country. This way we can fund creative solutions
to TMDL problems and have the benefit of those
studies  as   we  approach  similar  problems
elsewhere.

ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT
ROBERT  APRIL
 (202)   260-0658

Biological  Criteria:  Technical  Guidance  for
Streams and Small Rivers will be released in the
next  few  weeks.  It  will be announced in the
Federal Register.  Copies of the document win be
available from NCEPI - phone (513) 891-6561 or
fax (513) 891-6685.   For further  information
contact Susan Jackson at (202) 260-1800.
The Exposure Assessment Branch in SASD, the
Nonpoint Source Branch, and  the  Watershed
Branch  in OWOW jointly funded  20 regional

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