United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(WH-556F)
EPA 503/4-90-001
November 1989
Ocean Disposal
Monitoring Programs
In Response To The
Ocean Dumping Ban Act
Report To Congress
106-Mile Industrial
Waste Site
>. 106-Mile Sludge Site
ATLANTIC OCEAN
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Report to Congress on
Ocean Disposal Monitoring Programs
in Response to the
Ocean Dumping Ban Act
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Table of Contents
Page
Executive Summary iii
Introduction 1
The 12-Mile Sewage Sludge Dump Site 1
The New York Bight Acid Waste Site 2
The 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site and the 106-Mile Deepwater
Industrial Waste Site 3
The Potential Areas of Influence of Sludges and Industrial Wastes Dumped at
Those Sites 3
Monitoring Programs Being Conducted in the Region 7
Study of the Response of Habitat and Biota of the Inner New York Bight to
Abatement of Sewage Sludge Dumping 8
New York Bight Restoration Plan 8
New York Bight Hydro-Environmental Monitoring and Modeling Study 8
Middle Atlantic Bight Initiative 9
New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program 9
Long Island Sound Estuary Program 9
Marine EcoSystems Analysis Program 9
National Status and Trends Program: Mussel Watch 10
New York Bight Sediment Surveys 10
New York Bight Water Quality Monitoring Program 10
Monitoring of Shellfish Growing Areas 10
Studies of Plastic Pollution in New York and New Jersey 10
Designation of Alternative Mud Dump Site 11
106-Mile Site Monitoring, Research, and Surveillance Program 11
Evaluation of the Potential North Atlantic Ocean Incineration Site 12
Northeast Monitoring Program 12
Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction Program 12
The ODBA Monitoring Program 13
Monitoring the 12-Mile Site 15
Results from the 12-Mile Site Monitoring Program 19
Monitoring the 106-Mile Sludge Site 20
Results from the 106-Mile Site Monitoring Program 23
Strategy for Continued Research: Coordination and Communication 28
References 30
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List of Tables
Page
Table 1. Programs Meeting Requirements of ODBA 14
Table 2. Variables Measured During 12-Mile Dumpsite Studies 17
Table 3. Predicted Responses of the Habitat and Biota of the Inner New York Bight
After Cessation of Sewage Sludge Dumping 18
Table 4. Summary of EPA Monitoring Surveys Conducted
in the Vicinity of the 106-Mile Site Since 1984 23
Appendices
Appendix 1. Testable Hypotheses to be Addressed in the Monitoring Plan A-1
Appendix 2. Memorandum of Understanding A-3
Appendix 3. Strategy for Monitoring, Research, and Surveillance of the
106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site A-9
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Executive Summary
The Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988
(ODBA) provides for the termination of
ocean dumping of municipal sewage
sludge and industrial wastes. It amends
the Marine Protection, Research, and
Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (MPRSA). Section
1002 of ODBA adds to MPRSA a new Sec-
tion 104B. Section 104B(j) covers
environmental monitoring requirements.
Section 104B(j) requires that the Admi-
nistrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
and Atmosphere, submit a report to
Congress describing the design of a
program to monitor environmental con-
ditions of the following:
The 12-Mile Sewage Sludge Dump
Site
The New York Bight Acid Waste
Site
The 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal
Sludge Site and the 106-Mile
Deepwater Industrial Waste Site
The potential area of influence of
sludges and industrial wastes
dumped at those sites.
Section 104B(j) also requires the
submission to Congress of a series of
annual reports describing the results of
monitoring conducted at these locations.
To be effective, monitoring programs,
including the one mandated by ODBA,
should (1) use baseline, available, and
newly generated data; (2) focus on clear
questions and null hypotheses; and (3)
collect data that contain statistical rigor,
including a strong sampling design that
allows for detection of changes. For the
monitoring program mandated by ODBA,
these standards can be met using infor-
mation from past and ongoing programs.
The program developed under ODBA
builds on these existing monitoring pro-
grams. In addition, baseline and moni-
toring data available from programs that
have been completed, are ongoing, or are
being planned will be used to satisfy the
requirements of the Act.
Disposal of wastes has been halted at the
12-Mile Sewage Sludge Dump Site since
1987. Ongoing studies are documenting
recovery of the site and the area
surrounding it following cessation of
municipal sludge disposal. The New York
Bight Acid Waste Site and the 106-Mile
Deepwater Industrial Waste Site are not
being used and EPA is recommending
in
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their dedesignation. Any effects of past
dumping at those sites are thought to have
been minor and short-lived.
Between 1984 and 1989, EPA developed
and implemented a monitoring plan for the
106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site
(106-Mile Site). This plan was designed to
address compliance with disposal require-
ments in addition to addressing the fate
and effects of sludge disposed at the 106-
Mile Site. In March 1989, EPA, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG) convened a workshop to
address research, monitoring, and surveil-
lance of sludge dumping at the 106-Mile
Site. The workshop was convened in
response to ODBA requirements and to
address public concerns about potential
effects on fisheries and human health risks
resulting from disposal of sewage sludge
at the 106-Mile Site. It brought together
scientists, fishermen, policy experts, and
environmentalists to discuss available
information on the fate and effects of
sludge disposal and to develop a strategy
for future research, monitoring, and
surveillance. EPA has published the
results of that workshop.
Building on the results of the workshop,
the agencies have developed a strategy
and a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) for monitoring effects of municipal
sludge disposal at the 106-Mile Site. The
strategy and MOU will be used to revise
the EPA monitoring plan for the 106-Mile
Site. Both of these documents are ap-
pended to this report.
The priorities for the revised monitoring,
research, and surveillance program will
include the following:
Studies of water mass movements
and currents to provide direct
measurements of movements of
sludge particles.
Satellite studies to provide regional
information that will aid in deter-
mining where sludge particles go.
Statistical evaluation and use of
models to determine where sludge
particles travel when they leave the
106-Mile Site.
Direct measurements of settling of
sludge particles using sediment
traps.
Measurement of the fate of sludge
in sediments in the area of potential
sludge deposition.
Measurements of sludge constitu-
ents in tilefish and other non-
migratory fishes inhabiting areas
inshore from the 106-Mile Site.
Measurements of sludge constitu-
ents in midwater animals, such as
squids, that migrate through the
region of the 106-Mile Site.
IV
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Measurements of sludge constitu- Many of these monitoring activities are
ents in noncommercial species that Deing implemented while the revisions to
°f the 10S" the current monitori"9 Plan are being
made. The estimated $3 million/year that
Coordination of monitoring will be distributed to EPA and NOAA from
activities. permit fees is expected to support re-
search and monitoring activities associated
The strategy also provides for continuing ^ s|udge cnaracterization and disposa|
peer review of Implementation plans and operations, nearfield fate and short-term
monitoring results. impacts, and farfield fate studies.
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Introduction
The Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988
(ODBA) amends the Marine Protection.
Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972
(MPRSA) to provide for the termination of
ocean dumping of sewage sludge and
industrial waste. Section 104B(j) covers
environmental monitoring requirements.
In response to ODBA requirements, EPA,
NOAA, and USCG convened a workshop
to address concerns about the potential
effects of ocean disposal on human health
and marine resources. The workshop as-
sisted in identifying monitoring, research,
and surveillance needs and identified
strategies to address these needs.
Section 104B(j) requires that the Admin-
istrator of EPA, in cooperation with the
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
and Atmosphere, submit a report to
Congress describing the design of a
program to monitor environmental condi-
tions of the following:
o The 12-Mile Sewage Sludge Dump
Site
The New York Bight Acid Waste
Site
The 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal
Sludge Site and the 106-Mile
Deepwater Industrial Waste Site
The potential area of influence of
sludges and industrial wastes
dumped at those sites.
Section 104B(j) also requires the
submission to Congress of a series of
annual reports describing the results of
monitoring conducted at these locations.
The 12-Mile Sewage Sludge
Dump Site
The 12-Mile Sewage Sludge Dump Site
(12-Mile Site) is located in the New York
Bight Apex, 12 nautical miles from Sandy
Hook, New Jersey. It was used for dispo-
sal of municipal sludges from 1924 until
late 1987, when all sludge disposal was
moved offshore to the 106-Mile Sludge
Site. Under the MPRSA and EPA's ocean
dumping regulations, in 1973 the 12-Mile
Site was given an interim designation as
an ocean dumpsite and was formally ap-
proved for use in 1979. Although this in-
terim designation of the site expired in
1981, the final judgment in the court order
in City of New York v. EPA. 543 F. Supp
1084 (S.D.N.Y. 1981) allowed dumpers to
continue using this site. Consequently,
disposal of sludges at the site continued
until an offshore site was designated.
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The New York Bight
Acid Waste Site
The New York Bight Acid Waste Site was
established in 1948 for disposal of acid
and alkaline wastes from New York and
New Jersey industries. Its boundaries are
40°16'00" to 40°20'00" north latitude and
73°36'00" to 73°40'00" west longitude.
The site was interimly designated in 1973
and was last used in September 1988.
Currently there are no permittees dis-
posing of wastes at this site, and EPA will
propose dedesignation of the site.
106-Mile Industrial ^
Waste Site
ATLANTIC OCEAN
ODBA mandates monitoring of environmental conditions of ocean disposal sites in the New York
Bight and surrounding region.
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The 106-Mile Deepwater
Municipal Sludge Site and the
106-Mile Deepwater Industrial
Waste Site
Designation of the 106-Mile Deepwater
Municipal Sludge Site (106-Mile Sludge
Site) resulted from EPA's decision to end
municipal sludge disposal at the 12-Mile
Site. The 106-Mile Sludge Site was desig-
nated in 1984. Phasing out of use of the
12-Mile Site and phasing in of use of the
the 106-Mile Sludge Site took place in
1986-1987.
Originally, the site was part of a larger site.
Approximately 500 nautical miles in area,
that site had been used since 1961 for dis-
posal of chemical wastes and other mater-
ials. The site came under EPA's ocean
dumping regulations in 1978. Following
the regulations, in 1982 EPA published its
intention of formally designating the site.
However, concern that mixed dumping of
municipal sludges and industrial wastes
would complicate monitoring efforts led to
a decision to designate two smaller sites
within the larger one.
The resulting 106-Mile Sludge Site is
approximately 100 square nautical miles,
with boundaries at SBMO'OO" to 39°00'00"
north latitude and 72°00'00" to 72°05'00"
west longitude. Its location is approxi-
mately 120 nautical miles southeast of
Ambrose Light, New York, and 115 nauti-
cal miles from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The 106-Mile Deepwater Industrial Waste
Site (106-Mile Industrial Waste Site) was
also designated within the original larger
site in 1984. The 106-Mile Industrial Waste
Site is circular, with a radius of 3 nautical
miles and a center at 38°45'00" north lati-
tude and 72°20'00" west longitude. The
area of the site is approximately 28.3
square nautical miles. The site is located
125 nautical miles southeast from
Ambrose Light and 105 nautical miles from
Atlantic City. No permittees dispose of
wastes at this site, and EPA will also soon
propose dedesignation.
The Potential Areas of Influence
of Sludges and Industrial
Wastes Dumped at Those Sites
The potential areas of influence of sludges
and industrial wastes disposed of at the
12-Mile Site, the New York Bight Acid
Waste Site, and the 106-Mile Sites can be
estimated by the water masses and cur-
rents at the sites as well as by the nature
of the materials being disposed.
Because both municipal sludges and in-
dustrial wastes do not settle quickly in
seawater, the constituents of the wastes
may travel great distances before they
reach the seafloor.
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The 12-Mile Site is shallow, and currents
within the area are variable. Sludge from
the 12-Mile Site has been demonstrated to
reach the seafloor and move southward in-
to the Hudson Shelf Valley. The inner New
York Bight is generally considered the re-
gion that could be influenced by sludge
disposal at the 12-Mile Site.
However, municipal sludge dumped at the
site was only a part of the total con-
taminant input to the New York Bight.
Sewage treatment plant effluents and dis-
charges from combined sewer overflows
(CSOs) in the New York-New Jersey area,
disposal of dredged materials, runoff,
leachate from landfills, accidental dumping,
groundwater inflow, and atmospheric de-
position also have contributed to pollution
of the New York Bight. This mixture of in-
fluences has made linking sludge disposal
to environmental impacts difficult. How-
ever, evidence of habitat degradation as a
result of using the 12-Mile Site for sludge
disposal was sufficient for EPA in 1984 to
deny petitions to redesignate the site.
Similarly, the New York Bight Acid Waste
Site is located within the variable currents
of the New York Bight. However, the site
is no longer used, and effects from dis-
posal of wastes at the site were thought to
be localized and transient (EPA, 1980).
Probably no lasting effects have resulted
from dumping that occurred at the site.
Both 106-Mile Sites are situated in deep
water, in an oceanographic region called
the slope sea, which is bounded by the
Gulf Stream to the south and east and by
the continental shelf to the north. Recent-
ly, scientists have suggested that the water
mass of the slope sea moves in a large
anticlockwise gyre (Csanady and Hamilton,
1987). The 106-Mile Sites are located in
the strongest part of the southwestward
flowing, inshore side of the gyre. Mean
long-term flow from the sites is to the
southwest. Much of the waste disposed at
the site will probably be entrained in the
Gulf Stream and broadly dispersed in the
Atlantic. The amount of waste material
that may recirculate through the site re-
mains to be quantified accurately.
However, the currents in the region are
variable. The position of the Gulf Stream
influences currents at the sites. For ex-
ample, on the rare occasions that the Gulf
Stream lies over the site, current speeds
are up to 20 times normal and current di-
rection is to the northeast rather than to
the southwest. At other times, large mean-
ders in the Gulf Stream also can pinch off
to form clockwise eddies which move
southwest through the sites: These eddies
may play an important role in the ex-
change of shelf and slope waters.
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NEW YORK'BIQHT ) £son Ca"y°n
'/y' 106-Mile Site \ \
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Potential areas of influence of the 12-Mile Site and the 106-Mile Site.
In 1983, NOAA described an area that
could be occupied by water masses
advected from the 106-Mile Sites and
termed it the potential area of influence.
Using available information on the physical
oceanography of the site, NOAA described
the largest area that might be affected by
waste disposal. The site was the total area
that might receive sludge constituents, in-
cluding all areas that could be occupied by
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warm-core eddies. It was "not an area
with subunits having equal probability for
receiving wastes from the 106-Mile Site,
nor equal likelihood of experiencing
environmental change" (NOAA, 1983).
Since 1983, knowledge of the region in
which the 106-Mile Sites are situated has
increased (NOAA, 1985; Csanady and
Hamilton, 1988; SAIC/Battelle, 1988).
Using that information and new information
collected during monitoring, EPA is
currently developing a more precise
description of an area that could be
affected by ocean dumping.
Like the New York Bight Acid Waste Site,
no dumping occurs at the 106-Mile Indus-
trial Waste Site. Any effects of waste
disposal at the site are thought to have
been transient and short-lived. Concen-
trations of wastes disposed at the site
were reduced to very low levels within
2 hours after dumping and waste plumes
were small (O'Connor and Park, 1982).
Consequently, no large area is thought
likely to have been impacted by disposal
of wastes at that site.
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Monitoring Programs Being Conducted in the Region
Because the New York Bight has received
pollutant inputs from many sources and for
many years, a variety of site-specific and
regional monitoring programs that apply to
the requirements of ODBA have already
been conducted, are underway, or are
planned. Dumpsites in the region exist not
only for disposal of municipal sludges and
industrial wastes, but also for dredged
material, construction materials, and for
burning driftwood collected in New York
Harbor. Until 1987, a site for incineration
of liquid organochlorine wastes also was
considered. The region also receives in-
puts of pollutants from nonpoint sources,
such as the Hudson River and the Hud-
son-Raritan estuary; shore-based sewage
discharges; runoff and storm drainage;
and deposition from the atmosphere. Pro-
grams conducted in the region include the
following:
Study of the Response of Habitat
and Biota of the Inner New York
Bight to Abatement of Sewage
Sludge Dumping (NOAA)
New York Bight Restoration Plan
(EPA)
New York Bight Hydro-
Environmental Monitoring and
Modeling Study (U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers)
Middle Atlantic Bight Initiative (EPA)
New York-New Jersey Harbor
Estuary Program (EPA)
Long Island Sound Estuary
Program (EPA)
Marine Ecosystems Analysis
Program (NOAA)
National Status and Trends
Program (NOAA)
New York Bight Sediment Surveys
(EPA)
New York Bight Water Quality
Monitoring Program (EPA)
Monitoring of Shellfish Growing
Areas (U.S. Food and Drug
Administration)
Studies of Plastic Pollution in New
York and New Jersey (EPA)
Designation of an Alternate Mud
Dump Site (EPA)
106-Mile Site Monitoring, Research,
and Surveillance Program (EPA,
NOAA, U.S. Coast Guard)
Evaluation of the Potential North
Atlantic Ocean Incineration Site
(EPA)
Northeast Monitoring Program
(NOAA)
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Marine Resources Monitoring,
Assessment, and Prediction
Program (NOAA).
recommendations for funding and for
coordinating these projects.
Study off the Response of
Habitat and Biota of the Inner
New York Bight to Abatement of
Sewage Sludge Dumping
NOAA has developed and implemented a
program to document changes in living
marine resources and their habitats
(NOAA, 1988). Two considerations deter-
mined choice of monitoring activities: (1)
relevance to fisheries of the inner Bight,
and (2) the predictive value of detecting
changes following abatement of sludge
dumping at the site.
New York Bight
Restoration Plan
The New York Bight Restoration Plan,
mandated by the Marine Plastic Pollution
Research and Control Act of 1987, is being
developed by EPA Region II, in coopera-
tion with NOAA and other Federal and
State agencies (EPA, 1989). Due in FY
1991, the plan will identify and assess the
impact of pollutants to water quality and
marine resources; identify technologies
and practices to control pollutant inputs;
identify costs of control measures and
impediments to implementation; and form
New York Bight Hydro-
Environmental Monitoring and
Modeling Study
The Water Resources Development Act of
1986 mandates the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) to (1) study the hydro-
environmental system of the New York
Bight; and (2) study a proper physical hy-
draulic model of the Bight. To initiate this
program, USACE New York District is eval-
uating available data and reviewing re-
quirements for an appropriate model. The
goal of the study is to determine the feasi-
bility and specifications for a comprehen-
sive hydro-environmental monitoring and
modeling plan and information system that
can be used to document and predict the
effects of changes to the New York Bight
ecosystem due to human activities and
natural events. The program has devel-
oped background reports on monitoring
activities in the Bight and has conducted
workshops on data and modeling needs
The Act requires that this program be
coordinated with EPA. Coordination is
ongoing with the New York Bight Restor-
ation Plan. Coordination with other
USACE programs in the Chesapeake Bay
and along the New Jersey coast is also
underway.
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Middle Atlantic Bight Initiative
EPA's Middle Atlantic Bight Initiative is
directed toward identifying and solving
coastal problems throughout the region.
EPA's Region III is working with Federal,
State, and local agencies to implement a
comprehensive strategy that will balance
the needs of man's activities with the need
to preserve living marine resources.
New York-New Jersey Harbor
Estuary Program
The Water Quality Act of 1987 authorized
the Administrator of EPA to designate New
York-New Jersey Harbor as an estuary of
national concern. A Management Confer-
ence comprising representatives of EPA,
NOAA, other Federal, State, and interstate
agencies, the scientific and technical com-
munity, and the public has been convened
to prepare a Comprehensive Conservation
and Management Plan for the estuary.
The broad problems to be addressed by
the Management Conference are (1)
pathogen contamination; (2) changes in
living resources; (3) habitat loss and
modification; (4) eutrophication; (5) float-
able debris, and (6) toxic chemical
contamination.
Long Island Sound
Estuary Program
The Long Island Sound Estuary Program
was established in 1985. The program has
focused on three environmental concerns:
(1) the scope of the Sound's problems
with toxic contamination and low dissolved
oxygen; (2) the year-to-year trends of
toxic pollution and nutrient input; and (3)
the specific effects of these toxic con-
taminants on the living resources of the
Sound, including fish and shellfish for
human consumption.
Marine EcoSystems Analysis
Program
The Marine EcoSystems Analysis Program
(MESA) New York Bight Project was con-
ducted by NOAA during 1973-79. The
project included three phases: Phase 1,
description of the marine environment;
Phase 2, assessment of effects of ocean
dumping; and Phase 3, design of a pro-
gram to identify future changes in the
marine environment that could result from
sludge disposal.
NOAA also conducted the Hudson-Raritan
Estuary Project, which examined the
estuary's contribution to pollution in the
Bight.
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National Status and Trends
Program: Mussel Watch
NOAA has been conducting a national
contaminant monitoring program since
1984. This program collects samples
annually at ten stations along the shores of
the New York Bight and at 11 stations in
Long Island Sound. At most of these sta-
tions, known as Mussel Watch stations,
bivalve molluscs and associated sediments
are collected and analyzed for toxic con-
taminants, including trace metals, chlori-
nated pesticides, polychlorinated biphe-
nyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocar-
bons. At four of these stations, known as
benthic surveillance stations, bottom-
dwelling fishes and associated sediments
are collected and analyzed for the same
contaminants. Biological measurements to
detect contaminant effects on the biota are
also included in the program.
New York Bight
Sediment Surveys
Since 1972, EPA has monitored sediment
quality in the New York Bight. These
monitoring activities have been conducted
under the mandate of the Marine Protec-
tion, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of
1972 and EPA ocean dumping regulations.
Monitoring results have provided infor-
mation on the combined effects of dump-
ing of municipal sludge at the 12-Mile Site
and other contaminant inputs. Recently,
EPA has reviewed data from this program
to develop future monitoring strategies
(Battelle, 1989).
New York Bight Water Quality
Monitoring Program
The New York Bight Water Quality Pro-
gram, conducted by EPA Region II, mon-
itors waters of the New York Bight to
predict environmental problems, assess
the causes of the problems, and make de-
cisions regarding the protection of water
quality in the region (EPA, 1985).
Monitoring of Shellfish
Growing Areas
The Shellfish Sanitation Branch of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration monitors
and evaluates shellfishing areas in the
vicinity of the 12-Mile Site. This program
validates boundaries of the area closed to
shellfishing.
Studies of Plastic Pollution in
New York and New Jersey
A variety of studies of marine debris, in-
cluding plastic pollutants and floatable
wastes, have been undertaken in the New
York-New Jersey coastal region (Battelle,
10
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1988c). These studies have been spon-
sored by EPA's Office of Marine and
Estuarine Protection, EPA Region II, and
the New Jersey Department of Environ-
mental Protection. They have been con-
ducted in response to the Marine Plastic
Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987
and general public concern about floatable
wastes in the marine environment. The
studies have focused on (1) characteriza-
tion of plastic pollutants and floatable
debris on beaches and within marine
waters; (2) identification of sources; and
(3) determination of fate of debris when it
reaches marine waters.
Designation of Alternative
Mud Dump Site
The Mud Dump Site, located 5.75 miles off
the coast from Sandy Hook, New Jersey,
has been used for the disposal of dredged
material from the New York/New Jersey
Harbor area since 1914. The Water Re-
sources Development Act of 1986 man-
dates EPA to designate a new site or sites
as an alternative to the existing site for
other than acceptable dredged material.
The new sites are to be located at least
20 miles from shore. In accordance with
EPA's policy of voluntary preparation of
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) on
site designations, EPA, in consultation with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is cur-
rently developing an EIS for an alternative
site or sites. The EIS will include plans to
monitor the site to ensure that permit
conditions are met and that no unaccept-
able adverse impacts result from disposal
of dredged material.
106-Mile Site
Monitoring, Research, and.
Surveillance Program
Since 1984, when EPA designated the 106-
Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site,.
EPA, NOAA, and the U.S. Coast Guard
have conducted monitoring, research, and
surveillance activities related to the site.
EPA has developed and begun implemen-
tation of a monitoring program designed to
(1) assess whether permit conditions for
disposal of sludge are met and (2) deter-
mine whether dumping affects human
health, resources, or the marine envi-
ronment (Battelle, 1988a, 1988b). NOAA
has conducted groundfish surveys along
the continental shelf, adjacent to the site. ..
Under MPRSA, the Coast Guard's role is
surveillance. The development and imple-
mentation of the electronic Ocean
Dumping Surveillance System (ODSS) on
barges permitted to dump at the 106-Mile
Sludge Site accomplishes this mandate.
The ODSS is used to track barge positions
and can determine dumping rates by mon-
itoring and recording barge draft readings.
In 1989, these three activities were
combined into one interagency plan.
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Evaluation of the Potential
North Atlantic Ocean
Incineration Site
Until 1988, when EPA suspended its plans
to develop an ocean incineration regula-
tion, a site directly to the south of the 106-
Mile Sites was being considered for poten-
tial incineration of liquid organochlorine
wastes. Baseline monitoring in the region
was conducted in support of that designa-
tion (Battelle, 1987). However, EPA is no
longer considering designation and sub-
sequent use of this site.
Northeast Monitoring Program
The Northeast Monitoring Program was ini-
tiated by NOAA in 1978 to assess the con-
dition of fisheries habitats along the north-
east continental shelf from the Gulf of
Maine to Cape Hatteras and to establish
benchmarks against which temporal
changes could be measured (NOAA,
1983). Although the program ended in
1984, some activities have been continued
in other NOAA programs.
Marine Resources
Monitoring, Assessment, and
Prediction Program
NOAA's Marine Resources Monitoring,
Assessment, and Prediction Program
(MARMAP) collects data on fish eggs and
larvae along the continental shelf from
Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras. MARMAP's
goals are to integrate survey information
with field studies and laboratory research
to determine seasonal and annual variabil-
ity in biological and environmental para-
meters that may affect the size of fish pop-
ulations (Sibunka and Silverman, 1984).
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The ODBA Monitoring Program
Effective monitoring programs should (1)
use baseline, available, and newly gener-
ated data; (2) focus on clear questions;
and (3) be statistically rigorous, e.g.,
including a strong sampling design and an
ability to detect changes. For the moni-
toring program mandated by ODBA, these
standards can be met using information
from ongoing programs (Table 1). The
program developed under ODBA builds on
these existing programs. In addition,
baseline and monitoring data available
from programs that have been completed,
are ongoing, or are being planned will be
used to satisfy the requirements of the Act.
NOAA's study of response of habitat and
biota to abatement of dumping at the 12-
Mile Site provides the primary source of
data on the site and the potential area of
influence of past sludge disposal. Addi-
tional supporting data are available from
the New York Bight Restoration Plan, the
National Estuaries Program, EPA's New
York Bight Sediment Surveys and Water
Quality Monitoring, and other programs.
The programs associated with designation
of an alternate Mud Dump Site, monitoring
of the Wood-Burning Site, and the studies
of plastic pollution and marine debris pro-
vide further data on the New York Bight.
Because dumping of wastes at the New
York Bight Acid Waste Site has stopped
and no lasting effects are thought to have
resulted from use of the site, no ongoing
monitoring program specific to the site is
underway. Ongoing regional efforts in the
New York Bight provide sufficient informa-
tion about the overall health of the region
that could conceivably have been affected
by dumping.
The 106-Mile Sludge Site Monitoring, Re-
search, and Surveillance Program is speci-
fically directed at monitoring the site and
the potential area affected by, municipal
sludge dumping. Other programs that
have and can provide relevant data include
the Northeast Monitoring Program,
MARMAP, and the baseline monitoring
conducted to evaluate a potential ocean
incineration site.
Because the 106-Mile Industrial Waste Site
is not in use and no lasting effects are
thought to occur from waste disposal at
the site, no ongoing program is directed at
monitoring the site. Information from the
programs directed at or in the region of
the 106-Mile Sludge Site can also be ap-
plied to study of the Industrial Waste Site.
13
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Table 1. Programs Meeting Requirements of ODBA
Programs Related to the
12-mile Site
Primary Program
Study of the Response of Habitat and
Biota of the Inner New York Bight to
Abatement of Sewage Sludge Dumping
Other Programs
New York Bight Restoration Plan
New York Bight Hydro-Environmental
Monitoring and Modeling Study
Middle Atlantic Bight Initiative
New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary
Program'
Marine Ecosystems Analysis Program
New York Bight Sediment Surveys
New York Bight Water Quality Monitoring
Program
Monitoring of Shellfish Growing Areas
Studies of Plastic Pollution in New York
and New Jersey
Designation of an Alternate Mud Dump
Site
Programs Related to the
106-mile Site
Primary Program
106-Mile Site Monitoring, Research, and
Surveillance Program
Ofher Programs
Evaluation of the Potential North Atlantic
Ocean Incineration Site
Northeast Monitoring Program
Marine Resources Monitoring,
Assessment, and Prediction Program
14
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Monitoring the 12-Mile Site
The Plan for Study: Response of the
Habitat and Biota of the Inner New York
Bight to Abatement of Sewage Sludge
Dumping (NOAA, 1988) presents NOAA's
plan to monitor recovery in the 12-Mile Site
and the potential area of impact of the site
following abatement of sludge disposal.
Because sludge disposal at the site began
in 1924 and no studies were conducted
until 1968, no relevant baseline data are
available from the region. Attempts to use
other areas as "controls," i.e., areas with
similar environmental conditions but with-
out contamination, also have not been
successful (Reid et al., 1987). These
studies found that (1) separating effects of
dumping from effects from other sources
was difficult; (2) it was not possible to
prove that the control areas were in fact
environmentally similar to the affected
area; and (3) past studies had not included
sufficient parameters measured at appro-
priate intervals and using suitable ana-
lytical techniques.
The abatement of dumping at the site has
provided an opportunity for investigating
the effects of ocean dumping without pre-
dumping baseline data. By systematic
monitoring during dumping and after
dumping ended at the site, NOAA has
been able to develop data that can be
used to determine effects and recovery at
and near the site.
Ideally, monitoring programs include
replicate measurements of a complete
suite of variables collected over space and
time. However, resource and logistical
constraints often do not allow for such a
complete program. The plan therefore
represents a compromise of "replicate"
and "broadscale" measurements.
Rockaway Pt.
Sandy Hook
'
\ Dredge Dumpsite
Sludge Dumpiite
Replicate
stations
Broadscale
stations
Locations of replicate and broadscale
stations sampled to measure recovery of the
12-Mile Site.
The replicate survey includes intensive
monitoring at stations chosen to represent
a gradient of sewage sludge concentra-
tions and effects. The broadscale survey
15
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consists of a suite of single measurements
taken in an area covering most of the inner
New York Bight and chosen to include all
major habitat types that could be affected
by changes in sludge inputs.
A wide range of parameters relevant to
fishery resources and their habitats or
useful as indicators for detecting
environmental changes is included in the
study (Table 2). Specific issues being
studied include the following:
Distribution and abundance of fish
and megainvertebrates.
Diets of winter flounder, red hake,
silver hake, and lobster.
Organic contaminants in selected
species.
Migration of winter flounder.
Gross pathology.
Benthic macrofauna.
Bacteria in sediments and tissues.
Water chemistry.
Sediment chemistry.
Seabed and bottom water
metabolism.
Pathways and rates of sludge and
contaminant dispersion.
Responses which might be expected in the
habitats and biota following cessation of
dumping are listed in Table 3.
16
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Table 2. Variables Measured During 12-Mile Dumpsite Studies
Wafer
Sediments
Biota
Bottom Wafer
Dissolved oxygen
Temperature
Salinity
pH
Sulfide
Nutrients
Turbidity
Currents
Water Column
Temperature
Salinity
Oxygen
Currents
Chemistry
Heavy metals
Organic contaminants
Sulfide. pH profiles
Redox potential
Sediment BOD
Chlorophyll pigments
Total organic carbon
Characteristics
Grain size
Erodibility
Rates
Seabed oxygen
consumption
Sedimentation
Resource species
Distribution/abundance
Diet
- winter flounder
- red hake
- lobster
Gross pathology
Tissue organics
- winter flounder
- lobster
Migration (tagging)
- winter flounder
- lobster
Benthos
Macrofauna
abundance/diversity
Meiofauna
abundance/diversity
Bacteria -.sediments
Fecal and total coliform
C. Perfringens
Vibrio spp.
Total count
Bacteria - shellfish
17
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Table 3. Predicted Responses of the Habitat and Biota of the Inner
New York Bight After Cessation of Sewage Sludge Dumping
Abundance, distribution,
and structure of finfish and
megabenthic invertebrate
communities will differ
significantly among replicate
sites prior to cessation of
dumping.
Shifts will occur In sediment
contaminants and benthic
forage species, and
abundance and distribution
of finfish and megabenthic
invertebrates at the most
polluted sites will be similar
to the relatively cleaner
reference stations.
The diet of winter flounder.
lobster, and other species
will change following shifts
in availability of benthic prey
at the replicate sites while
dumping is phased out.
Winter flounder that use the
areas affected by dumping
will comprise a significant
portion of the population of
Raritan Bay.
The number of crustacean
forage organisms in
enriched" and highly
altered" zones will increase
significantly (defined here
and below as a change of
> 50 percent of the
95 percent confidence level).
The numbers of benthic
species in "enriched" and
"highly altered" zones will
increase significantly.
The areal coverage and
mean density of Capitella in
the "highly altered" zone will
be reduced significantly.
Levels of bacteria indicative
of sewage contamination in
surf clams will decrease to
acceptable levels, permitting
shellfish beds to be
reopened.
Levels of organic
contaminants in gut
contents of winter flounder
and lobster will decrease
following cessation of
dumping, but body burden
levels will not shift because
species are seasonal
migrants.
Black gill disease, fin
erosion, ulceration,
incidences of parasitism,
tumors, and skeletal
anomalies will significantly
decrease in finfish and
megabenthic invertebrates.
The intensity of perennial
hypoxia (down to 0.46 mg
O2/L) will be relieved
(minimum values 4 mg/L at
1 m above bottom and
2 mg/L at 0.1 m) throughout
the Basin but not in isolated
localities of dredged
materials.
Sulfide in near-bottom water
(as high as 4 uM) will be at
concentrations above
0.1 uM only near the
dredged materials and may
be undetectable throughout
the rest of the Basin.
The seasonal cycling of
redox potential will
continue, but the lowest
values in surface sediments
will be at least 100 mV
higher than current values in
the sewage sludge
deposition area.
Trace metal concentration in
the sediment will decrease
by about an order of
magnitude in the
depositions! areas (except
in dredged materials).
Levels of PCBs in sediment
will remain essentially
unchanged.
Cpprostanol in the sediment
will fall to <0.1 ppm except
in very isolated localities of
the dredged materials.
The seabed oxygen
consumption rates in the
site will be reduced from the
high rates of 25-45 mL
Oa/nr/h to the more natural
rates of 5-15 mL Oz/rrr/h.
The associated benthic
nutrient regeneration rates
will decline comparably.
Seabed oxygen
consumption rates in the
Christiaensen Basin may be
reduced by about onehalf,
to arqund 12-22 mL
O2/mr/h, which is natural for
accumulation areas if other
anthropogenic inputs
(dredged materials) remain
constant.
If other sources of
anthropogenic carbon
(dredged materials) remain
stable or decrease, the
seabed oxygen
consumption rates in the
New York Bight Apex
should decrease as sludge
dumping is phased out. It
should then follow that
dissolved oxygen
concentrations in the
subpycnocline waters of the
Apex will be higher than
while dumping is active.
Total plankton respiration in
the bottom waters affected
by inputs of sewage sludge
should also decrease from
the summer-falLrates of
30-40 mL O2/mJ/h to the
more natural rates of about
5 mL O2/m3/h.
Sewage sludge will be
cleansed from the
Christiaensen Basin by
down-valley transport of
sludge, which can be
related to windfield
conditions.
18
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Results from the 12-Mile Site
Monitoring Program
The 12-Mile Site program was initiated in
July 1986, during the period when sludge
dumping was being phased from the site.
To date, all replicate and broadscale
surveys have been completed, and some
data have been analyzed.
During the first 18 months of the program,
preliminary findings included the following:
Analysis of historical data from the
site indicates that surface and bot-
tom circulation are strongly influ-
enced by wind. Long-term mean
bottom currents in the inner New
York Bight are approximately
parallel to the shoreline, westward
off Long Island, and southward off
New Jersey. Bottom currents in the
Hudson Shelf Valley are closely
linked to wind conditions, upvalley
in the fall and winter, weakly down-
valley in the summer, and occa-
sionally strong up- or down-valley
during storms.
Preliminary analysis of sediment
samples indicate significant recent
transport down the Hudson Shelf
Valley. Coprostanol measurements
in highly erodable sediments indi-
cate the presence of a fecal com-
ponent in a significant fraction of
these sediments.
Since the beginning of reduction of
sludge dumping at the 12-Mile Site,
extremely low levels of dissolved
oxygen in bottom water have not
been observed near the site during
the summer months.
Redox potential, a measurement re-
sponsive to organic loading, has
indicated improvement of sediment
conditions near the 12-Mile Site
during the phaseout of dumping.
In 1986, concentrations of toxic
heavy metals in surficial sediments
near the 12-Mile Site were as high
as they had been in 1982, when
sludge volume approached 8 mil-
lion wet tons per year. By June
and July 1988, these levels had
decreased significantly. Further
analysis may reveal whether metals
have been transported and concen-
trated in other areas.
Average concentrations of the nutri-
ent phosphorus are highest at the
stations expected to be most con-
taminated by sludge disposal and
lowest at the stations expected to
be least affected by the 12-Mile
Site.
Rates of seabed oxygen consump-
tion, another measure of contamin-
ation from municipal sludge, res-
ponded almost immediately to ces-
sation of dumping. Rates quickly
reached levels found in areas not
affected by sludge disposal.
Total plankton respiration rate,
which was also expected to decline
with the cessation of sludge dis-
posal, has decreased but not as
much as anticipated. This result
may indicate that the sludge has
less effect on total plankton
19
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respiration than had been thought.
Numbers of bottom-dwelling inver-
tebrates in the vicinity of the site
did not indicate any recovery until
1988.
The polychaete Capitella sp., which
is widely used as an indicator of
sludge pollution, declined in the
vicinity of the site in 1988. How-
ever, similar declines were also
observed in areas not expected to
be influenced by sludge disposal.
Other patterns of change in species
composition also remain unclear.
During phaseout of dumping at the
site, the ratio of fish to invertebrates
in trawl samples increased, the total
weight of the samples decreased,
and differences among all stations
decreased.
Early results indicate that food
habits of selected fishes from all
stations were similar, with the
exception of Capitella sp. in winter
flounder diets in the vicinity of the
site.
Incidence of fin disease has de-
clined in the region since the
1970s. No significant change
appears to have resulted from
cessation of sludge disposal.
Winter flounder were found to travel
from the area around the 12-Mile
Site to Long Island waters and as
far as New England.
After completion of the study in September
1989, all results are being analyzed and
are expected to document recovery of the
site. No subsequent field sampling is
planned.
Monitoring the 106-Mile Sludge
Site
Monitoring of the 106-Mile Sludge Site and
its potential area of influence is, as
required by MPRSA and the ocean dump-
ing regulations, designed to (1) verify
compliance with conditions set to restrict
disposal activities, and (2) verify that
compliance with those permit conditions
does in fact protect human health and the
marine environment. The monitoring prog-
ram is currently guided by a monitoring
plan and an implementation plan (Battelle
1988a, 1988b). These documents are be-
ing updated to include research activities
that are conducted by NOAA and to reflect
changes in the program brought about by
the passage of ODBA and by recommen-
dations of the workshop conducted in
March 1989 to review the program (EPA,
1989). The strategy for the program is
included with this report as Appendix 3.
Information on physical characteristics and
baseline chemical and biological condi-
tions in the vicinity of the site is available
from the site designation process, previous
studies, and additional baseline monitoring
conducted by EPA and NOAA (e.g.,
20
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NOAA, 1977, 1983; EPA, 1980; Battelle,
1988d, 1988e, 1988f). Information on the
sludges to be disposed is also available
from studies of dumping at the 12-Mile Site
(e.g., Santoro and Suszkowski, 1986).
This information plus more recent data on
the sludges provided by applicants using
the 106-Mile Sludge Site and data devel-
oped by EPA were used to set permit con-
ditions and to predict whether adverse
impacts were likely to result from sludge
disposal at the site.
Permit conditions have been set to ensure
for example that toxicity-based limiting
permissible concentrations are not ex-
ceeded in the site within 4 hours of dis-
posal or outside the site at any time.
Predictions of potential impacts address
the following conditions which the ocean
dumping regulations do not allow:
Impingement of sludge upon
shorelines.
Movement of sludge into marine
sanctuaries or fisheries areas.
Accumulation of sludge compo-
nents in marine organisms.
Progressive changes in water
quality related to sludge disposal.
Progressive changes in sediment
composition related to sludge
disposal.
Impacts on pollution sensitive
species or their life cycle or de-
velopmental stages as a result of
sludge disposal.
Impacts on endangered species as
a result of sludge disposal.
Progressive changes in biological
communities as a result of sludge
disposal.
The permit conditions and impact assess-
ment provided the basis for formulating
questions to be addressed. The questions
are now being addressed according to a
hierarchy of four tiers:
Tier 1 Sludge Characteristics and
Disposal Operations
Tier 2 Nearfield Fate and Short-
Term Effects
Tier 3 Farfield Fate
Tier 4 Long-Term Effects
Appendix 1 lists the questions to be
addressed by the monitoring plan
organized into the four tiers. Permit
compliance is addressed by Tiers 1 and 2.
Assessment of potential impacts within the
site as well as within the potential area of
impact is addressed by Tiers 2, 3, and 4.
Funds collected from permit fees are
expected to support EPA and NOAA work
on Tiers 1, 2 and 3.
21
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5/fe Characteristics
Physical Oceanography
Hydrography
Currents
Water Masses
Bottom Characteristics
Sediment Grain Size
Sediment Composition
Baseline Chemistry Data
Sediments
Water Column
- Water Quality
- Trace Metals
- Organic Compounds
- Microbiology
Baseline Biology Data
Plankton
Benthic Communities
I
Waste Characteristics
Physical Characteristics
Settling Data
Chemical Characteristics
Priority Pollutants
Conventional Pollutants
Toxicology
Bioassays
Baseline Biology Data
Quantity of Material
Method of Release
Frequency and Duration
Consideration of Potential Impacts
i Shoreline Impingement
Movement in Marine
Sanctuaries
i Effect on Commercial
Fisheries
> Accumulation in Biota
* Changes in Water
Quality
Changes in Sediment
Composition
Effects on Sensitive
Species
Effects on Endangered
Species
Effects on Biological
Species
Information on characteristics of the site and of the sludges has been used to predict potential
impacts of dumping.
22
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Within each tier, explicit objectives and Results from the 106-Mile Site
endpoints guide the conduct of monitoring Monitoring Program
activities. Data collected by the program ~~~~~""""~~""""^"^~~~
are being used to make decisions about EPA initiated surveys at and in the vicinity
permits to use the site and continued of the 106-Mile Site in 1984. The surveys
monitoring. have collected data that have been used
to develop permit conditions and that will
allow changes in the permits if necessary.
Table 4. Summary of EPA Monitoring Surveys Conducted
in the Vicinity of the 106-Mile Site Since 1984
Framework Within Monitoring Program
Site Baseline Information Tier I Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4
Activity/Date Sludge Disposal Compliance NearfekJ Short-Tern FaifieU Long-Tern
Survey/Ship/Date Chemical Biological Physical Characteristics Operations Issues Fate Effects Fate Effects
Survey
OSV Anderson, 1984
OSV Oceanus, 1985
OSV Gyre, 1985
OSV Anderson, 1985
OSV Anderson, 1986
Mooring, 1986 to 1987
Survey
OSV Anderson, 1987
R/V Endeavor. 1988
OSV Anderson, 1988
Mooring, 1989
R/V Delaware, 1989
Development of Data
Management Systems
Historical Data, 1987
Sludge
Characteristics, 1988
Disposal Operations,
1988
23
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They built on baseline information already
available. Monitoring surveys since the
onset of dumping in 1986 have been con-
ducted approximately twice a year (Table
4). Additional monitoring information is
collected by laboratory analyses of the
sludges. To date, monitoring efforts have
focused on Tier 1-Sludge Characteristics
and Disposal Operations; Tier 2-Nearfield
Fate and Short-Term Effects; and Tier 3-
Farfield Fate. Monitoring will continue for
these tiers. Tier 4-Long-Term Effects are
being initiated as information from the
other tiers indicates areas where site-
related contaminants may be expected to
be found. Tier 4 studies are also taking
place along the edge of the continental
shelf. If sludge constituents were to move
to the edge of the shelf and affect the
environment, the effects could include
impact to commercial fisheries species.
Baseline Information
Baseline conditions in the waters and
sediments in the vicinity of the 106-Mile
Sites were typical of open ocean areas.
Background conditions of most trace
metals in unfiltered surface seawater were
generally up to 1000 times less than EPA
water quality criteria for the protection of
human health (EPA, 1980; Battelle, 1988c).
Concentrations of metals in seawater
particulates and sediments also were low.
Concentrations of organic contaminants
were very low. Most hydrocarbon, pes-
ticide, and polychlorinated biphenyl
concentrations (PCS) were less than the
limits of detection. (Very large volumes of
water samples were analyzed in an effort
to identify contaminants.) Clostridium
perfringens, a microbial tracer of sewage
sludge, and B-coprostanol, an indicator of
fecal contamination, also were not de-
tected. However, these parameters were
detected in continental shelf waters and
sediments inshore from the site, indicating
that pollutants from the New York Bight
are transported seaward, perhaps down
the Hudson shelf valley. Phytoplankton,
zooplankton, benthic, and fish communi-
ties in the region were typical of
slopewater and oceanic communities.
Tier 1-Sludge Characteristics and Disposal
Operations
Tier 1 of the monitoring program has
included an evaluation of sludge charac-
teristics and their variability. EPA has
defined appropriate dumping rates based
on the toxicity of sludges from individual
treatment plants. The information has also
allowed EPA to prescribe a plan for con-
tinued monitoring, including number and
type of parameters to be measured,
frequency of measurement, analytical
24
-------
methods, detection limits, and quality
control procedures.
Tier 2-Nearfield Fate and Short-Term
Effects
Nearfield fate and short-term effects mea-
surements have focused on permit com-
pliance and impact assessment issues,
and have been undertaken within and
outside the site. Specific activities have
included (1) measurements of chemical,
physical, and biological sludge constitu-
ents and impacts within the water column
to determine residual concentrations after
dumping and the effects of those concen-
trations on marine life; (2) definition of
seasonal patterns of sludge dispersion and
advection; and (3) measurement of surface
currents and water column structure to
evaluate variation in dispersion.
Results to date have shown the following:
Sludge can be transported out of
the site within 4 h of disposal.
Roughly 90 percent of the time,
currents are strong enough to
transport sludge out of the site
within 1 day.
Sludge dumping at the rate
originally set, 15,500 gal/min, can
result in exceeding toxicity-based
limiting permissible concentrations
4 h after disposal for some sludges.
Sludge dumping at 15,500 gal/min
can result in pathogen indicators
exceeding ambient levels 4 h after
dumping for some sludges.
Sludge does not penetrate the
seasonal pycnocline in significant
quantities within the first 8 to 12
hours following dumping.
Settling of sludge is similar in winter
and summer.
The rate of nearfield, short-term
settling of sludge can depend on
dumping rate.
Concentrations of selected con-
taminants in surface waters within
and outside the site may be ele-
vated when surface currents at the
site are sluggish.
Concentrations of contaminant
metals, organic compounds, and
indicator species for pathogens
probably will be close to back-
ground concentrations within 1 day
following dumping.
Dissolved oxygen depression within
sludge plumes is not biologically
significant.
Significant changes in phi do not
occur from sludge dumping.
Contaminants initially associated
with sludge particles may be lost to
the dissolved phase following
dumping.
Current speeds may reach 1.5 kn
when warm-core eddies move
25
-------
through the site. At other times,
currents are weaker. Current
direction is highly variable.
Sludge constituents may be toxic to
sea urchin gametes from 0-3 h after
dumping. Sludge plumes were not
observed to be toxic to zooplank-
ton from the site or to mysid shrimp
4 h after dumping.
No significant changes in phyto-
plankton biomass have been found
to result within sludge plumes.
Tier 3-Farfield Fate
Farfield fate studies are designed to
determine where sludge goes when it
leaves the site. Such information is
needed to determine whether sludge con-
stituents reach sensitive areas such as
fishing grounds and to allow design of
appropriate studies of long-term impacts.
These studies will allow description of a
more refined area of potential impact than
is considered in this report.
Results of farfield fate studies conducted to
date indicate the following:
Significant quantities of sludge
probably do not settle to the sea-
floor in the vicinity of the site on
short time scales (days).
Settling of sludge constituents dur-
ing the first 8 h after dumping is
minimal.
The seasonal pycnocline, where
particles concentrate, is a possible
area where sludge particles could
also concentrate.
A small percentage of sludge con-
stituents may reach the seafloor in
the vicinity of the site, but further
study is necessary to determine
conclusively whether this deposition
could occur or be significant.
Warm-core eddies are a viable but
poorly understood mechanism for
potential northward transport of
sludge constituents to the edge of
the continental shelf.
The majority of sludge particles are
likely to remain in the water co-
lumn, become entrained in the Gulf
Stream, and be subject to great
dispersion, which would not result
in impacts to the environment.
Sludge may under some oceano-
graphic conditions be recirculated
through the site.
Further study of water mass movements
and currents, coupled with remote sensing
techniques to evaluate large-scale water
movements and structure are currently
being implemented.
Tier 4-Long-Term Effects
Long-term effects studies will evaluate
effects of sludge disposal on organisms,
populations, and communities in any areas
26
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where concentrations of site-related fisheries species inshore from the site and
contaminants are predicted to accumulate. in the fishes that live within the site waters.
Potential effects on endangered species Final plans for other studies will be made
are monitored during every survey in the after evaluating results from the other
vicinity of the site. Potential accumulation monitoring tiers.
of sludge constituents will be studied in
27
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Strategy for Continued Research:
Coordination and Communication
Implementation of the monitoring
conducted under ODBA is being accom-
plished through cooperation among NOAA
and EPA. USCG will continue to conduct
surveillance. A memorandum of under-
standing (MOU) has been developed that
defines the roles of each agency under
ODBA (Appendix 2). Interagency coordi-
nation will include development of strategy
for research, monitoring, and surveillance.
Research and monitoring will include con-
duct of joint surveys as well as sharing of
continuing planning activities and data
interpretation.
The agencies have developed a strategy
for monitoring which builds on the existing
EPA and NOAA programs (Appendix 3).
As a result of the workshop held in March
1989, priorities for the program have been
established. Proceedings of the workshop
have been published (EPA, 1989). The
monitoring, research, and surveillance
program will include
Studies of water mass movements
and currents to provide direct
measurements of movements of
sludge particles.
Satellite studies to provide regional
information that will aid in deter-
mining where sludge particles go.
Evaluation and use of models to
provide statistical evaluation of
where sludge particles travel when
they leave the 106-Mile Site.
Direct measurements of settling of
sludge particles using sediment
traps.
Measurement of the fate of sludge
in sediments in the area of potential
sludge deposition.
Measurements of sludge constitu-
ents in tilefish and other non-
migratory fishes inhabiting areas
inshore from the 106-Mile Site.
Measurements of sludge constitu-
ents in midwater animals, such as
squids, that migrate through the
region of the 106-Mile Site.
Measurements of sludge constitu-
ents in noncommercial species that
live within the waters of the 106-
Mile Site.
Coordination of monitoring
activities.
These monitoring activities have continued
during the preparation of this report and
while the revisions are being made to the
monitoring plan.
28
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Interagency communication will also be
accomplished by a "blue ribbon" panel of
experts which will assist the agencies in
making decisions about site management
and future research, monitoring, and
surveillance needs. EPA will convene the
panel which will be composed of repre-
sentatives of EPA, NOAA, USCG, and
other Federal agencies. Representatives
from outside the government will provide
specific expertise as needed. Additionally,
scientists from outside the Federal govern-
ment will be asked to review reports on
data generated by the program, thereby
establishing a "peer review" process, that
will ensure scrutiny of monitoring results
by the scientific community, fishermen,
and environmental groups.
Results of the monitoring program will be
communicated to Congress through a
series of annual reports. ODBA requires
that EPA and NOAA submit annual reports
to Congress on the results of monitoring
activities conducted under this program.
These reports will synthesize the
information obtained by each agency,
working separately and cooperatively. The
reports will also present the plans of each
agency for the following year.
Results will also be communicated to the
public. EPA, in cooperation with NOAA
and USCG, will issue periodic reports and
press releases. In addition, representa-
tives from the public and the news media
may be invited to participate in research
and monitoring efforts at the site.
29
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References
Battelle. 1987. Final Report on Analytical Results of Samples Collected during the 1985 North
Atlantic Incineration Site Survey. A report submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
under Contract No. 68-03-3319. Work Assignment 5.
Battelle. 1988a. Final Draft Monitoring Plan for the 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site.
A report submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract No. 68-03-3319.
Work Assignment 1-22.
Battelle. 1988b. Implementation Plan for the 106-Mile Site Municipal Sludge Site Monitoring
Program. A report submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract No.
68-03-3319. Work Assignment 1-22.
Battelle. 1988c. Draft Report to Congress on the New York Bight Plastics Study. A report
submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract No. 68-03-3319. Work
Assignment 1-104.
Battelle. 1983d. Final Report of Baseline Seawater and Sediment Samples from the 106-Mile
Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site. A report submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency under Contract No. 68-03-3319. Work Assignment 1-21.
Battelle. 1988e. Final Report of Analytical Results of the 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge
Site Survey-Summer 1986. A report submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
under Contract No. 68-03-3319. Work Assignment 1-31.
Battelle. 1988f. Studies Conducted in the Vicinity of the 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge
Site. A report submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract No. 68-03-
3319. Work Assignment 1-22.
Battelle. 1989. EPA New York Bight Sediment Survey Review 1982-1986. A report submitted to
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract No. 68-03-3319. Work Assignment 2-
205.
Csanady, G. T. and P. Hamilton. 1988. Circulation of slopewater. Continental Shelf Research.
In press.
EPA. 1980. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 106-Mile Ocean Waste Disposal Site
Designation. Prepared under Contract No. 68-01-4610.
EPA. 1985. New York Bight Water Quality. Prepared by EPA Region II. Surveillance and
Monitoring Branch. Edison, NJ.
30
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EPA. 1989a. New York Bight Restoration Plan: Phase I Preliminary Report and Workplan.
EPA. 1989b. Proceedings of the Ocean Dumping Workshop 106-Mile Site.
NOAA. 1977. Baseline Report on Environmental Conditions in Deepwater Dumpsite 106. NOAA
Dumpsite Evaluation Report 77-1.
NOAA. 1983. 106-Mile Site Characterization Update. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/NEC-26.
NOAA. 1985. Analysis of Circulation Characteristics in the Vicinity of Deepwater Dumpsite 106.
NOAA Tech. Memo. NOS OMA 13.
NOAA. 1988. A Plan for Study: Response of the Habitat and Biota of the Inner New York Bight
to Abatement of Sewage Sludge Dumping. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-"F/NEC-55.
O'Connor, J.M. and P.K. Park. 1982. Consequences of industrial waste disposal at the 106-Mile
Ocean Waste Disposal Site. In G. Mayer, Ed. Ecological Stress and the New York Bight:
Science and Management. Estuarine Research Federation, Columbia, South Carolina.
Reid, R.N., M.C. Ingham, and J.B. Pearce. 1987. NOAA's Northeast Monitoring Program: A
Report on Progress and a Plan for the Future. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/NEC-44.
SAIC/Battelle. 1988. Report on Current Meter Measurements at the 106-Mile Site. A report to
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract No. 68-03-3319. Work Assignment 46.
Santoro, E.D. and D.J. Suszkowski. 1986. Current status: Phase-out of ocean dumping of
sewage sludge in the New York Bight Apex. Sixth International Ocean Disposal Symposium.
Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California. April 21-25, 1986.
Sibunka, J.D. and M.J. Silverman. 1984. MARMAP Surveys of the Continental Shelf from Cape
Hatteras, North Carolina to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/NEC-33.
31
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APPENDIX 1
Testable Hypotheses to be Addressed
in the Monitoring Plan
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Testable Hypotheses to be Addressed in the Monitoring Plan
TieM
WASTE
CHARACTERISTICS
The physical and chemical
characteristics of sludge are
consistent with waste charac-
terization information supplied
with the permit applications.
DISPOSAL OPERATIONS
Disposal rates and operations
are consistent with the
requirements of the ocean
dumping permits.
Tier 2
NEARRELD
COMPLIANCE
Concentrations of sludge and
sludge constituents are below
the permitted LPC and WQC
outside the site at all times
Concentrations of sludge and
sludge constituents are below
the permitted LPC and WQC
values within the site four hours
after disposal.
Pathogen levels do not ex-
ceed ambient levels four hours
after disposal.
NEARRELD FATE
Sludge particles do not settle
in significant quantities be-
neath the seasonal pycnoclme
(50 m) or to the 50-m depth at
any time within the site
boundaries or in an area
adjacent to the site
The concentration of sludge
constituents within the site
does not exceed the LPC or
WQC four hours after disposal
and is not detectable in the site
one day after disposal.
The concentration of sludge con-
stituents at the site boundary or
in the area adjacent to the site
does not exceed the LPC or
WQC at any time and is not
detectable one day after
disposal.
The disposal of sludge does not
cause a significant depletion in
the dissolved oxygen content of
the water and does not cause a
significant change in the pH of
the seawater in the area
SHORT-TERM IMPACTS
No significant biological effe
; in
the water column are
measurable within the site within
one day after disposal.
No increase in primary pro-
ductivity or any changes in
planktonic biomass or species
composition will occur.
Sludge constituents do not accu-
mulate in the surface micro-layer
in the vicinity of the site
No evidence of short-term bio-
accumulataon of sludge constitu-
ents by commercially important
species or important prey
species found at or adjacent to
the site will be found within one
day after disposal.
Tier3
FARRELD FATE
Sludge constituents do not settle
beneath the pycnoclme outside
the disposal site
Ocean currents do not transport
sludge to any adjacent shoreline.
beach, marine sanctuary, fishery,
or shelffishery.
Sludge recirculation through the
site is not significant.
Sludge particles do not settle to
the sea floor in the vicinity of the
site or in the region predicted as a
possible setting region based on
laboratory setting measurements
and current trajectory analysis.
Tier 4
LONG-TERM IMPACTS
. Sludge
trtL
i have no sig-
nificant long-term effect on the
dlstnbubon of endangered species
in the vicinity of the site.
Sludge constituents do not accu-
mulate in the tissues of commer-
cially important species resident in
the shelf/slope areas adjacent to
the site.
Benthic community structure does
not change significantly due to
sludge disposal.
Sludge disposal has no effect on
the sensitive eggs and larval
stages of indigenous animals.
Sludge disposal has no measur-
able long-term impact on offshore
plankton communities
i Pathogen levels will not increase in
the water column or biota.
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APPENDIX 2
Memorandum of Understanding
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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
AND
THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
AND
THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
ON
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OCEAN DUMPING BAN ACT
I. PURPOSE:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
agree to join efforts to implement vigorously the
provisions of the Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988 (ODBA)
in a timely, complementary and environmentally sound
manner. The three agencies further agree that a
coordinated Federal response to ODBA will enhance the
protection of human health and the marine environment
and ensure consistent compliance with ODBA.
II. BACKGROUND AND SCOPE;
Nine New York and New Jersey municipalities dispose of
sewage sludge at the Deepwater Municipal Sludge Dump
Site (106 Mile Site), located 120 nautical miles
southeast of Ambrose Light, New York and 115 nautical
miles from the nearest coastline. ODBA mandates that
to continue dumping after August 14, 1989, these nine
municipalities must have both permits and enforceable
agreements with EPA and the respective States. After
December 31, 1991, it is unlawful to dump sewage sludge
in the ocean.
For every dry ton of sewage sludge disposed in the ocean
(currently 400,000 dry tons per year), dumpers will be
assessed fees (starting August 15, 1989) that increase over
time. Until the end of 1991, these fees range from $100-
$200 per dry ton; should dumping continue after 1991,
dumpers will be subject to penalties of $600 per dry ton;
the penalties increase each year. Of these fees and
penalties, $15 per dry ton is directed to EPA to be
allocated evenly among EPA, USCG, and NOAA to implement the
activities specified in ODBA and addressed in this MOU.
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This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pertains to federal
activities related to management and oversight of ODBA.
Included in ODBA are requirements for permit compliance,
monitoring and surveillance of the 106-Mile Site and
environmental monitoring of the New York Bight.
Also covered under this MOU is the attached Joint
Monitoring, Research, and Surveillance Strategy. This
strategy outlines further research, monitoring, and
surveillance needed to answer remaining technical questions
associated with management of the 106 Mile Site, and
indicates responsibilities of the respective agencies. In
general, the strategy calls for enhanced coordination in
planning, conducting field surveys, sharing data, and
analyzing and interpreting results.
III. AUTHORITIES;
The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972
(MPRSA, PL 92-532) is the primary legislative authority
regulating the disposal of wastes in the ocean. It is the
implementing legislation for the International Convention on
the Prevention of Marine Pollution by the Dumping of Wastes
and Other Matter, commonly called the London Dumping
Convention (LDC). The MPRSA prohibits dumping into ocean
waters any material that would unreasonably degrade or
endanger human health or the marine environment.
Under the MPRSA, EPA is responsible for issuing permits for
sewage sludge disposal and for designating, managing and
monitoring ocean disposal sites. Surveillance and
enforcement of permit conditions is a joint responsibility
of EPA and USCG. Title I of the MPRSA requires the USCG to
conduct surveillance of ocean dumping activities. Title II
of the MPRSA assigns to NOAA the responsibilities of
monitoring the effects of dumping wastes in the ocean and
conducting continuing programs of research on long-range
effects of pollution to the marine environment.
ODBA amends the MPRSA and directs EPA, USCG, and NOAA to
conduct specific activities that are to be covered by the
ocean dumping fees and penalties.
IV. EPA'S RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Establishing and managing a permit program for
transportation and dumping of sewage sludge under ODBA
2. Overseeing enforcement agreements
3. Overseeing fee collections and managing fees and
penalties
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4. Approving and overseeing trust accounts
5. Implementing EPA portion of the Joint Monitoring,
Research, and Surveillance Strategy, which includes:
o Monitoring disposal operations and short-term
effects of sludges within and in the vicinity of
the 106 Mile Site
o Monitoring farfield fate and long-term effects of
dumped waste
6. Overseeing ODBA Clean Ocean Fund management and
procedures for accounting and reporting
7. Providing technical assistance on alternatives to ocean
dumping under ODBA
8. Preparing reports, including:
o Reports to Congress on monitoring of the 106 Mile
Site
o Annual Report to Congress on progress towards
stopping dumping
V. USCG'S RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Implementing USCG portion of the Joint Monitoring,
Research, and Surveillance Strategy, which includes
conducting surveillance of transportation of wastes
under the MPRSA Permit Program and reporting violations
to EPA
2. Spot-checking of feeder vessels and ocean-going
vessels, within New York Harbor, while they are being
used for transporting sludge
VI. NOAA'S RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Implementing NOAA portion of the Joint Monitoring,
Research, and Surveillance Strategy, which includes
monitoring the farfield fate and long-term effects of
dumped wastes on living marine resources and the marine
environment
2. Continuing programs of research on long-term effects of
pollution and human-induced changes to the marine
environment
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VII. QUALIFICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS
1. Together, EPA, NOAA, and USCG, will ensure effective
implementation of ODBA by the headquarters and regional
offices. The three Agencies will establish a standing
committee to develop plans for implementing provisions
of this MOU, report progress, identify and resolve
problems, and share information.
2. Period of Agreement:
This agreement shall continue in effect until modified
or amended by the assent of all parties.
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AUTHENTICATION
This agreement will become effective upon signature by all
three parties.
Administrator,
Environmental .Protect/on Agency
Date
Confinandant,
Untea States Coast Guard
/ /)ate
f Administrator,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Date
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APPENDIX 3
Strategy for Monitoring, Research, and Surveillance of
the 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site
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STRATEGY FOR
MONITORING, RESEARCH. AND
SURVEILLANCE OF THE
106-MILE DEEPWATER
MUNICIPAL SLUDGE SITE
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Marine and Estuarine Protection
Washington, DC
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Washington, DC
U.S. COAST GUARD
Washington, DC
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 13
1.0 INTRODUCTION 14
1.1 PREVIOUS STUDIES CONDUCTED AT THE 106-MILE SITE 14
1.1.1 Research and Monitoring 14
1.1.2 Surveillance 15
1.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THIS STRATEGY AND PLANS 15
2.0 STRATEGY FOR MONITORING, RESEARCH, AND SURVEILLANCE 16
2.1 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 16
2.2 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 1: WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL FATE
OF SEWAGE SLUDGE DUMPED AT THE 106-MILE SITE? 17
2.2.1 Water Mass Movement Studies 17
2.22 Fixed Point Measurements 18
2.2.3 Remote Sensing 18
2.2.4 Model Evaluation and Use 18
22.5 Settling Measurements 19
22.6 Data Interpretation 19
2.3 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF SLUDGE DUMPING AT
THE 106-MILE SITE ON LIVING MARINE RESOURCES? 19
2.3.1 Studies of Nonmigratory Commercial Species Inhabiting Areas Inshore from
the Site 20
2.32 Studies of Midwater Species Inhabiting the Middle Atlantic Bight 21
2.3.3 Studies of Resident, Noncommercial Species 21
2.3.4 Analyses and Data Interpretation 21
2.4 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF SLUDGE DUMPING AT
THE 106-MILE SITE ON HUMAN HEALTH? 22
2.5 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 4: ARE THERE CHANGES IN SITE DESIGNATION.
PERMITS. AND SURVEILLANCE THAT CAN PROVIDE BETTER PROTECTION OF
THE ENVIRONMENT. LIVING MARINE RESOURCES, OR HUMAN HEALTH? 22
2.5.1 Permit Conditions 22
2.52 Surveillance 23
2.5.3 Site Designation and Management 23
3.0 SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE 23
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 106-MILE
SITE MONITORING, RESEARCH. AND SURVEILLANCE PLAN A-24
LIST OF RGURES
FIGURE 1. SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 106-MILE SITE
MONITORING, RESEARCH, AND SURVEILLANCE PLAN A-25
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This document is based on the major recommendations from participants of a workshop on
research, monitoring, and surveillance of the 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site (106-
Mile Site), held in March 1989. The document uses the recommendations of the workshop
to formulate a cohesive plan that can be implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S.
Coast Guard (USCG) to continue research, monitoring, and surveillance of sludge disposal at
the site.
The workshop brought together scientists, fishermen, policy experts, and environmentalists to
discuss available information on the fate and effects of sludge disposal at the 106-Mile Site
and to develop a strategy for future research, monitoring, and surveillance. Discussions at
the workshop focused on four questions:
1. What is the physical and chemical fate of the sewage sludge dumped at the 106-
Mile Site?
2. What is the effect of sludge dumping at the 106-Mile Site on living marine
resources?
3. What is the effect of sludge dumping at the 106-Mile Site on human health?
4. Are there changes in site designation, permits, or surveillance that can provide
better protection of the environment, living marine resources, or human health?
NOAA, EPA, and USCG have used the recommendations and findings from the workshop to
develop this strategy. The agencies have considered priorities and available resources as
well as recommendations from the workshop in developing the strategy. The strategy does
not include every activity that may take place. It provides a framework for developing a
complete NOAA/EPA/USCG research, monitoring, and surveillance plan. A complete plan,
based on this strategy document, will assign responsibilities to each agency, the activities to
be conducted, and present a schedule for implementation.
Implementation of the strategy will be accomplished through close cooperation among
NOAA, EPA, and USCG. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is being developed to
define the roles of each agency. Interagency coordination will include conduct of joint
EPA/NOAA surveys as well as sharing of planning and data interpretation.
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
In 1988, Congress passed the Ocean Dumping Ban Act (ODBA), legislation aimed at ending
ocean dumping of municipal sludges and industrial wastes by December 31, 1991. In
response to ODBA's requirement for monitoring and to consumer concerns about the safety
of seafood caught in the Middle Atlantic Bight, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG) held a workshop to solicit recommendations for increased monitoring,
research, and surveillance of the 106-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site (106-Mile Site).
The 106-Mile Site is the only dumpsite designated by EPA to receive municipal sewage
sludges.
1.1 PREVIOUS STUDIES CONDUCTED AT THE 106-MILJE SITE
1.1.1 Research and Monitoring
Since EPA designated the 106-Mile Site for disposal of municipal sewage sludges in 1984,
various monitoring, research, and surveillance activities have been conducted there and in
the region that could be affected by sludge disposal. The studies have been conducted by a
variety of Federal agencies, contractor groups, and others. Most of the studies have been
conducted by EPA and NOAA.
EPA has developed and begun implementation of a monitoring plan (most recently updated
in March 1988) to determine (1) whether permit conditions are met and (2) whether sludge
dumping at the site affects the environment or human health. Although permit conditions are
set to protect the environment, EPA and NOAA are refining monitoring efforts not only to
ensure that these permit conditions are met, but also to ensure that the conditions protect
the marine environment and public health now and into the future. Results of the monitoring
program are being used to modify dumping procedures and to direct the continuing
monitoring activities.
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EPA Region II, in consultation with NOAA, has taken primary responsibility for an interagency
workgroup which reviewed published and unpublished data on shell disease (chitinoclasia) in
the New York Bight. The review focused on lobsters and crabs. Fishermen had reported
increased incidence of disease in catches in the Middle Atlantic Bight. Fishermen postulated
that the disease resulted from dumping at the 106-Mile Site.
NOAA conducts a variety of research near the 106-Mile Site. NOAA also surveys groundfish
on the continental shelf, directly inshore from the site. If sludge is transported to the
continental shelf, these areas may be affected. Groundfish surveys are not conducted within
the site, because those waters are beyond the edge of the continental shelf and are not
fished commercially.
1.1.2 Surveillance
USCG has developed and implemented the Ocean Dumping Surveillance System (ODSS),
which uses "black boxes" to track location and dumping rates of barges using the 106-Mile
Site. This system allows evaluation of compliance with ocean dumping permit conditions.
Currently, the systems are accurate but the reliability is less than required in the original
system specifications. The ODSS system is discussed in a Report to Congress developed
by EPA Region II and the USCG.
1.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THIS STRATEGY AND PLANS
In March 1989, NOAA, EPA, and USCG sponsored a 3-day workshop, which brought
together scientists, fishermen, policy experts, and environmentalists to discuss available
information on the fate and effects of sludge disposal at the 106-Mile Site and to develop a
strategy for future research, monitoring, and surveillance. Discussions at the workshop
focused on four questions:
1. What is the physical and chemical fate of the sewage sludge dumped at the 106-Mile
Site?
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2. What is the effect of sludge dumping at the 106-Mile Site on living marine resources?
3. What is the effect of sludge dumping at the 106-Mile Site on human health?
4. Are there changes in site designation, permits, or surveillance that can provide better
protection of the environment, living marine resources, or human health?
NOAA, EPA, and USCG have used the recommendations and findings from the workshop to
develop this strategy. The agencies have considered priorities and available resources as
well as recommendations from the workshop in developing the strategy. The strategy does
not include every activity that may take place, but provides a framework for developing a
comprehensive NOAA/EPA/USCG research, monitoring, and surveillance plan. Results of
monitoring will be described in annual reports to Congress.
Implementation of the strategy will be accomplished through close cooperation among
NOAA, EPA, and USCG. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is being developed to
define the roles of each agency, and an interagency agreement will be set up to administer
the MOU. Interagency coordination is expected to include joint ocean surveys. The
agencies will also coordinate planning and data interpretation.
2.0 STRATEGY FOR MONITORING. RESEARCH. AND SURVEILLANCE
2.1 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Information presented at the workshop showed that research, monitoring, and surveillance of
ocean dumping at the 106-Mile Site has already proved useful for understanding issues
needed to answer the four management questions. Participants felt, however, that Federal
efforts should be continued and increased so the management questions can be answered
more definitively. The workshop endorsed the existing plans for work related to the site and
recommended additional studies.
Workshop participants also recommended that Federal efforts to keep the public informed
should be improved. EPA will coordinate implementation of this recommendation. EPA,
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NOAA, and USCG will be responsible for specific actions. Periodic reports and press
releases will form the primary source of such information. Other sources may include widely
distributed fact sheets and public service announcements. In addition, representatives from
the public and the news media may be invited to participate in research and monitoring
efforts at the site. So that scientists and others may use the information gathered through
monitoring, all data will be archived under one data management system. EPA will manage
the system.
Finally, workshop participants recommended that the information generated through
implementation of the research, monitoring, and surveillance plan be reviewed. A "blue
ribbon" panel of experts will aid the agencies, decisions regarding site management and
future research, monitoring, and surveillance needs. EPA will convene the panel which will
include representatives of Federal agencies. Representatives from outside the government
will provide specific expertise as needed.
2.2 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 1:
WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL FATE
OF SEWAGE SLUDGE DUMPED AT THE 106-MILE SITE?
To date, studies of the fate of sludge dumped at the site have focused on nearfield transport
and dispersion. The workshop recommended implementation of plans to study farfield fate,
including conducting studies of water mass movements and currents and using remote
sensing techniques to evaluate large-scale water movements and structure. The workshop
also endorsed conduct of field studies to determine the settling behavior of sludge particles.
Participants recommended evaluation and use of models to assist in data interpretation.
These studies, in conjunction with the model predictions, will be used to determine the
likelihood of sludge constituents reaching ecologically or environmentally important areas.
2.2.1 Water Mass Movement Studies
Information on movements of specific water masses will provide the most direct information
on, for example, the possible movement of sludge constituents into fisheries areas or toward
shorelines. These studies will employ drifters deployed from sludge barges and may also
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use other methods, such as drift cards or bottles. The depth at which drifters are deployed
will be based on findings from the nearfield studies already conducted at the site. Because
sludge particles eventually sink, drifters that travel in deeper waters, at or below the
thermocline, may be used for some measurements. EPA, in cooperation with the municipal
authorities that dump sludge at the site, will be responsible for deployment of drifters. NOAA
will be responsible for other measurements of water mass movements.
2.2.2 Fixed Point Measurements
Although studies of water masses provide the most direct evidence of where sludge particles
may move, such studies collect only discrete points of information. Continuous data are
necessary to estimate the percent of time that sludge may move in a particular direction.
Fixed point measurements of currents can provide these continuous data. These
measurements will be made from a surface current meter already deployed at the site by
EPA. They will be supplemented by data from expendable current profilers (XCPs). The
XCPs will be deployed at intervals to assess current shear through the water column in the
site and in areas through which sludge may be transported.
2.2.3 Remote Sensing
Satellite imagery will be used to depict the temperature structure of the entire region that
could be affected by sludge disposal at the 106-Mile Site. Although such analysis of sea
surface temperature images is not enough to determine where sludge particles go, it will
provide regional coverage to aid in interpretation of the data from direct measurements.
NOAA will develop and implement the remote sensing studies with support from EPA.
2.2.4 Model Evaluation and Use
Farfield fate studies will provide information for a statistical evaluation of where sludge
constituents go when they leave the 106-Mile Site. Models will be necessary to conduct the
statistical evaluation. Available models will be evaluated to determine their usefulness in
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determining the fate of sludge dumped at the site, including the ability to predict dispersion
and to define possible areas of deposition. Ability of the available models to assess transport
from the continental slope to the shelf will also be evaluated. NOAA and EPA will coordinate
evaluation of models.
When an appropriate model is identified, NOAA and EPA will use it to determine the type and
location of studies of effects of sludge disposal on living marine resources. They will also
determine appropriate locations for studies of settling of sludge particles.
2.2.5 Settling Measurements
The likelihood of sludge particles settling in significant amounts in any one region is not
known. Settling studies will include field sampling, conducted by EPA, for sludge particles in
the pycnocline. Sampling within the pycnocline will be guided by information from the real-
time current meter already deployed at the site and from the drifter studies. Sediment trap
studies will be conducted to detect settling of particles through the pycnocline and to the
bottom, if such movements occur. NOAA and EPA will coordinate deployment of sediment
traps along the continental shelf and in other locations identified by the modeling efforts.
2.2.6 Data Interpretation
The results of studies of fate of sludge dumped at the 106-Mile Site will be used to determine
(1) the potential for sludge constituents to move into commercially important areas or onto
shorelines, and (2) the geographic areas, if any, where effects on marine resources or public
health may occur.
2.3 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 2:
WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF SLUDGE DUMPING AT THE 106-MILE SITE
ON UVING MARINE RESOURCES?
The workshop addressed possible effects of sludge dumping on any marine organism,
population, or community. Monitoring for effects on the marine environment, including
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endangered species, is expected to continue. However, most discussion centered on
possible bioaccumulation of sludge constituents and other effects on commercial and
recreational fisheries species.
Ideally, a study of bioaccumulation of sludge constituents from the 106-Mile Site would
measure sludge-related contaminants in nonmigratory, commercially important species
resident within the site. No such commercial or recreational species are known to inhabit the
site permanently. Therefore, a suite of studies will be conducted.
2.3.1 Studies of Nonmioratorv Commercial Species
Inhabiting Areas Inshore from the Site
Tilefish, which inhabit the seafloor directly inshore from the site, do not migrate and live for
many years. Other species living inshore from the site are also relatively nonmigratory.
Information from studies of these organisms can be used to infer effects from the 106-Mile
Site. A program to study these organisms will be coordinated by EPA and NOAA. (Although
lobsters migrate between inshore and offshore waters, they will be included in the studies.
Data on lobsters will be more difficult to interpret than those on other species. However,
concerns voiced by fishermen suggest that their inclusion in the program is warranted.)
The studies will include measurements of contaminants in animals throughout the area north,
west, and southwest of the site. The studies will determine whether there is a gradient with
increasing concentrations nearest to areas most likely influenced by the sludge disposal at
site. Any evidence of contamination will be examined to determine whether the 106-Mile Site
or another source is implicated. Such findings would indicate that further studies and actions
should be implemented immediately.
The program of studies will also include an assessment of chitinoclasia, a shell disease
affecting shellfish such as lobster and red crab. Animals will be collected form the mid-
Atlantic shelf in an effort to determine the prevalence and severity of this disease in the area
of the 106-Mile Site.
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2.3.2 Studies of Midwater Species
Inhabiting the Middle Atlantic Bight
Some fisheries species, such as squids, migrate through the area of the 106-Mile Site and
remain within the Middle Atlantic Bight throughout their life cycles. Studies of contaminants
in these species will not provide information on the effects of sludges on the species.
However, if the results of such studies indicate that the organisms are not contaminated, then
the 106-Mile Site probably is not affecting the organisms. Such studies will have second
priority and will be conducted by NOAA if resources allow.
2.3.3 Studies of Resident. Noncommercial Species
A third priority for study will be resident species, such as lantern fish and hatchet fish, which
move through the pycnocline. These small fishes have no commercial value. However,
presence of sludge-related contaminants in these species can be compared to control
populations from the other side of the Gulf Stream. Contaminants in fishes from the site
could suggest sludge as a source. Further study would be necessary to show that
contamination resulted from municipal sewage sludge. Initial studies of these small fishes
will be the responsibility of NOAA. Further study will be coordinated between NOAA and
EPA.
2.3.4 Analyses and Data Interpretation
Each of these studies will include analysis of tissues and samples from the water column or
sediments inhabited by the organisms. The samples will be analyzed for the same suite of
chemical and microbial contaminants and tracers found in sludge samples and in field
studies of sludge plumes. Other indicators of effects of contaminants, e.g., presence of
disease, chitinoclasia, and liver condition, will also be examined.
Results of these studies may indicate that (1) the fisheries organisms of the Middle Atlantic
Bight are not contaminated, and sludge disposal at the 106-Mile Site does not affect fisheries
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species; (2) the fisheries organisms of the Middle Atlantic Bight are contaminated, but sludge
disposal at the site does not appear to be a cause of the problem; or (3) the fisheries
organisms of the Middle Atlantic Bight are contaminated, and sludge disposal at the site may
contribute to the problem. These results would guide the type and extent of future studies,
as well as govern any actions to be taken. Results that either strongly implicated sludge
disposal at the site or dissociated the effects from sludge disposal would be used to make
decisions about continued use of the site and could prompt changes in permit conditions.
2.4 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 3:
WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF SLUDGE DUMPING AT THE 106-MILE SITE
ON HUMAN HEALTH?
Workshop discussions centered on possible direct and indirect effects of sludge disposal at
the 106-Mile Site. Direct effects included the possibility that sludge constituents could reach
the beaches of New York and New Jersey. Possible indirect effects included ingestion of
fisheries organisms that come from the continental shelf region and may have
bioaccumulated contaminants from the sludges. These potential effects will be addressed by
the studies to be conducted in response to Management Questions 1 and 2.
2.5 MANAGEMENT QUESTION 4:
ARE THERE CHANGES IN SITE DESIGNATION. PERMITS. AND SURVEILLANCE
THAT CAN PROVIDE BETTER PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
LIVING MARINE RESOURCES. OR HUMAN HEALTH?
Workshop participants recommended (1) reduction in dumping rates used at the site; (2)
improvements to the USCG surveillance system, ODSS; and (3) use of research and
monitoring results to reevaluate the location and configuration of the site.
2.5.1 Permit Conditions
Permits to dump sludges at the 106-Mile Site are being issued with significantly lower
dumping rates than had been required. Additionally, the permits will specify a monitoring
program to be carried out by the permittees.
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2.5.2 Surveillance
Several plans for upgrading the ODSS to provide near real-time coverage of all or most of
the operational area are currently being evaluated by EPA and the Coast Guard. EPA is
encouraging the Coast Guard to implement and test one of these plans, as well as to
increase efforts to improve the overall reliability of the system. In the interin, EPA-approved
shipriders, supplied by the permittee, will be required on all vessels transporting sludge to the
dump site. Use of a manifest system and seals on the valves of feeder barges, barges which
transport sludges to the ocean-going vessels, is also being implemented to ensure that no
sludge is dumped in inland waters.
2.5.3 Site Designation and Management
All research, monitoring, and surveillance results will be reviewed by NOAA, EPA, and USCG,
as well as by the independent blue ribbon panel. Results will be used to determine whether
(1) monitoring should be continued or modified; (2) surveillance should be increased; (3)
permits should be changed; and/or (4) the site should be redesignated, dedesignated,
moved, or reconfigured. (The time required to modify the site and redesignate it preclude
that option at this time.)
3.0 SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
Responsibilities for activities described in this document are summarized in Table 1, and the
schedule for implementation is included in Figure 1. Activities will be coordinated by EPA,
NOAA, and USCG.
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TABLE 1. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 106-MILE SITE
MONITORING, RESEARCH, AND SURVEILLANCE PLAN
Activity
Public awareness
Blue ribbon panel
Water mass movements
(drifters)
Current measurements
Remote sensing
Model evaluation
Settling measurements
Near-/farfield fate/effects
Nonmigratory species from
continental shelf
Midwater species
Resident, nonmigratory species
Permits
Surveillance
Site designation and
Primary
EPA
EPA
EPA
EPA
NOAA
EPA
EPA
EPA
NOAA
NOAA
NOAA
EPA
USCG
EPA
Secondary
NOAA
NOAA
NOAA
NOAA
EPA
NOAA
NOAA
NOAA
EPA
EPA
EPA
-
EPA
NOAA
Tertiary
USCG
USCG
-
--
--
~
~
--
-
--
--
USCG
management
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Figure 1. Schedule for Implementation o! the 106-Mile Site
Monitoring, Research, and Surveillance Plan
Public Awareness
Blue Ribbon Panel
Water Mass Movement
(Drifter Studies)
Current Measurements
Remote Sensing
(Satellites)
Model Evaluation Workshop
Particle Settling Studies
(Sediment Traps)
Nearlield/Farlield Fate
and Effects
Nonmigratory Species from
Continental Shelf
Midwater Species
Resident Nonmigratory
Species
Permits
Surveillance
Site Designation and
Management
I I I I I I I I I I I I I
t I I I I I I I I I
OCT JAN APR JUL OCT JAN APR JUL OCT JAN APR JUL OCT JAN APR JUL OCT JAN APR JUL OCT JAN APR JUL
1986 19871987 1987 1987 1988 1988 1988 1988 19891989 19891989 1990 1990 1990 1990 19911991 1991 1991 1992 1992'1992
Activity conducted
1 Activity planned
Review and revision as necessary
ro
en
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