vvEPA
             United States
             Environmental Protection
             Agency
                          EPA-600/9-81-005
                          February 1981
             Research and Development
Research Strategy
for the 1980's
             Water Quality Research
             Committee

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                                    EPA-600/9-81-005
                                    February  1981
  RESEARCH STRATEGY FOR THE 1980's
  WATER QUALITY RESEARCH COMMITTEE
      Prepared jointly by the:

 Office of Research and Development
                 and
Office of Water and Waste Management
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
       WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

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                                   PREFACE
      Beginning  In  1977,  the  Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA) undertook a
 comprehensive review  of  its  research planning  and management and reported its
 findings  to  the Congress,  submitting The Planning and Management of Research
 and  Development in  June, 1978.  To  address  some of the problems identified, a
 pilot project was  initiated  to examine the  feasibility of planning research
 and  development programs by  committees representing t'he Agency's primary
 organizational  elements.   The success of this  pilot project resulted in the
 formation of research committees to plan programs in all research areas.  Each
 committee is co-chaired  by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and
 the  appropriate, corresponding regulatory,  organization - the Office of Water
 and  Waste Management; the  Office of Air, Noise and Radiation; or the Office of
 Pesticides and  Toxic Substances.

      This document  describes the research and  development strategy prepared by
 the  Water Quality Research Committee.  The  strategy reflects current perspec-
 tives of EPA's  program thrusts in the 1980s and associated research require-
ments.  The  document will serve as  the basis for detailed planning in those
ORD  laboratories implementing research on water quality management.   To be
properly responsive to evolving regulatory priorities and emerging scientific
findings,  however,  the strategy will be subject to at least one annual
revision,  in concert with EPA's planning and budgeting cycle.
        Richard M. Dowd
Acting Assistant Administrator
 for Research and Development
                                                    Eckardt C. Beck
                                                Assistant Administrator
                                            for Water and Waste Management
                                      11

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                              TABLE  OF CONTENTS
      Preface                                                             ii

I.    Purpose and Scope                                                    i

I.    Executive Summary                                                    3

III.  Projected Agency Policies and Priorities in the 1980's                7

      General                                                              7
      1981-1983 Period                                                     8
      Beyond 1983                                                         14

IV.   Research Needs                                                      17

      General                                                             17
      Summary of Highest  Priority Needs                                    18

V.    Research Plan                                                       27

      Role of Office of Research  and Development                           27
      Research Program Areas  Designated to Respond to Needs                28
      Proposed Research Goals                                             33
      Anticipated Problems  in Satisfying Needs                             33

VI.   Research Program Options                                            51

      Major Concerns                                                      51
      Discussion of Options                                               52
      Potential  Sources of  Funds  For Real location                          54
      Priority Array For  Seeking  New Resources                             55
      Priority Array For  Real location  of Base Resources                    55
                                     iii

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                            I.   PURPOSE  AND SCOPE

    The purpose of the strategy is to  express the Water Quality Research
Committee's view of the non-energy research program priorities over a five to
ten year period to support the  Headquarters and Regional regulatory programs
served by the Committee.   The strategy also is to serve as a compendium of all
relevant areas of research and  associated  resource requirements so that it can
be used as the primary working  document  in evaluating alternative research
thrusts, making tradeoffs among research projects, and preparing and revising
annual research program plans when faced with resource increases, decreases,
or shifts in emphasis.  To properly serve  these purposes, the strategy will be
updated at least annually to maintain  it on a current basis.

    The strategy also is intended to serve, along with the other research
committee strategies, as a building block  of the annual Office of Research and
Development (ORD) Research Outlook.  This  publication describes EPA's plans
for research over a four "or five year  period.

    The strategy is intended to reflect  the short and long term research needs
of the Office of Water Regulations and Standards (exclusive of the Effluent
Guidelines Division), marine protection, and water quality management planning
programs of the Office of Water Program  Operations, and associated programs of
the Office of Water Enforcement and the  Regions in the implementation of the
Clean Water Act. Basically, these programs deal with the identification of
ambient water quality problems  warranting  Agency concern, development and
implementation of nationwide or regional strategies for abating and controlling
the ambient problems identified, and assessment of the effectiveness of the
strategies and the progress of  the programs implementing them.  From the per-
spective of a water pollutant's movement,  impact, and fate in the environment,
this strategy addresses those concerns from the point where a pollutant
(exclusive of those derived from energy  development activities) would enter a
surface water or wetland (by any means other than a spill) and up to the point
where it would enter a drinking water  treatment plant intake.  The strategy
also addresses the generation and control  of nonpoint pollutant from rural
(viz., agriculture and silviculture) sources and from dredge and fill
operations.

    Research needs of the Agency associated with the characterization and
control of municipal sewage, urban storm runoff, and spilled materials are
addressed in the Municipal Wastewater  and  Spill Prevention Research Strategy.
Needs of the Agency associated  with the  characterization and control of
industrial wastewaters, including storm  runoff from industrial sites, are
addressed in the Industrial Wastewater Research Strategy.  Needs associated
with the treatment, protection, and characterization of drinking water and
ground water (and associated problems) are addressed in the Drinking Water
Research Strategy.  Needs dealing with leachates and surface runoff from solid
and hazardous waste disposal sites are addressed in the Solid Waste Research
Strategy.   Needs associated with environmental impacts of energy development
activities will be covered in the Energy Research Strategy.

    Research needs of Agency Programs  covered by this strategy are sub-divided
into the following program areas:  1)  Scientific Assessments, 2) Technical
Information & Liaison, 3) Monitoring Systems and Quality Assurance, 4) Health

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Effects, 5) Environmental  Processes  and  Effects, 6) Chesapeake Bay, and 7)
Great Lakes.

    Some needs of the Agency programs  served  by the Committee also fall into
research areas under the purview of  the  Drinking Water Committee (i.e., those
related to ground water),  Municipal  Wastewater  and Spill Prevention Committee
(i.e., those related to urban nonpoint source control and use of wetlands as a
municipal effluent polishing system), Solid Waste Committee (i.e., those
related to surface and ground water  impacts from leachates and runoff from
hazardous waste disposal sites), and Energy Committee (i.e., those concerning
the transport, fate, and effects of  pollution generated through the develop-
ment and operation of energy sources).   In addition, strategic assessments,
socioeconomic research, and environmental processes research carried out under
ORD's Anticipatory Research Program  also are  relevant to the needs of Agency
programs served by the Water Quality Research Committee.

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                            II.   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

     The strategy projects  the operational program's policies and priorities
 over the next  five  to  ten  years, the  resultant program thrusts, and associated
 research needs.   Thus, the validity of the strategy for carrying out the
 research hinges  primarily  on the precision of the projections of future Agency
 policies and priorities.   The near term projections enjoy a much higher level
 of confidence  than  the longer term ones.

     The general  consensus  is that as the technology based point source control
 requirements of  the Clean  Water Act are achieved over the next four years
 emphasis increasingly  will  be placed on water quality based controls where
 necessary to achieve the water quality goals of the Act.   Nonpoint  sources  of
 pollution and  dredge and fill operations are expected to receive increased
 attention as point  sources  are brought under appropriate levels of  control.
 Increased emphasis  also is  expected to be given to demonstration of nonpoint
 source  control and  lake restoration techniques useful in achieving  water
 quality goals.

     Of  all  of the pollutants of interest, toxic chemicals are expected to
 receive the single  greatest emphasis in the 1980's.   Other constituents to
 receive significant attention will be sediment and nutrients.

     In  pursuing the above activities, there will  be  a full awareness of and
 sensitivity to the  nation's protracted energy and economic problems.   Greater
 attention will be given to translating the goals  of  the act into quantitative
 water quality objectives reflecting local conditions and  to identifying the
 most cost-effective and energy-efficient  water quality management strategy-for
 achieving these objectives for each pollutant and within  each  watershed.

     After due consideration of the above  policies and directions the
 following categories of reseach  needs have emerged as of  greatest importance

 and  are  listed in priority order:

     1.  Toxic Pollutant Management

     2.  Nonpoint  Source Control

    3.  Clean Lakes  and Dredge « Fill  Program

    4.  Ground  Water Protection  (addressed primarily in the Drinking  Water
        Research  Strategy)

    Areas of research considered to be of single  greatest  relevance in each of
tne nrst three need categories  are as follows:

   Toxic Pollutant Management  -  numerical  criteria for specific toxic chemi-
   cals  to be addressed in  State water quality standards.   Completion of the
   chrome toxicity  data  base  for the  Consent  Decree  chemicals  is of  immediate
   concern.   Procedures for translating the criteria  to local  conditions are
   also  a high  priority.  Associated measurement  and  modeling  capabilities are

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   also needed for implement at ion of the ambient water quality  standards
   produced.

0  Nonpoint Source Control - techniques for documenting (and information on)
   the ecoTogical impacts of nonpoint sources and translating that information
   into useable (i.e., time variant) criteria and standards.  A capability to
   translate the criteria and standards into NPS control  requirements also
   must be provided, along with a capability to project  the cost and
   effectiveness of candidate NPS management practices for specific
   applications.

°  Clean^Lakes Program - information on the applications, limitations,
   duration ofeffecti veness, and costs of  various  in-lake pollution control/
   restoration techniques and an approach  for using this  information in
   evaluating the merits of clean lake  grant proposals.

0  Dredge & Fill Program - information  and  techniques  for assessing potentially
   harmful impacts associated with the  extraction,  transport, and disposal of
   dredged material  containing toxic pollutants.

   The current allocation of base resources among the  various research areas is
summarized in Figure II-l.  This allocation will  allow modest to near-adequate
progress in many of  the above priority  areas.   Needs that cannot be met in any
where near a timely  fashion without  a substantial  resource increase over a
three to five year or more period are the following (listed in  order of
decreasing priority):

    1.  Formation of a Technical  Assistance Team to support toxic pollutant
        management activities in Agency water pollution control programs.

    2.  Development  and field validation of procedures  for applying laboratory
        derived water quality criteria  to field situations, as  necessary to
        develop realistic State/Federal  water quality  standards.

    3.  Development  of exposure analysis and load allocation predictive
        techniques,  with the latter applicable to both  specific toxic
        pollutants and general  effluent  toxicity measures.

    4.  Acceleration of work on:   a)  minimum data sets  for water quality
        criteria for priority pollutants; b)  measurement methods for toxic
        volatile organic pollutants;  and c)  toxic pollutant exposure analysis
        predictive techniques.

    5.  Development  of "wet weather"  time variant water quality criteria.

    6.  Development  of economic  benefit  analysis  techniques and associated data
        bases  for use  in demonstrating  where  the  cost of implementing further
        point  and/or nonpoint  source  controls  is  in line with the benefits to
        be derived.

    7.  Acceleration  of Great Lakes  research  on health risks  from PCBs  and
        other  toxic  organics and  necessary  remedial measures.

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              Figure 11-1
WATER QUALITY NON-ENERGY DECISION UNIT
  CURRENT BASE FUNDING DISTRIBUTION
          (November 1980)
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     8.   Compilation  of  rural  BMP effectiveness data base, as needed to select
         the most  cost-effective combination of management practices capable of
         achieving specified  load reductions in specific situations, or to
         predict  water quality improvements that would result from the imple-
         mentation of BMPs.

     Needs that  also  cannot be met in a sufficiently timely fashion at the
 current base level of resources, but which could be with modest resource
 increases over  a  one-five year period are (in order of decreasing priority):

     9.   Toxic hot spot  screening techniques.

    10.   Interior  gross  wasteload allocation predictive techniques applicable
         to general toxicity type assessments.

    11.  Reference  measurement  methods for priority toxic pollutants in water,
         sediment, and biota with detection limits at least as low as the
         maximum concentrations considered as safe.

    12.   Techniques for  assessing impacts of proposed dredge and fill projects
         involving spoils containing toxic pollutants.

    13.   Technical assistance  in the preparation,  revision, and implementation
         of regulations  and associated guidelines  covering marine discharge  and
         dumpi ng activities.

     Every attempt will  be made to accelerate work on Needs 9-13 through
 resource  shifts within  the overall  Agency base resources and/or making full
 use  of  relevant work  performed under other research  committees or by other
 agencies.   In later years, as work  on currently pursued  outputs is completed,
 resource  shifts will  be made to the fullest  extent  possible to more adequately
 pursue  Needs  1-8, except as noted below.

     Although  fulfillment of the fourth  priority need for minimum data  sets  for
 priority  pollutants had  been viewed by  the Water  Quality Research  Committee  to
 be the  single highest priority and  to represent the  basic underpinning of any
 defensible water quality based pollution  control  strategy, no further  shift  in
 base resources to this area will  be considered.   The majority of the Agency
Ranking Committee deemed that the current  level of effort  in this  area
 could be  reduced in FY 1982 to a  level  that  will  not allow its completion
 until beyond the Year 2000.   Thus,  the  water quality based approach, if
 launched  in the mid-19801s, may have to concentrate  initially on non-toxic
pollutants until  valid and defensible water  quality  criteria for a  significant
percentage of the ubiquitous  toxic  pollutants  become availabe.   One possible
way of temporarily getting around this  long  term  gap in  the technical  base
that is being pursued will  be to  deal primarily in terms of "toxicity  units"
of effluents and receiving waters in aggregate  and avoiding consideration to
the extent possible of individual waste  constituents and their individual
effects.

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         III.  PROJECTED AGENCY  POLICIES  AND PRIORITIES IN THE 1980's

                                   GENERAL

     The goals of the Clean  Water  Act are  being pursued essentially in two
 phases.  In Phase I, emphasis is  being given to putting in place a minimum or
 base level  of point  source  pollution control across the country.  This
 fundamental level of control is based on  the control technology available or
 economically achievable,  without  regard to site-by-site considerations of
 water quality impacts.   Most first generation regulations covering technology
 o^  *P?Jn?ofi°Ur emphasis will shift to implementation of Phase II.
 n^nf? !' !mphaf s wlj. be 9iven to development and implementation of a
 national strategy for meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act where the base
 level  of controls, alone, is insufficient to do this.  Building from existing
 programs employing water quality  standards and the National  Pollutant
 Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) of permits, the Agency already has begun
 to identify and  further control point sources discharging toxic wastewaters.
 Biological  toxi city  screening will be used to identify those industries where
 the technology based  control requirements are insufficient to control acutely
 toxic  discharges.  Control procedures employing wasteload allocations of total
 maximum daily loads  (WLA/TMDL)  and considering both general  toxi city and
 chemical-by-chemical  composition  (as appropriate), will be implemented during
 this phase.

     Attention will continue to  be given,  however, to development of second and
 subsequent  generation technology based control  requirements  as additional
 S?rf? o? thWarI?ntin9 s"ch cwerage are identified and as advancements in  the
 state-of-the-art  of control technology are made.   In planning and implementing
 Phase  II, which  represents a water quality based approach, there will be a
 full awareness of  and sensitivity to the  nation's protracted energy and
 economic problems.  Attention will be given to  translating the goals of the
 Act  into site-specific quantitative water quality objectives and to
 identifying  the most  cost-effective and energy-efficient  water quality
 Ser'shed!       9y     achiev1n9 these objectives for each  pollutant in each
            of the greater costs associated with  higher levels of point source
         e.g., advanced waste treatment  for municipal  wastes), technically
PTTPrnx/P JiMi-J^nc   r01? increasingly  critical  to  provide the most cost
will pntaii  fht10ns;.  Cost-effectiveness and energy  efficiency considerations
win entail  the application of various combinations  of point and nonpoint
ODtirmalC?ol,rr?innln •?? mana?ement of the full  range  of pollutants of concern.
uptimai solutions will require consideration to be given to the use of water
course or watershed modification or non-source control techniques (e.g.,
IdlSrpnf tnXl?^ ™°™'1 > flow augmentation,  creation  of artificial wet'lands
adjacent to  streams to intercept and treat  runoff, etc.), in addition to
source control techniques.  This approach has  been and  will continue to be
hKon nt0A9rea!i exten* 1n the Clean  Lakes  Program.  The relationship
between quality and quantity and the role of conservation will be recognized
in future water quality management  planning.
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     Pollutants and associated  impacts to  receive the single greatest emphasis
 over the next several  years  will  be the toxic and hazardous chemicals.   Other
 constituents to receive  significant attention will be sediment and nutrients.
 The importance of toxic  and  hazardous chemicals in a highly industrialized
 society will be recognized in  their control.  Thus, primary consideration in
 associated environmental  decisions wi 11 be directed at specifying and
 regulating use and disposal  practices to  maintain environmental risks posed by
 these chemicals at acceptable  levels, as  opposed to simply approving or
 banning their use or disposal.  Risks posed by existing environmental levels
 of toxic and hazardous chemicals also will be evaluated and taken into  account
 in such risk assessments.  This approach  will require more sophisticated
 assessments of actual and potential environmental exposures and associated
 risks than were required in  managing conventional pollutants.   In addition, it
 will  require much more comprehensive water quality standards fully relevant to
 each  geographical  region of  the U.S.  and  its territories.   Greater considera-
 tion  also will  have to be given to the multimedia aspects  of toxic and
 hazardous chemicals, from the  standpoints of both environmental exposure
 assessments and disposal practices.  This will require an  integration of water
 quality,  drinking water, and solid waste management  programs to provide the
 most  cost-effective environmental protection.

    Pollutant  sources other  than POTWs and industrial  point sources to  be
 given serious  attention in the 1980's include abandoned hazardous waste sites,
 urban storm runoff and runoff from farming, logging,  mining, and construction
 activities.   Increased attention also will be given  to the protection of
 wetlands  from  dredge and fill operations and of  ground waters  from contami-
 nation  by such  sources as landfills,  saltwater intrusion,  underground
 injection,  and  the storing or disposal  of hazardous  waste.  In  addition,
 greater attention  is expected to be given to the problems  created by the
 disposal  of pollutants in marine waters.

                             1981 - 1983 PERIOD

 OVERVIEW

    In  the  1981 - 1983  period,  five program areas  will  fall  within  Office of
 Water and Waste Management's  (OWWM's)  first  level  of priorities (relative to
 this  research strategy.)  These  are:  (1)  toxic pollutant management;  (2)
 nonpoint  source control;  (3)  clean lakes program;  (4)  dredge and  fill program;
 and (5) ground water quality  protection  program.   The  latter area,  of course,
 is covered  by the Drinking Water Research  Strategy.  Other important  activi-
 ties  in this period will  include the  wasteload allocation/total maximum daily
 load program, ocean disposal  program, and  special  studies.

    During this same period,  the Office  of Water Enforcement's  primary
 emphasis will be on implementation of Phase  II of  the  program.  This will
entail stepped-up efforts to  identify point  source discharges subject to  the
 NPDES  that must be controlled further in  order to  achieve  water quality
 standards, especially with respect  to toxic  pollutants.  Such efforts will
include:  1) expansion  of effluent  and ambient monitoring  for toxicants,  other
priority pollutants, and  adherence to technology based  control  requirements;
2) full implementation  of the Discharge  Monitoring Report  quality assurance
program to improve NPDES  compliance data;  and  3) increased  inspections  in

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a
 support of enforcement cases and emergency situations.  The Office of Water
 Enforcement also wi 11 be working toward  improving the effectiveness of
 enforcement programs dealing with toxic  substances and hazardous materials.
 Consideration will  be given  to the various ways  such materials enter the
 environment and are regulated by each  statute and enforcement program, with
 view toward coordinating all relevant  programs in a way that will deal most
 effectively with national  concerns.

 TOXIC POLLUTANT MANAGEMENT

     In FY 1981, activities initiated previously to control toxic pollutants
 will be continued.   Promulgation  of best available technology (BAT)  regula-
 tions and pretreatment standards  covering  toxic pollutants from primary
 industries will occur, as  will  completion  of the publicly owned treatment
 works (POTW)  study that  is assessing the effectiveness of secondary treatment
 on toxic pollutants.   Increased  attention  will be given to determining whether
 there are additional  toxic compounds that  should be addressed in effluent
 guidelines, and to  conducting special  "hot  spot" and follow-up exposure/risk
 studies (pollutant-by-pollutant  in selected areas) to determine whether
 controls in addition  to  and  beyond BAT are  necessary.   Highest priority also
 will be given  in this period to  development of specific water quality criteria-
 for priority toxic pollutants and promotion of inclusion of specific
 pollutants in  State water  quality standards.  There also will be increased
 emphasis on monitoring of  effluents and receiving waters for early detection
 of toxic hot spots.

     Among  the  highest  of Regional priorities will be the conduct of  priority
 pollutant  analyses to  determine exposure/fate of these pollutants and the
 development  of  geographic  control strategies for them.   The Regions  also will
 be giving  high  priority to ensuring that  States  develop adequate toxic
 analytic capabilities  and that the procedures will be  consistent with the
 Agency's Quality Assurance Policy.

 NONPOINT SOURCE CONTROL

     In  FY  1980, Section 208  grants were shifted,  as  a  matter of OMB
 Congressional  and EPA policy, to development of  N>S controls.   Thus,  the
 Water Quality Management (WQM) program must provide  enough supportive
 information to continue a restructured NPS  program,  under non-regulatory
 Section 208 authority or otherwise, by 1983.  Accordingly, the  1980-1983
 period  will be directed toward the development of an adequate technological
 data base to ensure that the  States will  be able  to  develop under Sec.  208
 (and implement under both Sec. 208 and 314) a fully  operational  NPS  control
 program (employing best management practices) that will  meet water quality
 management goals.

    Attention will be directed as necessary to assure that  funds  being  spent
 for management of nonpoint  sources of  pollution are  being  spent  effectively
and that these efforts do,  in fact, impact  water  quality.   Priorities  for the
nonpoint source program include urban  and agricultural  runoff and ground water
management.

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     The WQM program wi 11 be utilizing demonstration and implementation
 projects to illustrate, by example, the effectiveness of selected  NPS
 management practices.  These "prototype" projects, the National  Urban Runoff
 Program (N'JRP), and various USDA programs foster implementation  of WQM plans
 developed under the 208 program.  The WQM program will provide the expertise
 to  determine which inputs are creating the NPS problem and what  BMPs can  solve
 them, including institutional, structural, or non-structural  controls.  The
 "transfer" aspect of the prototype projects is an important one.   The Rural
 Clean Water Program (funded at $50 million in FY 1980) is now getting underway
 and will be emphasizing the development of loading estimates  and the
 evaluation of BMPs.

 CLEAN LAKES PROGRAM

     The thrust of the Clean Lakes program is shifting from demonstration  to
 implementation of restorative measures applicable to lakes.  The Clean Lakes
 program has recently issued the Sec. 314 cooperative agreement regulations,
 which describe the procedures used in securing a grant to restore  and/or
 protect a publicly owned, freshwater lake.  Every effort will be made to  fund
 only the most cost-effective projects.  Accordingly, high priority will be
 given by OWRS to evaluation of lake restoration techniques on an economic/
 technical basis.  The Clean Lakes Program also is being factored into State
 strategies as a means to control sources of pollution on a priority basis.
 Clean lakes projects will continue to be implemented in a diversity of urban
 and rural watersheds involving pollution sources from agriculture, irrigation,
 silviculture, mining, wetland leachates, stormwater discharge, hazardous  and
 solid waste disposal facilities, sanitary wastes, and atmospheric  washout.

 DREDGE AND FILL PROGRAM

     The Section 404 program (on dredge and fill materials)  will  be focusing on
 completing the test and evaluation section of the 404(b)(l) guidelines, which
 outline procedures for reviewing dredge and fill permit applications,
 including the specifying of disposal sites.  High priority will  be given  by
 the Regions to assurance of adequate environmental review of  projects.
 Attention wi 11 be directed at the most environmentally sensitive projects,
 with emphasis on pre-permit application planning and analysis.   The assess-
 ments will focus on projecting detrimental impacts from the discharge of
 dredged or fill material at the discharge site, the likely mechanisms of
 transport, and the ultimate fate of the pollutants.  Consideration also will
 be  given in these assessments to the relative environmental and  economic
 impacts of alternative dredging techniques.

     The Regions will also be working actively to transfer 404 program
 responsibility to qualified States for certain waters of the  U.S.   This
 transferal will involve the preparation and dissemination of  guidance
 materials.

 GROUND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION

    The ground water program in OWWM for the near term is directed at the
 development  of cost-effective solutions to ground water quality  problems
through a national  "prototype" technology transfer program, which  includes the

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 development of State/areawide comprehensive  ground and surface water programs
 aimed at continuing planning and  implementation activities.  The results of the
  prototype" projects will  include the  development of BMPs that will be trans-
 ferable to other areas of  the nation experiencing similar problems.

     The water quality management  ground  water program will encourage the States
 to develop and coordinate, as part  of  a  State comprehensive ground water
 management program:  (1) management programs to control nonpoint sources of
 pollution (septic systems, agricultural  and  urban runoff, salt water intrusion
 landfills, etc.)  under the CWA, (2) management plans for sole source aquifers '
 (3) management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal under the Resource
 Conservation and  Recovery  Act  of  1976  (RCRA), and (4) underground injection
 controls under Safe Drinking Water  Act (SDWA).                    'njettion

     As stated previously,  research  needs associated with ground water pollution
 are addressed in  the Drinking Water Research Strategy.  Needs associated with
 waste disposal under RCRA  are covered  in the Solid Waste Research Strategy.

 WASTELOAD ALLOCATION/TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS

     The  WLA/TMDL  program will  focus on two priorities in the 1980 - 1983 period-
 1)  management  of  construction  grants program and 2)  control of toxic hot spots.

     Effective  and efficient  management of the construction grants program will
 continue to  be a  high  priority over the 1980 - 1983  period.  Meeting the
 treatment  needs of the  largest SMSAs will be a major programmatic thrust.
 Particular emphasis will be  given to the construction of cost-effective
 energy-efficient  facilities, utilizing land treatment wherever feasible.'
 Scrutiny of  proposed  AWT/AST facilities will continue in order to ensure that
 they will  result  in significant water quality improvement and that  associated
 capital  and  operating  costs  are justified.   High priority will be given to
 review of  the  technical adequacy of wasteload allocations in AWT/AST project
 ?n2P?DA  o  -In add!t!on' hl'9h  Pr1or1ty will be given to establishment  of State
 and EPA  Region wasteload allocation programs and providing the associated
 guidance needed.

     Toxic  hotspots  that would  remain after the application of required
 technology based  controls and where further national  controls are not
 appropriate will  be managed through either chemical-by-chemical  or general
 toxicity waste load allocations.   The  hotspots will  be identified through
 several  approaches, including the  application of biological  screening  techniques
 to  effluents and ambient waters.   In addition, as part  of its ongoing  effort  to
 identify water quality problem areas,  EPA will be preparing estimates  of
 expected pollutant  concentrations  in a  number of receiving waters after the
 installation of the required base  level of  control.

 OCEAN DISPOSAL PROGRAM

 ^ + J^ 0!iSJ? D1sP°sal Program, as described  here, covers  responsibilities of
 both the Office of Water Regulations and  Standards and the  Office of Water
Program Operations under Sec. 301(h) and  403(c)  of the Clean Water Act  (CWA)  and
                                       11

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 ocean  dumping provisions of the Marine Protection, Research,  and Sanctuaries
 Act, as  amended (MPRSA), and the International  Convention  for Prevention of
 Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Materials  (London  Dumping
 Convention  (LDC) ).  Other marine-related activities (viz., water  quality
 criteria development for toxic pollutants and the dredged  and fill materials
 program) are addressed elsewhere.

    In the  1981 - 1983 period, emphasis will be on administering the  regulations
 implementing Sec. 301(h) and 403(c)  of CWA and  the ocean dumping provisions of
 MPRSA  and LDC.  All of these regulations impose rather significant monitoring
 requi rements.

    Sec. 301(h) allows modification  of the secondary treatment  requirement for
 those  POTWs discharging to marine waters, where certain conditions are met.  Tn
 those  situations where a modification is granted (generally for a  set number of
 years), the discharger must monitor  the impact  on aquatic .biota of the
 discharge over that period and report monitoring results to EPA.   Accordingly,
 with respect to Sec. 301(h), the major thrust over the 1981 -  1983 period will
 be to  first provide guidance on the  decision-making process for handling the
 applications and then to proceed with guidance  on establishment of necessary
 monitoring systems, evaluation of the adequacy  of proposed systems, and
 implementation of a program for systematically  evaluating and  interpreting the
 monitoring data submitted by the dischargers to verify that no  adverse impacts
 are resulting from their discharge.

    Sec. 403(c) requires EPA to prepare and periodically update guidelines for
 determining the degradation of marine waters resulting from the disposal of
 pollutants.  These guidelines are to be used in evaluating applications for Sec.
 402 permits to discharge to marine waters.   As  currently proposed, these
 guidelines are in the form of ocean  discharge criteria and apply to off-shore
 (e.g., oil and gas exploratory and production platforms) as well as land based
 sources.  As with Sec. 301 (h), there is a requirement for the  discharger to
 establish a monitoring system to measure the impact of the discharge.  The
 monitoring program is considered the key to compliance with Sec. 403(c).  Thus,
 the major thrust over the 1981 - 1983 period with respect to  Sec.  403(c) will be
 the development of monitoring-related guidance  similar to that  described for
 administering the 301(h) program, and determining the impact  of these
 di scharges.

    The overall objective of the eight year old Ocean Dumping Program is to
 prevent or strictly limit the ocean  dumping of  any material that would
 adversely affect human health, welfare, marine  ecologic systems, or economic
 potentialities.  One of the goals of the program is to stop all "harmful
 dumping" (viz., sewage sludge)  by the end of 1931.   A permit  system is
 administered by the U.S.  Army Corps  of Engineers (for dredge  spoils) and EPA
 (for all  other materials).   Dumping  sites are designated by EPA.

    Although the intent of the law is clear,  the difficulties of complying will
 be great.  During the next  two years, EPA's implementation and  enforcement of
 various provisions  of the Resource Conservation  and Recovery Act, the Clean
Water Act,  and  the  Clean  Air Act  may create strong  pressures to increase ocean
disposal  of certain  wastes.   In  addition, many  major coastal metropolitan


                                       12

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 areas,  now dumping sewage sludge in the oceans, may have extreme  difficulty in
 eliminating these practices because of their poor fiscal positions.

     The major thrust of the Ocean Dumping Program over the 1981 -  1983 period
 will  be to continue administering the permit program and to obtain a clearer
 understanding of the actual impacts of ocean dumped pollutants on  the marine
 environment, as necessary for effective ocean resource use and management.  A
 survey  of  ocean dump sites is already underway and should be completed within
 the  1981 -  1983 period.  Administration of the permit program involves
 evaluation of each permit application regarding:

        The need for the proposed dumping (versus alternative disposal
        approaches).

        The  effect on human health and welfare, including economic, esthetic,
        and  recreational values.

        The  effect on fisheries resources, plankton, fish, shellfish, wildlife,
        shorelines, beaches and marine ecosystems.

        The  effect of dumping particular volumes and concentrations of materials
        and the persistence of the effects.

        The  effect on other ocean uses such  as scientific study, fishing and
        other resource exploitation.

        Appropriate locations and methods of disposal  or recycling, including
        land-based alternatives and the probable impact  of requiring the use of
        such alternate locations or methods.

SPECIAL STUDIES

    As  directed by Congress, EPA is conducting an  in-depth study  of the
Chesapeake Bay.  The objective of the study, to be completed by the end of
1982, is to develop a basis for a sound, permanent management system that will
ensure  effective protection of Chesapeake Bay water quality and continuous
prudent management of the Bay as a natural  resource.   Steps toward this end
involve identification of factors adversely impacting the bay, conduct of
research to address these factors, and development of alternative  management
strategies.  The three priority areas identified to date are toxic pollutants,
eutrophication, and dieoff of submerged aquatic vegetation.

    In the Great Lakes Basin, significant progress has  been  made in the control
of nutrients and eutrophi cat ion.   Emphasis  is now  shifting to the  study of PCBs
and other toxic organic chemicals present in the lakes  and reaching humans in
what may be significant amounts.   Emphasis  over the 1981  -  1983 period will be
on identification and characterization of the relative  contributions by all
media routes of toxic organic chemicals to  the Great  Lakes; their  pathways of
movement, persistence,  and fate;  the resultant exposures  to the human
population; and the resultant health effects.   The overall purpose of the study
will be to identify necessary levels of control  of toxic  organic chemicals
reaching the Lakes and the types  of sources warranting  greatest attention.


                                      13

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     Work  on  nutrient-related problems in the Great Lakes study will continue at
 a  minimal  level through  FY 1983.  Emphasis in this area will be on verification
 of the mathematical  models used in developing nutrient control requirements for
 Great  Lakes  dischargers  and development of a strategy for the control  of
 nearshore  nuisance algal  growths.

     No other major special studies are currently underway or planned.   A
 significant  number of small-scale studies, however, wi 11 be conducted  over the
 1981 - 1983  period.  They will be directed at identifying and controlling
 problems  in  those geographic areas with the worst pollution problems after
 implementation of technology based controls and secondary treatment.   Over this
 period there also will be an increasing interest in field evaluation of the
 applicability or validity of water quality criteria for selected pollutants and
 in identification of contributions to surface water pollution from other
 environmental media  (e.g., atmospheric deposition, landfill leachates,  and
 ground water outflow).  There also is expected to be a greater interest in
 assessing the fate of toxic pollutants, particularly metals, as they move from
 rivers into  the estuarine zone.  In addition, there is expected to be  increased
 interest in  studies of pollutant fate and effects in lakes and the coastal  zone.

                                  BEYOND 1983

    Program  emphases beyond 1983 are less certain because of the many  unforeseen
 problems that will undoubtedly arise.  However, some reasonable judgments about
 the major areas of emphasis over the remainder of this century can be made.   It
 is reasonable to assume that  the technology based controls will be largely in
 place  by July 1984 and Phase  II of the strategy for meeting the Clean Water Act
 goals  will be well into the implementation phase at that  time.   First  generation
 control strategies for specific areas requiring controls  beyond the technology
 based  requirements largely will be completed  in the early part  of this  period.
 Their  implementation will be  well underway by the latter part  of the 1980s.
 Control of toxic chemicals still will be of single greatest concern, although
 problems resulting from excessive amounts of  nutrients,  sediments,  and  salinity
 still  will be prevalent in many areas of the  country and  will  be receiving
 significant  attention by the  Agency.   The control of nonpoint  source pollution
 still  will be receiving considerable emphasis,  as will  be restoration of
 publicly-owned lakes and the  protection of wetlands and  ground  waters.
 Abatement programs in all of  these areas will be well  into the  implementation
 phase.   There will be greater emphasis on close coordination of these abatement
 programs on a watershed-by-watershed basis to achieve  goals most  effectively.
 In addition, there will  be wider and more sophisticated use of  the  "bubble  .
 concept" in determining site  specific trade-offs related  to overall
environmental improvement.

    Other trends  (cited  by the  National  Academy of Sciences)  over the next  20
years or more that  will  influence water quality management  programs at  all
 levels  of government  include the  following:

    0  The public's  post-Watergate,  post-Vietnam sag in confidence  about
       national institutions will  change,  and decisions will  be more widely
       accepted only  if the decision-making process  is strengthened by  using
       scientifically sound information.


                                      14

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o
o
       Growing public concern  in  the  United States about such things as the
       nation's defense capability, its trade deficit, and global economic
       recession will continue to influence Congress, the courts, and the
       general public, making  it  more difficult to pursue environmental
       improvements without  very  strong data validating serious effects from
       environmental hazards.

       Growing public concern  about improving U.S. productivity to allow this
       country to compete more effectively in world trade will tend to bring
       important environmental and occupational safety issues into sharper
       focus.

    0  Priorities in the expenditure  of public and private funds will begin to
       reflect the rate of real risk  abatement per unit of investment.

    0  Growing public sophistication  will ameliorate demands for zero risk
       technologies.

    0  Experience will build better articulation  among federal, state, local
       and industry risk abatement and environmental protection efforts, thus
       making for more cost-effective use of scarce resources.

    Thus, over the next 20 years  and  beyond, a much greater emphasis can be
expected to be given to considerations of cost-effectiveness in all pollution
control measures advocated by  the Agency.  After  having experienced several
years of high inflation and energy shortages, the populace will be much more
cost conscious and public support for further environmental expenditures will
be given only where they can be shown to yield commensurate benefits.  As a
result, greater attention will be given to integrated environmental planning.
Not only will there be a greater  effort to make tradeoffs between point and
nonpoint source controls, but  greater consideration wi 11 be given to the
intermedia transfers of pollutants and associated implications on the
effectiveness of goal attainment  through control  of indirect as well as direct
discharges to surface waters.   In addition, there will be greater scrutiny at
the local level of the national goals suggested by the Clean Water Act at those
locations where additional point  source control over and above the technology
based level (in concert with nonpoint source and  non-source control measures)
is needed to meet them.  The Agency will be acutely aware of this and must be
prepared to defend its position in those instances where it determines the
additional level of point and/or  nonpoint source  control necessary to meet the
national goals is feasible and attainable.

    This increased concern for cost-effectiveness in pollution control
decisions wi 11 be accompanied  by  an increased emphasis on gathering of the
information about current and  future  pollution sources and their impacts as
necessary to make these kinds  of  decisions.  Consistent with these concerns
over costs, there also will  be greater emphasis on more accurately defining
water quality requirements for intended uses and  on the systematic acquisition
of data needed to identify incipient  problems and take timely preventive or
corrective measures.  New problems may be the result of new pollutants
entering the environment for the  first time, old  and familiar ones reentering
at excessive rates, or modifications  being made in the physical features of
water bodies or their watersheds. New pollution  problems likely will result
from a wider range of materials that  will be required for emerging
technologies.  Such metals as  titanium, gallium,  vanadium, niobium, and
                                      15

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 chromium, as well as coal and oil shale liquids and biologically generated
 chemical feedstocks, are likely to become much more common.

    The problems of ultimate disposal of waste residuals likely will  intensify,
 as ever-increasing pollutant loads from an expanding population and economy and
 greater and greater levels of pollution control generate larger and larger
 amounts of residuals.  As a result, available alternatives  will be scrutinized
 more closely, including greater use of the oceans for this  purpose.   This will
 result in the undertaking of rather comprehensive assessments  of the  costs and
 environmental impacts of alternative disposal policies and  will likely include
 considerations of dredge spoils as well as waste residuals.

    There will be still other pressures brought to bear on  environmental
 protection programs.  Various predictions of 21st century problems suggest
 that, on a global scale, there wi 11 be markedly increased environmental
 degradation.  This is expected to result from:

    0  More serious water shortages because of a relatively fixed supply and an
       increasing demand.  In certain parts of the world shortages also will be
       attributable to increasing costs of developing new water supplies and
       maintaining existing ones.

    0  Serious degradation of agricultural  soil because of  erosion, loss of
       organic matter, desertification, salinization, alkalinization, and
       waterlogging.  These problems elsewhere in the world  still will impact
       on the U.S.  by increasing pressure on the U.S.  to meet  a larger share of
       the world's food supply needs.

    0  Continued deforestation, eliminating 40 percent of the  remaining
       standing forest cover by 2000.

    0  Increasing NPS pollution volume in every category.

    0  Increased levels of metals  and pesticides being introduced to the
       envi ronment.

    0  Increased development of energy sources to meet world demand.

    Thus, the Agency increasingly will feel  pressure from two  directions; one,
for the increased utilization of natural  resources to meet human  needs; and
second, for environmental  protection requirements to be realistic, justifiable,
and implementable with minimal  impact  on society.
                                     16

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                             IV.   RESEARCH  NEEDS

                                     GENERAL


    The research needs are shaped primarily by the planned broadening of
program emphasis, going beyond the technology based point source control
approach to include a water quality based approach.  This will substantially
increase emphasis on the control  of pollution caused by activities other than
point source discharges and on the use  of natural systems for waste
assimilation and will require the demonstration of cause and effect relation-
ships.  The needs also are strongly influenced by the high priority being
given to the control of toxic chemicals, the  increased concern over estuarine
and marine waters, and added concerns over  the nation's protracted economic
and energy problems.

    In essence, the Offices of Water Regulations and Standards, Water Enforce-
ment, and Water Program Operations (in  concert with Regional Office, State,
and local programs)  are striving  to provide a water quality management program
capable of more efficiently, effectively, and systematically identifying:  1)
existing and potential future water quality problems and their origins; 2)
attainable site specific water quality  goals  relevant to all of the pollutants
of consequence; 3) current and future levels  of pollution control necessary to
achieve the goals and the most equitable allocation of allowable loadings- 4)
the most cost-  and energy-effective control strategy for achieving assigned
loadings; and 5) the most appropriate institutional mechanisms for
implementing the control strategy.   Such a  capability requires the
availability and use of the following scientific and technical base:


       A range  of cost-effective  monitoring and measurement methods for
       identifying and quantifying pollution  problems and evaluating
       compliance with source control and ambient quality requirements.

       Field validated surface water quality  criteria known to closely reflect
       conditions actually required for various water uses, including the
       protection and propagation of fish,  shellfish and wildlife and for
       recreation in and on surface waters, and that are applicable to
       identification of impacts  of NPS pollution and deposits of sediment-
       bound pollutants on aquatic life, recreational, and other uses.  The
       criteria also should be structured to  permit identification of
       incremental  benefits that  would  result from additional increments of
       pollution reduction.   In addition, they should take into account the
       physical  features of water bodies that influence water uses.

       Methods  for translating water quality  goals into point and nonpoint
       source load allocations in  water quality limited segments.  This could
       include  chemical-by-chemical  and general toxicity based controls.

       Methods  and associated data  bases for evaluating environmental, dollar
       and  energy costs and associated  benefits of alternative water resource
       management  strategies,  including various combinations of point  and
       nonpoint  source controls and water body restoration and modification

                                    17

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        measures.  The methods should also be applicable in evaluating the
        costs  and  benefits of dredging and alternative dredge spoil  and other
        waste  residual disposal schemes.

     0   Nonpoint (and point) source control techniques, non-source control
        techniques, and water body restoration techniques that are highly
        cost-  and  energy-effective and whose costs and effectiveness are known
        for the  range of operating conditions that would be encountered in
        their  potential use.

     0   Alternative strategies for the effective implementation of water
        quality  management/control systems, alone, and in conjunction with
        related  public or private activities (e.g., flood control  or soil
        conservation) and that take into consideration the various legal,
        institutional, social, economic, and energy constraints.

                      SUMMARY OF HIGHER PRIORITY NEEDS

     As  a  result of the program direction and concerns identified  above, the
 following  five  categories of research needs have been determined  to be of
 greatest  importance and are listed in priority order:

     1.  Toxic pollutant management

     2.  Nonpoint  source control

     3.  Clean lakes and dredge & fill programs

     4.  Ground water protection  (addressed in  the Drinking Water  and Solid
        Waste Research Strategies)

     Within the category of toxic pollutant management,  the single greatest
 need is for numerical  water quality criteria covering specific toxic
 pollutants that should be addressed in  State water quality standards.
 Completion of the chronic toxicity data base for 40 of  the 65  consent  decree
 chemicals  should  receive first consideration.   Other high  priority  needs in
 this area  include procedures for adapting criteria to field situations  and
 screening  methods for rapidly and inexpensively detecting  toxic hotspots.

     In the area of nonpoint  source control,  the single  greatest need is for
 information on the ecological  impacts of nonpoint sources  and the translation
 of that information into criteria and standards more relevant to the control
 of NPS pollution.   The criteria  are needed to  determine the real impacts on
 water uses by NPS  pollution  and  to identify the benefits that  could be
 expected from given expenditures on NPS control.

    The highest priority research need  of the  Clean Lakes  Program is for a
 characterization of the applications, limitations, effectiveness, and  costs of
 various lake pollution control techniques.

    In the Dredge  and  Fill Program area, the highest priority need  is for a
 general evaluation of  the potential  harmful  impacts associated with  the
extraction, transport,  and  disposal  of  dredged material  containing toxic

                                     18

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pollutants.  The evaluation should include an assessment of the relative
advantages, limitations,  benefits, and  problems associated with alternative
measures available.

    The above needs, as well  as  the other needs submitted to the Water Quality
Research Committee,  were  compiled  and evaluated.  The higher priority needs
among them were then consolidated, arrayed in three priority categories  and
summarized in Tables IV-1  through  IV-3.  They are subdivided in the summary
tables by technical  areas  most  relevant to the operational programs of the
Agency.  The needs excluded from the summary tables are not to be considered
unimportant.  They were excluded for one of three reasons:  1) the low
probability of ever  having enough  resources to reach that far down on the
priority list; 2)  they represent routine technical assistance (as opposed to
research)  needs;  or  3)  they fall under  the purview of another research
strategy.
                                    19

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                                     TABLE IV - 1
                       SUMMARY OF FIRST PRIORITY RESEARCH NEEDS

 A.   WATER QUALITY CRITERIA
     1.  Minimum data set for consent decree pollutants.
     2.  Procedures for developing criteria and translating w. q. criteria to field
        situations.
     3.  Field validation of health & ecological effects criteria for consent decree
        pollutants.
 B.   SOURCE CONTROL STRATEGIES
     1.  Procedures for predicting receiving water impacts and making wasteload
        allocations from effluent bioassay results; and for ranking relative
        importance of sources.
     2.  Simple, but effective wasteload allocation techniques for controlling toxic hot
        spots, including gross  mass balance method and an EXAMS -type fate predictive
        model for toxic metals.
     3.  Environmental process rate coefficient data base for consent decree pollutants
        & full range of canonical environments.
 C.   NONPOINT SOURCE MANAGEMENT
     1.  Field techniques for documenting ecological (X other) effects of nonpoint
        sources.
     2.  Documentation of the ecological impacts of nonpoint sources.
     3.  "Wet weather" time variant criteria applicable to NFS contributors.
     4.  Cost & effectiveness information on existing relevant NPS management practices.
 D.   CLEAN LAKES
     1.  Cost & effectiveness information on innovative in-lake restoration/control
        techniques.
     2.  Guides for selection &  evaluation of clean lake projects, based on technical &
        soci oeconomic factors.
E.  DREDGE & FILL
    1.  Methodology for predicting impacts of dredged material  extraction, transport, &
        disposal,  from a  toxic  pollutant mass balance perspective.
    2.  Sediment testing methods  (for toxicants).
    3.  Technical  assistance in the preparation of regulations & associated guidance
        materials.                         20

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                             CONTINUATION OF TABLE  IV  -  1


F.  WETLANDS

    1.  Working definition of "wetland."

G.  OCEAN DISPOSAL

    1.  Technical assistance in the preparation of  regulations  & associated guidance
        materials.

    2.  Techniques for assessing ecological  impacts of marine discharges.

    3.  Method for predicting nonbuoyant plume  movement  &  dispersion.

H.  SOCIOECONQMIC ANALYSIS

    1.  Method (including data base)  for predicting economic benefits of improving water
        quality to alternative levels.

    2.  Method (including data base)  for predicting costs  of alternative point, nonpoint,
        and nonsource (e.g., flow augmentation) control  measures for achieving
        alternative water quality goals.

I.  MONITORING, MEASUREMENT. & QUALITY  ASSURANCE

    1.  Bioassay techniques for toxic hot spot  screening.

    2.  More cost-effective & sensitive chemical measurement methods for toxic organics
        in water, sediment, & biota.

    3.  Definition of "biological integrity" &  an approach for  measuring it.

    4.  Assistance to Regions & others  in setting up assessments of toxic pollutant
        problems.

J.  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS

    (None)

K.  SPECIAL STUDIES

    1.  Recommend management strategies for  Chesapeake Bay.

    2.  Through an integrated assessment approach,  establish relationship between source
        contributions of toxic organics to the  Great Lakes & resultant human exposure
        levels, as necessary to determine necessary control levels.

    3.  Pilot study of validation of  wasteload  allocation  procedures.

    4.  Strategy for control of near-shore nuisance algal  growths in Great Lakes.

L.  INFORMATION TRANSFER

    1.  Transfer research results to  user community in an  effective & timely manner.
                                           21

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                                      TABLE IV - 2
                       SUMMARY OF SECOND PRIORITY RESEARCH  NEEDS
 A.  WATER QUALITY CRITERIA
     1.  Basis for criteria for updating present list  of  priority toxic pollutants &
         ranking their relative importance.
     2.  Feasibility of alternative criteria  decision  rules.
     3.  Health effects data set  generation procedures that include all relevant health
         endpoints.
 B.  SOURCE CONTROL  STRATEGIES
     1.  Full  set  of techniques & associated  data  bases for evaluating water quality
         benefits  from proposed AST/AWT  projects.
     2.  Rapid screening tests  for mutagens,  teratogens, etc. for hot spot
         identification.
 C.  NONPOINT  SOURCE  MANAGEMENT
     1.  Fate  & effects  of  heavy  metals  contributed by NPS.
     2.  Protocol  for estimating  relative impacts of nonpoint vs. point sources &
         allocating  wasteloads.
     3.  Techniques  for  predicting  pollutant  loadings from various categories of
         nonpoint  sources.
 D.   CLEAN  LAKES
     1.  Determination of magnitude of problem from accumulations of toxicants in lake
         sediments and most appropriate  remedial measures.
     2.   Cost  & effectiveness information on out-of-lake pollution control techniques
         (viz., BMPs).
 E.   DREDGE &  FILL
     1.   Sediment criteria for toxicants (similar to water quality criteria).
     2.   Procedure for defining "permissible"  mixing zones for dredge spoil disposal.
     3.   Proper approach for managing spoil  discharge in contained or upland sites.
 F.   WETLANDS
     1.   Techniques for predicting impact of human activities  on wetlands.
G.  OCEAN DISPOSAL
    1.  Guides for designing and operating  a  disposal  site  monitoring program.
                                         22

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                             CONTINUATION  OF  TABLE IV - 2
H.  SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS
    1.  Assessment of distribution  of  benefits of water quality, as necessary to
        identify equitable  solutions to  pollution problems.
I.  MONITORING, MEASUREMENT.  & QUALITY ASSURANCE
    1.  Monitoring network  and intensive survey design guides.
    2.  Measurement methods for metal  species in water & wastewater.
    3.  Updated QA procedures, consistent with new QA directive.
    4.  Evaluation of limitations of existing mutagenicity/carcinogenicity test
        methods.
    5.  Official  methods  manual  for analysis of bottom sediments.
    6.  Procedures for screening and for quantitation of viruses in surface waters
        wastewaters, sediments,  & sludges.                                        '
J.  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT  STATEMENTS
    1.  Practical, cost-effective methods for consistently preparing and reviewing
        u lo S •
    2.  Rapid, cost-effective field methods for assessing the "value" of particular
        areas  for specified natural resource benefits (e.g., flood control, wildlife
        habitat,  recreation,  aquifer recharge) or in aggregate.
K.  SPECIAL STUDIES
    1.  Validation of projected phosphorus loading allocations among Great Lakes'
        dischargers.
    2.  Techniques for predicting water  quality J ecological impacts of dredge spoil
        disposal  in open  waters of  the Great Lakes.
L.  INFORMATION TRANSFER
    (None)
                                        23

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                                     TABLE IV - 3

                       SUMMARY OF THIRD PRIORITY RESEARCH NEEDS


A.  WATER QUALITY CRITERIA

    1.  Effects of combinations of priority pollutants.

B.  SOURCE CONTROL STRATEGIES

    1.  Ecology of intermittent streams (to evaluate, proposed AST/AWT project
        benefits).

    2.  Practical means for determining reaeration rates in estuaries.

    3.  Valid predictive model for estimating impacts on eutrophi cation of  estuaries,
        impounds, & slow-moving streams from various combinations  of  nitrogen and phos-
        phorus control.

C.  NONPOINT SOURCE MANAGEMENT
                                                                         \
    1.  Protocols for conducting monitoring of NPS contributions and  impacts.

    2.  Identify secondary envi ronmental  impacts of urban  and  rural best  management
        practices.

    3.  Field validation of health risks  from urban runoff as  suggested by  bacterial
        indicators.

D.  CLEAN LAKES

    1.  Techniques for predicting pollutant  loadings  from  various  sources of lake
        pollution, before & after the application  of  controls.

    2.  Linkage  of pollutant  loading models to  lake response predictive models.

    DREDGE & FILL
E.
    1.  Transport & fate characterization of toxic  chemicals  common  to  dredge  spoils.

F.  WETLANDS

    1.  Characterization of wetland  structure & function.

    2.  Impact  on wetlands  of  their  use  for wastewater treatment  (this  need  viewed to
        be under the purview of  the  Municipal  Wastewater & Spill  Prevention  Research
        Committee).

    3.  Impacts  of agricultural  &  si Ivi cultural  practices on  wetlands.

    4.  Impacts  of hydro logic  modifications  on  wetlands.


                                         24

-------
                             CONTINUATION OF  TABLE  IV - 3


G.  OCEAN DISPOSAL

    1.  Transport & fate characterization of  toxic  pollutants contributed by ocean
        discharges & dumping.

    2.  Evaluation of total  environmental impacts of land  disposal vs. ocean disposal
        of wastes.

H.  SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS

    1.  Assessment of value  of wetlands.

    2.  Assessment of economic value  of watersheds  for:  1) the "natural" state and
        2) "altered" state.

    3.  Socioeconomic benefits of  various rural  NPS control strategies.

I.  MONITORING. MEASUREMENT,  & QUALITY  ASSURANCE

    1.  Automated field sampling & measurement methods.

J.  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS

    1.  Descriptive information on the  effects on various  types of ecosystems of
        various types of human activities.

    2.  Methods for assessing secondary impacts  and cumulative impacts of human
        activities commonly  addressed by  EISs.

K.  SPECIAL STUDIES

    1.  Refinement of present  knowledge of nutrient additions to Great Lakes.

    2.  Techniques for predicting impacts of  hydrologic modifications  (including
        construction in wetlands)  in  Great Lakes Basin.

    3.  Data base on atmospheric contributions of metals  & other consent decree
        pollutants & their impacts on large lakes & other standing water bodies.

L.  INFORMATION TRANSFER

    (None)
                                         25

-------
                              V.   RESEARCH  PLAN

                 ROLE OF OFFICE  OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

    The Office of Research and Development's primary  role with regard to its
activities covered by the Water Quality Research Committee (WQRC) is to
provide the technical base determined  to  be needed  by the Office of Water
Regulations and Standards (exclusive of the Effluent  Guidelines Division),
Water Planning Division and Marine pollution programs of the Office of Water
Program Operations, and associated Office of Water  Enforcement, Regional,
State, and local programs in the  development, and implementation of water
pollution control programs, consistent with their responsibilities under the
Clean Water Act.  ORD's secondary role under the WQRC is to provide technical
assistance to the Office of Water Regulations and Standards, Office of Water
Program Operations, Office of Water Enforcement, and  Regional Offices in
situations where expert testimony or consultation is  needed or where
emergencies arise requiring a response by EPA that  exceeds the resources of
these Offices.

    The technical base intended to be  provided by ORD shall consist of
scientific information and technical tools, such as analytical measurement
methods, that are broadly applicable in the development, and implementation of
programs mandated by the Clean Water Act.   This technical base generally is
not intended to include information that  would be generated by the application
of routine methods or that have  very limited geographic application.  Data
generation of this nature is viewed as a  responsibility of the operational
programs.

    More specifically, the technical base addressed in this strategy to be
provided by ORD shall consist of  the following:

0  Procedures for generation of the health, ecological, and physical effects
   data sets needed in the preparation of water quality criteria to support
   all legitimate water uses and  in the assessment  of impacts of various human
   activities on aquatic and related terrestial ecosystems.

0  Assistance in generating data  sets  needed in the preparation of water
   quality criteria.

0  Predictive methods for translating  water quality goals or allowable
   exposure levels into levels of point and nonpoint  source pollution
   control required.

0  Predictive methods for assessing the environmental impacts of proposed
   hydro!ogic modifications (e.g., dredge and fill  operations, stream
   channelization, etc.).

0  Predictive methods for assessing environmental exposures and risks
   associated with the release or disposal  of toxic chemicals and resultant
   entry into fresh and marine surface waters.
o
   Predictive methods for estimating pollutant  loadings from rural nonpoint
   sources before and after the application of  alternative management

                                     27

-------
    practices  and  associated  information on the effectiveness of various rural
    NFS  management  practices  under the expected range of operating conditions
    (development of a  simi lar technical base for urban nonpoint sources will  be
    coordinated with the  Municipal Wastewater and Spill Prevention Research
    Committee).

    Methods  and data for  estimating the costs of various point and nonpoint
    source control  measures and non-source control measures and the values of
    various  surface and ground waters, wetlands, restored lakes, other
    habitats,  and  associated  ecosystems, and of various water uses.

 0   Monitoring, measurement,  and quality assurance methods for the physical,
    chemical,  and  biological  characterization of pollutants, or their effects
    in water,  wastewater, sludge, sediment, soil, and biota and of aquatic and
    related  terrestial ecosystem integrity.

 0   Special  needs of the  Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes.

     In  providing the necessary technical  base, ORD must  recognize and take
 advantage of  the established capabilities of other agencies.   This  capability
 must be used  to the maximum  possible extent in providing the scientific
 information and technical tools required.

     In  addition, it must be  recognized that much of the  initial  efforts of the
 208 program constitute a massive technology demonstration activity.   Thus ORD
 bears a responsibility to develop and carry out its R&D  activities  in a manner
 that complements and uses to the maximum extent those activities being con-
 ducted  under  the 208 program.  Similarly,  the Agency bears  a  responsibility to
 work with ORD to assure that 208 activities are not  duplicative  of  ORD
 programs and that  pilot efforts under 208  are designed,  carried  out,  and
 reported in such manner that their results are not  merely limited to  local
 conditions, but that they are as applicable as possible  for use  across the
 country.

            RESEARCH PROGRAM AREAS  DESIGNATED TO RESPOND TO NEEDS

    Research and related activities  proposed  to be  carried  out  in response to
 the needs identified in Section IV  are subdivided  into the  following
 categories:

 0  Scientific Assessments

    -  Health Hazard & Risk  Assessment Guidelines

    -  Health Hazard & Risk  Assessments

    -  Scientific  Criteria on Health  & Ecological Effects

0  Health  Effects

    -  Criteria  for Priority Pollutants

    - MetKodology Development

                                     28

-------
     -  Field Assessment/Case Studies
 0  Environmental  Processes  & Effects
     -  (Ecological)  Criteria for Priority Pollutants
     -  Exposure Analysis Techniques
     -  Watershed  Management/Wasteload Allocation
     -  Clean Lakes
     -  Dredge & Fill
     -  Wetlands
     -  Ocean Di sposal
     -  Field Assessment/Case Studies
 0   Monitoring Systems & Quality Assurance
     -  Monitoring Systems
     -  Exposure Analysis Techniques
     -  Watershed Analysis
     -  Clean  Lakes
     -   Measurement Methods
     -   Quality Assurance
     -   Field  Assessment/Case Studies
 0   Chesapeake Bay
 0  Great Lakes
 0  Technical  Information & Liaison
    -  Information Dissemination Management
    -  R«D Project Tracking
    -  Regional Coordination &  Technical  Assistance
TW iT!*u res?arch  areas to which the higher priority  needs identified in Tables
IV-1 through IV-3  of Section IV have been assigned are summarized in Tables
V-l through V-3.   It should be  noted that needs dealing with ground water
urban NPS control  techniques, energy related activities, municipal or
industrial control technology or effluents, and use  of wetlands as a treatment
system are viewed  to be  under the purview of other research committees and,

-------
                                                                                                   TABU V - 1

                                                                        RESEARCH PROGRAM AREAS  OTSIGHATED TO RESPOND TO FIRST  PRIOR ITT NEEDS
00
O

RESEARCH HEED
(Froai Table IV -1 )
A. «.l). criteria: |
2
3
B. Source Control Strat.l 1
2
C. UK Hanagnent: 1
2
3
0. Clean Lakes: 1
E. Dredge and Fill: 1
2
F. Wetlands: 1
2
3
4
G. Ocean Disposal: 1
2
3
H. Socloeconoailc Anal.: 1
2
3
!. Hon.. Msnt., I QA: 1
2
3
4
S
J. En*. Impact Statraents: 1
2
K. Special Studies: 1
2
3
4
I. Info. Transfer: |
DESIGNATED RESEARCH PROGRAM AREA
US
Cf
l!
X
k



































k

25
iS
X
X
X
X





















X


X








X
Environmental Processes ft Effects
S
Id
£15
x
X
X
X





















X

X
X








X
Hanne Qua lit)
Criteria
x
X
If
























X









X
Exposure
Analysis
Techniques



x

X






















X








X
Utrshd Hgt/dA
Effects






X
X
w













It














X
Utrsnd .Igt/'JA
Predictive
Hetnods



x


















x
X













X
p
1









X













X













X
_J
1










X
x


























3
s-^












X
*
X























•a












X
x
X
























i















X























o 5



















v
X
X1
















Monitoring
Systan 1 QA






v


















x
x
X
X









i.

































X




1
W
(9


































X"
X
X

Is






































«J
sp























X















-------
                           TABU V -  2



RESEARCH PROGRAM AREAS DESIGNATED TO RESPOND TO SECOND  PRIORITY NEEDS
RESEARCH NEEO
(from Table I» -2 )
*• "'I- W"wli: T
i
fl. Source Control Strat.:
C. NPS Miiutomt:
0. Clean Lakes:
E. Dredge and Fill:
F. Uetlinds:
6. Ocean Disposal:
H. SocloKOWMlc Anal.:
1. MM.. Hst*.. iQAt

J. £•!. lupact SUteaents:
K. Special Studies:


L. Info. Transfer: i


II i 1 |j IJSetwtlflc
l| ! 1 |1"n AstesMaiiu













|j
X





X






.DESIGNATED RESEARCH PROGRAM, AJfff.
EnviroiMental Processes 1 Effects
| m
III
X





X
X





I
X





X






^ Exposure
Analysli
Techniques





X






L
3





X






H| 1 Utrsnd Mgt/WA
x U Predictive
Hetnods

X



X
X





p
I!
cj












]
N
I
JL




c
[





3-
lf§
— • x —
X
~x —




X
X





*
X




X






3
JL




x
I





i
X




X







|| J Monitoring
M System i QA
X

X
Hr-
X








L












1
1
1












Is












E^t
"k^
rt?
X

X



X







-------
                                                                                                    TABLE  V  -  3


                                                                         RESEARCH PROGRAM AREAS DESIGNATED  TO RESPttlO TO THIRD   PRIORITY MEEDS
U>
ro

RESEARCH NEED
(from Table IK -J)
A. u.q. criteria: i
2
1
B. Source Control Strat.: 1
2
)
C. UPS Naoageueiit: I
2
1
4
D. Clean Latas: 1
2
E. Dredge and fill: 1
2
3
F. Wetlands: 1
2
1
6. Ocean Disposal: I
2
3
H. SocloecoiuMlc Anal.: 1
2
3
1. Hon.. Msat.. i QA: 1
2
3
4
S
6
J. En*, layact Statements: 1
2
K. Special Studies: 1
2
3
4
L. Info. Transfer: 1
DESIGNATED RESEARCH PROGRAM AREA
op
C E
II






















	














s2
«— •*
3£
X







X




























Envlrnwental Processes 1 Effects
s
5i>z
srs
2sr
u.4So
X






























X





Harfnc Quality
Criteria
X






























X





Exposure
Analysis
Teciinlaues





































ittnhd Hgt/M
Effects



*

X
X

















X






X





Utrsnd .tgt/WA
Predictive
Hetnods




X
X
X




X












X












§*
^
s^
ii






X
X


X






X



















1
1
u










»
X

























s
5t~
IF












X


















X





^
23~












X


















X





Wetland!















X

X
X




X







X





Ocean
Disposal



















X
Y
















Monitoring
System a QA






X


















X











Chesapeake
Bay





































|
I

-------
accordingly,  are not  addressed  in this section.  With few exceptions, needs
viewed as "technical  assistance" instead of "research and development" also
are not specifically  addressed.

                           PROPOSED RESEARCH GOALS

    The major thrusts required  in each research area to be most responsive to
the needs summarized  in  Tables  IV-1 through IV-3 are listed in Table V-4.
Research outputs proposed,  consistent with these thrusts, are given in Tables
V-5 and V-7.   Table V-5  reflects the outputs proposed if resource levels
remain at the current level  for each research area.  Table V-6 identifies the
current base  resource allocation among the research areas.  Table V-7
identifies outputs that  would be pursued with additional resources, or in lieu
of other activities listed  in Table V-5.  In general, the order of listing of
research thrusts under each research subject area in Tables V-4, 5, and 7 are
intended to roughly suggest relative prorities, with highest priority work
listed first.  There  are exceptions where, for continuity of subject area,
closely related work  is  grouped together, even though some work immediately
below such a  cluster  is  of  higher priority than some of the work identified in
the cluster.   The order of  research subject areas in these tables is not
intended to reflect their relative priorities, however.

ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS  IN SATISFYING NEEDS

    Perhaps the most  pervasive problem is the  lack of resources in any one
research area to meet all of the higher priority needs of that area in a
timely manner.  The ongoing and proposed work  within each and every area at
this time is  of sufficient  importance, however, that none should be sub-
stantially sacrificed for the others.  The planned resource cuts in FY 1981
and FY 1982 further exacerbate this problem.

    The single greatest  concern, from the Water Quality Research Committee's
perspective,  is the slow progress  in providing minimum data sets on health and
ecological effects necessary for preparation of valid and defensible  water
quality criteria for  the 129 consent decree toxic  chemicals.  At the  current
pace, valid and defensible criteria cannot be  completed until beyond  the Year
2000.  The planned cut in this research area for  FY  1982 has magnified an
already serious problem.  There is  great hesitancy to propose a further shift
of resources  from other research areas to this area  for fear that they, too,
will be cut from the  Water Quality research  budget.

    Other significant problems of  output timeliness  resulting from the FY 1982
cuts are elimination  or near elimination of  resources in the following areas:

    0  Broad  spectrum measurement  methods for  volatile organic and inorganic
       pollutants in  water, sediments, and soils.

    0  Exposure analysis predictive methods  for assessment of environmental
       risks  posed by the consent  decree toxic pollutants.

    0  Wetland impact assessment methods.
                                      33

-------
    The major impacts on output timeliness from cuts  in  FY  1981 are:

    0  Elimination of work on development of the data  base  needed to predict
       water quality improvements that would result from implementation of
       agricultural BMPs.

    0  Substantial decrease in work  on identification  of reductions in source
       loadings of PCBs and other toxic orgam'cs to the  Great Lakes needed to
       reduce human exposure levels  to acceptable levels.

    Other areas where important outputs likely  will lag  far behind the dates
by which they are needed are:

    0  "Wet weather" time  variant water quality criteria  development.

    0  Economic benefit analysis techniques  and associated  data base
       development.

    With regard to technical  assistance,  there  is  one  area  where the demands
over the next one to three years will  significantly exceed  the personnel
resources available to respond.  This  is  associated with  the preparation,
revision, and implementation  of regulations  and related  guidelines covering
marine discharge and dumping  activities.
                                    34

-------
                                   TABLE V - 4
                         MAJOR RESEARCH THRUSTS REQUIRED
I.   SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENTS
    A.   Water Quality criteria  documents for priority pollutants.
    B.   Guides for interpretation and application of above criteria documents
        to local  situations.
    C.   Technical  assistance  in conducting  risks assessments.
    D.   Standard  water quality  criteria data set generation procedures that address
        a broader range of  effects and at a lower cost than do current procedures.
    E.   Evaluation of feasibility of alternative criteria decision rules.
    F.   Guide for judging  relative environmental risks associated with various
        pollutants.
II.  HEALTH EFFECTS
    A.  Health effects data  sets for priority pollutants.
    B.  Field validation of  health effects criteria.
    C.  Input to I. B, above.
    D.  Improved health effect assay procedures  for:
       1.  Addressing a broader range of health endpoints in  generating  water
           quality criteria data sets (& doing  so at a  lower  cost).
       2.  Toxic hot spot  screening.
    E.  Guide for judging relative health risks  associated with various pollutants
       (singly and in various combinations) and with various  effluents.
    F.  Characterization of  health risk associated with  urban  NPS pollution for input
       to "wet weather" criteria.
III.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES & EFFECTS
    A.   Water Quality (Ecological) Criteria
        1.  Ecological effects  data sets for priority pollutants.
        2.  Guides for translating  laboratory-derived criteria to field  situations
            (and input to  I.  B, above).
        3.  Field validation of ecological  effects criteria and associated
            interpretive guides.
                                         35

-------
                            TABLE V-4 (Continued)
     4.   Improved ecological effects assay procedures for:
         a. Addressing a broader range of effects (i.e., in addition  to  mortality)
           in generating criteria data sets (& doing so at a  lower cost).
         b. Toxic hot spot screening.
         c. Characterizing wastewater effluents in terms of expected  receiving
           water impacts and as a basis  for making wasteload  allocations.
     5.   Guide for judging relative ecological  risks associated  with  various
         pollutants as a basis for ranking the  relative  importance  of point sources.
     6.   Definition of biological  integrity and an approach for  measuring it.
     7.  Guides for addressing effects of various  pollutant combinations.
B.   Exposure Analysis Predictive  Techniques
     1.  Exposure analysis modeling system (& associated data  base) for toxic
        metals.
     2.  Data base (i.e.  model  coefficient  values)  for existing  toxic organic
        pollutant Exposure Analysis  Modeling System (EXAMS).
    3.  Gross multimedia materials balance  technique for estimating primary
        exposure pathways  of specific toxic  pollutants  on  a national  or
        regional scale.
C.  Watershed Management/Wasteload Allocation
    1.  Effects
        a.  Field techniques  for documenting  ecological  effects  of urban and rural
           NPS pollution and associated human activities.
        b.  Documentation of  "typical"  ecological effects of urban and rural NPS
           pollution.
        c.  "Wet  weather" time  variant  water  quality criteria applicable to
           determining NPS pollution  impacts.
        d.  Guides for determining  economic  value of mitigating ecological
           effects of NPS pollution.
    2.   Predictive Methods
        a.  Simplest possible,  but  valid and  defensible wasteload allocation
           procedures (including associated  coefficients) applicable  to streams,
           estuaries, and impoundments for non-toxic, as well  as toxic  pollutants
           and that take account of NPS contributions & existing deposits  in      *
                                      36

-------
                            TABLE V-4 (Continued)


           bottom sediments (consistent with item III.  B.  1,  above).   One  set  of
           procedures should possess the capability to  make  load  allocations based
           on effluent bioassay results from procedures addressed in  III.  A. 4. c,
           above.

        b. Techniques (and associated data bases)  for predicting  economic  costs
           and benefits of proposed water quality improvements  and for identifying
           the beneficiaries.

        c. Set of procedures described in a and b, above tailored specifically to
           assessments of proposed AST/AWT facilities.

    3.  Rural NPS Management

        a.  Cost & effectiveness data bases on existing rural NPS management
            practices, as needed in identifying the most effective set of  best
            management practices (BMPs) for achieving proposed  loading reductions
            and estimating their cost.

        b.  Procedures (and associated data bases) for  calculating economic
            benefits of rural  NPS control.

        c.  Valid and defensible rural NPS loading predictive techniques for the
            range of pollutants requiring control.

        d.  Identification of  secondary impacts (e.g.,  ground water contamination)
            of rural BMPs.

D.  Clean Lakes


    1.  Cost & effectiveness characterization of in-lake restoration/control
        techniques and out-of-lake control techniques.

    2.  Guide for selection/evaluation of proposed/completed  clean lake
        projects.

    3.  Characterization of seriousness of problem of toxicants in lake
        sediment deposits.

E.  Dredge & Fill


    1.  Predictive and testing methods for estimating ecological  impacts of
        dredge and fill operations, including spoil disposal.

    2.  Sediment quality criteria.

F.  Wetlands

    1.  Working Definition of  "wetland".

    2.  Characterization of wetland structure and  function.

    3.  Techniques for estimating ecological  impacts of human activities on
        wetlands.                      37

-------
                                 TABLE V-4 (Continued)
    G.  Ocean Disposal
        1.  Technical assistance in preparation of regulations  and  associated
            guidance materials.
        2.  Techniques for assessing impacts of marine discharges.
        3.  Nonbuoyant plume dispersion predictive model.
        4.  Transport and fate characterization of toxic pollutants contributed by
            ocean discharges and dumping.
        5.  Re-evaluation of environmental  impacts of ocean  disposal  vs. other
            alternatives.
IV.  MONITORING SYSTEMS & QUALITY ASSURANCE
    A.  Reference bioassay methods for use  in toxic hot spot  screening and assessing
        impacts of marine discharges (overlaps with H, below).
    B.  More cost-effective and sensitive  chemical reference  measurement methods for
        toxic organics and inorganics in water, sediments, and  biota.
    C.  Reference methods for measuring "biological integrity".
    D.  Reference methods needed in the documentation of ecological  effects of NPS
        pollution and the human activities.
    E.  Techniques for monitoring impacts  in vicinity of ocean  dumping sites.
    F.  Monitoring network and intensive survey design guides.
    G.  Metal speciation measurement methods.
    H.  Evaluation and standardization of  existing mutagenicity/carcinogenicity
        methods.
    I.  Updated QA procedures, consistent  with new QA directive.
    J.  Automated field sampling & measurement methods.
    K.  Reference methods for rapid screening and  for quantisation  of viruses in
        water, sediments, and sludges.
V.  CHESAPEAKE BAY
    A.  Propose alternative management  strategies  for Chesapeake Bay.
                                         38

-------
                               TABLE V-4 (Continued)
VI.  GREAT LAKES
    A.   Identification  of major types of sources of PCBs and other toxicants
        (including metals) to Great Lakes.
    B.   Predictive models for translating allowable human exposure levels of these
        toxicants into  maximum permissible loadings to the Great Lakes (compatible
        with an integrated assessment approach).
    D.   Pilot study to  validate wasteload allocation procedures.
    C.   Strategy for control of near-shore nuisance algal growths.
    E.   Validation of projected phosphorus loading allocations among Great Lakes'
        dischargers.
    F.   Techniques for  predicting impacts of dredge spoil disposal in open waters of
        the Great Lakes.
    G.   Refinement and  update of information on nutrient additions to Great Lakes.
    H.   Techniques for  predicting impacts of hydrologic modifications (including
        within wetlands) in Great Lakes Basin.
VII.  TECHNICAL INFORMATION & LIAISON
    A.   Provide assistance in transferring research results to user community in an
        effective and timely manner.
    B.   Support of Regional liaison activities.
                                        39

-------
                                     TABLE V - 5
                     SCHEDULE OF PROPOSED MAJOR RESEARCH OUTPUTS
               ASSUMING CONSTANT RESOURCES AT TENTATIVE  FY 1982 LEVEL1/
                PROPOSED RESEARCH OUTPUTS
 SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETION
 I.  SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENTS

    A.  Water quality criteria documents for consent
        decree and other toxic pollutants
    B.  Health analyses for CWA Sec. 301(g)  waivers,  as
        requested

    C.  Technical assistance to Regions in interpreting
        criteria documents.

II.  HEALTH EFFECTS

    A.  Health effects data sets for 129 consent decree
        pollutants.
    B.  Bacterial freshwater quality criteria for
        swimming use.

    C.  Characterization of NPS bacterial  impacts on
        swimming use.

    D.  Characterization of health risks from use of
        AST/AWT effluent for swimming.

    E.  Comparison of aquatic & mammalian  tests for
        predicting human health endpoints.

    F.  Validation of selected short-term  in  vivo tests
        for carcinogenicity.

    G.  Development & validation of short-term tests for
        other health endpoints.

III.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES & EFFECTS

    A.  Fresh & Marine Eco. Quality Criteria

        1.   Ecological effects data sets for  129  consent
            decree pollutants.

        2.   Improved ecological effects  assay
            procedures.
15 documents by 9/82; 5+
documents/yr, thereafter;
completion by Year 2005.

continuing basis over
FY 81/83

continuing
Data base/for 15 pollu-
tants by 9/82; 5+/yr.,
thereafter; compTetion by
Year 2005

     9/82
     9/84


     9/84


    10/82


     9/82


     9/84
Data base for 37 pollut.
by 9/82; 5+/yr., there-
after; completion by year
2001.

     4/83
I/ In 1982 Dollars
                                          40

-------
                            TABLE V - 5  (Continued)
            PROPOSED RESEARCH OUTPUTS
    3.  Interim preliminary procedures for adapting
        criteria to specific field situations.

    4.  Definition of "biological integrity" &
        recommended evaluation approach.

B.  Exposure Analysis Predictive Techniques

    1.  (No effort planned after FY 1981, because of
        resource cut.)

C.  Watershed Management/Wasteload Allocation

    1.  Effects

        a. Field techniques for documenting NFS
           effects.

        b. Characterization of ecosystem effects of
           selected NPS pollutants.

        c. Determination of ecological improvements
           from NPS controls.

        d. Selected guides for determining economic
           value of water quality improvement.

    2.  Predictive Methods

        a. Watershed management models (& selected
           coefficient values) for assessing impacts
           & benefits of alternative NPS  & PS
           control of conventional & selected toxic
           pollutants and for wasteload allocations.

        b. Maintain EPA Model  Center.

    3.  Rural NPS Management

        a. Technical assistance

D.  Clean Lakes

    1.  Cost & effectiveness characterization of
        selected in-lake control techniques.

    2.  Guide for selection/evaluation of clean lake
        projects.                  41
SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETION
    9/83
    5/82
    6/82


    9/83


   12/81


    8/81




   11/83
  continuing



  continuing



   12/81


   12/83

-------
                                 TABLE V - 5 (Continued)
                 PROPOSED  RESEARCH  OUTPUTS
         3.   Assessment  of  seriousness  of  problem  from
             lake  deposits  of  toxicants.

     E.   Dredge  «  F111

         1.   Improved marine bent hie  bioassay method to
             assess  acute & chronic effects and bioaccu-
             mulation potential  of contaminants in the
             settleable  component of  dredge material.

         2.   Sediment quality  criteria  for selected
             toxicants in dredged materials disposed
             of  in marine waters.

     F.   Wetlands

         1.   Manual for defining wetland boundaries.

     G.   Ocean Disposal

         1.   portion of technical assistance requested.

         2.   Bioassay technique for assessing impact  of
             marine discharges.

         3.   Methods manual  for evaluating sediment
            toxicity.

        4.   Infaunal Index  (a  measure of biological
             response to sediment pollution).

        5.   Nonbuoyant  plume  dispersion model.

        6.  Limited transport  & fate  characterization of
            toxic  pollutants contributed by ocean
            discharges.

IV.   MONITORING  SYSTEMS  & QUALITY ASSURANCE

    A.   Selected standardized  toxic hot spot  screening
        methods.

    8.   Standardized measurement methods  for  selected
        toxic organics.

    C.   Methods  for  assessing  NFS pollution.

    D.   Methods  for  assessing  ocean dumping sites  &
        marine pollution.               42
SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETION


   12/83





   12/83
 1983 - 1985
    9/82



 continuing

12/81 - 12/85


   12/82


    9/83


    6/82

    9/85
    7/82


 3/81 - 9/83


    9/81

    9/82

-------
                                TABLE V - 5 (Continued)
                PROPOSED RESEARCH OUTPUTS
E.  Selected monitoring network  design  guides.
F.  Metal speciation measurement methods.
G.  Standardized Ames-like mutagencity/carcinogeni-
    city methods
H.  Updated QA procedures & standard reference
    materials.
I.  Evaluation of selected commerically available
    samplers.
J.  Selected remote sensing techniques  for assessing
    lake water quality.
                                                         SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETION
                                                                 9/81
                                                               8/81 - 7/83
                                                                 6/83

                                                               9/81 - 9/83

                                                                 9/81

                                                                 9/82
    K.  Standardized methods for measurement  of viruses
        on suspended material  & in water.
    L.  Overhead imagery support to Agency.
V.  CHESAPEAKE BAY
    A.  Alternative management strategies  for the Bay.
VI.  GREAT LAKES
    A.  Identification  of atmospheric inputs, pathways,
        £ reservoirs of selected toxic organic
        pollutants in Great Lakes.
    B.  Strategy for control of near-shore nuisance
        algal growths.
    C.  Validation of projected phosphorus loading
        allocations among G.L. dischargers.
    D.  Techniques for assessing impacts of proposed
        dredge spoil disposal  in open waters  of Great
        Lakes.
VII.  TECHNICAL INFORMATION & LIAISON
    A.  Research summary reports, guides,  seminars, &
        symposia on emerging technologies  for the user
        community.
                                                             9/81

                                                           continuing

                                                             9/82

                                                             12/81

                                                             8/83

                                                             12/81

                                                             10/82
                                                           continuing

-------
                            TABLL V  -  5  ( ontinued)
            PROPOSED RESEARCH OUTPUTS                     SCHEDULE  FOR  COMPLETION
B.  Provide distribution of & quality control  over          continuing
    research output reports.

C.  Congressionally required  Research Outlook                 Annually
    report, Research Highlights, & Research
    Program Guide.

D.  Support of Regional  liaison  activities.                  continuing
                                   44

-------
          TABLE V - 6
CURRENT BASE RESOURCE ALLOCATION
  WATER QUALITY RESEARCH AREA
RESEARCH AREA "
I. Scientific Assessments
II. Health Effects
III. Environ. Processes & Effects
A. Eco. Quality Criteria
1. Freshwater
2. Marine
B. Exposure Analysis Predictive
Techniques
C. Watershed Management/
Wasteload Allocation
1. Effects
2. Predictive Methods
3. Rural NPS Management
D. Clean Lakes
E. Dredge X Fill
1. Freshwater
2. Marine
F. Wetlands (Freshwater)
G. Ocean Di sposal
H. Anticipatory Research Centers
IV. Monitoring Systems & Quality
Assurance
V. Chesapeake Bay
VI. Great Lakes
VII. Technical Information & Liaison
VIII. ADP Services
Total
IN-HUUSE
675.1
1069.1
6542.8
(2147.1)
(1502.5)
(0)
(362.7)
(577.1)
(319.3)
(242.9)
(0)
(417.7)
(33.0)
(940.5)
(0)
3057.6
947.6
945.0
243.3
277.3
13757.9
~~nq~
~T5nTA."
836.9
2155.9
4198.6
(530.7)
(184.0)
(0)
(560.0)
(619.4)
(0)
(1062.1)
(0)
(34.4)
(200.0)
(180.0)
(828.0)
629.5
1027.4
654.5
14.4
0
9517.2
	 TOTAL""
1512.0
3225.0
10741.4
(2677.8)
(1686.5)
(0)
(922.7)
(1196.5)
(319.3)
(1305.0)
(0)
(452.1)
(233.0)
(1120.5)
(828.0)
3687.1
1975.0
1599.5
257.8
277.3
23275.1
""""PERSONNEL"
FTTT 	 nrsrrp —
rr 1 1
12.0
13.5
143.2
(57.0)
(30.4)
(0)
(7.4)
(8.7)
(10.0)
(4.7)
(0)
(6.0)
(1.0)
(18.0)
(0)
47.8
6.4
7.0
3.7
0
233.6
urr it
9.0
9.0
87.2
(11.6)
(40.5)
(0)
(4.5)
(8.9)
(0)
(2.5)
(0)
(6.1)
(0)
(31.1)
(0)
16.2
4.3
6.3
2.1
0
134.1

FTE
21.0
22.5
230.4
(68.6)
(70.9)
(0)
(11.9)
(17.6)
(10.0)
(7.2)
(0)
(12.1)
(1.0)
(31.1)
(0)
64.0
10.7
13.3
5.8
0
367.7
              45

-------
                                     TABLE V - 7
                    MAJOR RESEARCH OUTPUTS THAT WOULD BE PURSUED
                              WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
                PROPOSED RESEARCH EFFORT
 PROPOSED
 TARGET
 DATE
ESTIMATED
RESOURCE
REQUIREMENTS
I.  SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENTS

    A.  Acceleration of preparation of water
        quality criteria documents for toxic
        chemicals.

II.  HEALTH EFFECTS

    A.  Accelerate development of minimum
        health effects data sets for priority
        pollutants.

    B.  Accelerate development of improved
        health effects assay procedures.

    C.  Field validation of health effects
        criteria.

III.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES & EFFECTS

    A.  Fresh £ Marine Eco. Quality Criteria

        1.  Accelerate development of minimum
            fresh & marine ecological effects
            data sets for priority pollutants.

        2.  Accelerate development of guides
            for translating criteria to field
            situations.

        3.  Bioassay techniques for toxic hot
            spot screening.

        4.  Accelerate development of pro-
            cedures for predicting receiving
            water impacts, based on effluent
            bioassays, and ranking relative
            importance of sources.

        5.  Field validation of ecological
            quality criteria.

    B.  Exposure Analysis Predictive Techniques

        1.  Exposure analysis modeling system
            for toxic metals.
Additional 8+
pollut./yr. at
$150K/chem.
Additional 8+
pollut./yr. at
$200K/chem.

2-4 yrs.J./
from start.

3 yrs. from
start.
Additional 8+
pollut./yr. at
$300K/chem.

1-5 yrs
from start.
1-5 yrs from
start.

3 yrs.
2-5 yrs. from
start.
2-5 yrs. from
start
$1200K/yr.
$1600K/yr.
$400K; 2.4 FTE/yr.
$250K; 1 FTE/
pollut./yr.
$2400K/6 FTE/yr.



$500K; 2 FTE/yr.



S300K; 1 FTE/yr.


$300K; 1 FTE/yr.
$1000K; 3 FTE/yr.
$500K; 2 FTE/yr.
\J Means that first outputs would be forthcoming at  end of second year and  outputs
   would continue to be provided at least annually through end of fourth  year.
                                          46

-------
TABLE V - 7 (continued)
     2.   Model coefficient values for
         existing organic pollutant ex-
         posure analysis modeling system

     3.   Gross multimedia materials balance
         assessment technique (includes
         restoration of work cut in FY 1982.

 C.   Watershed Management/Wasteload Allocation

     1.   Effects

         a.  Accelerate documentation of
            ecological effects of NPS
            pollution.

         b.  "Wet weather" time variant
            water quality criteria.


     2.   Predictive Methods

         a.  Accelerate work on improvement A
            validation of wasteload allocation
            models for toxic pollutants.

         b.  Techniques for predicting water
            quality & economic benefits of
            proposed control measures,
            especially AST/AWT.

         c.  Increased level of assistance to
            model users through center for
            Water Quality Modeling.

    3.  Rural  NPS Management

        a.  Cost  & effectiveness data bases
            on existing rural  NPS management
            practices.

        b.  Technique (& data  bases)  for
            calculating economic benefits
            of rural  NPS control.

        c.  Identification of  secondary
            impacts of rural NPS control.

D.  Clean Lakes

    1.  Accelerate  work on characteriz-
        ing lake  restoration/protection
        techniques.                     47
                  10 pollut./yr
                  3 $50K/pollut.
                  1-4  yrs.  from
                  start.
                  1-10 yrs  from
                  start.
                  2-10 yrs  from
                  start.
                  1-4  yrs  from
                   start
                  1-10  yrs  from
                  start
                  1-5 yrs  from
                  start.
                  1-3 yrs from
                  start.
                 2 yrs from
                 start
                 1-5 yrs
                 from start
$500K; 0.5 FTE/yr.
$300K; 2 FTE/yr.
$300K/yr.
$600K; 1 FTE/yr.
for early years;
increasing to
possibly $1500K;
3 FTE/yr in the
mid-years.
$500K; 2 FTE/yr.

$300K; 1 FTE/yr.
                    continuing     $100K;  2 FTE/yr.
$2400K; 7 FTE/yr.
$300K; 1 FTE/yr.
S300K/0.5 FTE/yr.
$300K; 1 FTE/yr.

-------
                                TABLE V - 7  (continued)
     E.   Dredge  &  Fill

         1.   Complete methodology for systema-
             tically evaluating impacts of
             dredged material extraction and
             transport, as well as disposal.

     F.   Wetlands

         1.   Characterization of wetland
             structure & function.

         2.   Techniques (& associated data
             bases) for estimating ecological
             impacts of human activities on
             wetlands.

    G.   Ocean Disposal

         1.   Additional  technical  assistance
        2.  Accelerate development of
            techniques for assessing
            marine discharge impacts.

        3.  Re-evaluate of ocean disposal
            vs.  other alternatives.

IV.  MONITORING  SYSTEMS & QUALITY ASSURANCE

    A.   Accelerate work on more cost-effective
        & sensitive methods for volatile organic
        and multi-element analysis of water,
        sediments, & biota.

    B.   Reference methods and approaches for
        measuring "biological  integrity".

    C.   Accelerate standardization of reference
        methods  for toxic pollutants.

    D.   Refine Master Analytical  Scheme  &
        extension to cover inorganics.

    E.   Accelerate development  of non-volatile
        organics  measurement  methods.

    F.   Accelerate development  of metal  species
        measurement  methods.
 1-3 yrs from
 start.
 $300K;  1  FTE/yr.
 1-5  yrs  from
 start

 1-5  yrs  from
 start
 2 yrs  from
 start

 2 yrs  from
 start
2 yrs from
start
1-5 yrs from
start
1-3 yrs from
start

1-2 yrs from
start

2 yrs from
start

3 yrs from
start

4 yrs from
start
 $250K;  4  FTE/yr.


 $500K;  7  FTE/yr.
$400K; 3  FTE/yr.


S300K; 1  FTE/yr.



$200K; 1  FTE/yr.




$600K; 9.3 FTE/yr.




$250K; 1  FTE/yr.


$400K/yr.


$300/yr.


$500K/yr.


$500k/yr.
                                          48

-------
                                TABLE  V  -  7  (continued)
    G.  Standardized methods and approaches  for    2 yrs  from
        monitoring ocean dumping sites.             start

    H.  Standardized methods and approaches  for    2 yrs  from
        measuring lake quality & trophic  state.     start

    I.  Establish a National Quality               continuing
        Assurance Operations Center

V.  CHESAPEAKE BAY

    (None)

VI.  GREAT LAKES

    A.  Predictive techniques for translating
        allowable human exposure levels of
        toxic organics into maximum permissi-
        ble loadings to Great Lakes.

    B.  Refine & update of information on
        nutrient additions to Great Lakes.

    C.  Techniques for predicting impacts of
        hydro logic modifications in G. L.
        basin (viz., wetlands)

VII.  TECHNICAL INFORMATION & LIAISON

    A.  Expand information transfer                Annually
        activities in priority areas.
1-5 yrs
1-4 yrs from
start

2-3 yrs from
start
                 $300K;  1  FTE/yr.


                 $300K;  1  FTE/yr.


                 $400K;  6  FTE/yr.
$2000K/yr.





$500K; 1 FTE/yr.


$400K; 1 FTE/yr.
                 $200K;  1  FTE/yr.
                                        49

-------
                        VI.   RESEARCH PROGRAM  OPTIONS

                               MAJOR  CONCERNS

    The broadening of emphasis by the Agency to  include a water quality based
approach to water pollution  control  will  require a  broader array of scientific
information and technical  tools than  with the  narrower point source technology
based control approach.   The primary impact  of the  water quality based
approach on municipal, industrial, and agricultural point source pollution
contributors will be the requirement  to implement pollution control measures
over and above those required by the  technology  based approach in those
instances where they are needed to permit the  practice of desired water uses.
Since additional increments  of point  source  pollution control beyond the
technology based levels  will be at substantially higher unit costs, the need
for and benefits of them will have to be  more  clearly demonstrated.  This
approach will result in  greater pressure  to  implement lower cost NPS controls
as an alternative to further point source control in achieving ambient water
quality goals. As in the case of further  point source control, this also will
require a clear demonstration of the  benefits  of proposed NPS control
measures.

    Of the scientific information and technical  tools needed to implement a
cost-effective water quality based program,  the  following have the most
serious deficiencies and will require the greatest  amount of resources and
time to correct:

    1.   Minimum data sets  for priority pollutants (needed in water quality
        criteria preparation).

    2.   Procedures  for taking into account local  conditions affecting
        pollutant toxicity in translating laboratory-derived water quality
        criteria into realistic,  valid, and  defensible "real world" water
        quality standards  for toxic pollutants (especially metals).

    3.   "Wet  weather" time variant water  quality criteria designed to identify
        reductions  in ecological, recreational,  and other significant impacts
        that  would  result  from incremental reductions in NPS pollution
        contributions.

    4.   Data  base needed in  predicting reductions in NPS loadings to receiving
        waters that  would  result  from the implementation of a given set of
        rural  (and  urban)  BMPs.

    5.   Economic benefit analysis techniques and associated data bases needed
        to demonstrate where the  cost  of  implementing further point and/or
        nonpoint source  controls  is in  line with the additional  benefits to be
        derived.

    6. Technical  base for  identifying remedial  measures necessary to protect
        human  life  in Great  Lakes Basin from PCBs and other organic toxicants.

    7.   Exposure analysis  &  load  allocation predictive techniques for priority
        toxic  pollutants.

                                    51

-------
    8.  Source of technical expertise to provide  guidance  and assistance to
        Headquarters and Regional  programs in assessing  and  resolving water
        quality problems caused by toxic pollutants.

    Other elements of the technical base with nearly  equally serious
deficiencies, but which can be corrected with less  resources and in a shorter
time are:

    9.  Toxic hot spot screening techniques.

   10.  Wasteload allocation predictive techniques  fully applicable to AST/AWT
        need assessments.

   11.  Techniques for assessing impacts of proposed  projects for the
        extraction, transport, and disposal  of dredged material containing
        toxic pollutants.

   12.  More cost-effective and sensitive reference measurement methods for
        toxic pollutants in sediment  and biota, as well  as water (with
        detection levels at least  as  low as  the maximum  levels considered
        acceptable).

    The most significant need remaining where significant  additional resources
may be needed, but only for the next  one to  three years  is:

   13.  Technical  assistance in the preparation, revision, and implementation
        of regulations and associated guidelines covering marine discharge and
        dumping activities.

                            DISCUSSION OF OPTIONS

BASIC OPTIONS

    The basic options  available to ORD in responding to the above concerns
are:

    1.  Obtain new resources.

    2.  Shift resources from other research  pursuits within the Water Quality
        research  area  to these areas.

    3.   Shift ORD  resources from outside the  Water Quality research area to
        these areas.

    4.   Seek funding contributions  and/or FTE  allocations from EPA
        programs that  have presented  the need  until the need is satisfied.

    5.   Seek to meet the need  to the  extent possible from outputs being
        pursued under  the  Toxic Substances, Solid Waste, or other research
        programs,  other EPA activities,  or under programs of other Agencies
        (e.g.,  Corps of Engineers).
                                    52

-------
     6.   Redefine  ORD  responsibilities to exclude the pursuit  of a  given class
         of needs.

     7.   Determine that the priority of the need is too low to warrant a
         response.
 NEED NO.  1
     With  regard to  Need No. 1, above, for the minimum data  sets, only three of
 the designated options appear viable.  These are Options  4, 6, and 7.  Given
 the decision  by the Agency Ranking Committee to substantially cut the level of
 resources  a  located to this area in FY 1982, Options  1-3  don't appear to be

 ™±AUrSr9;  JhlS ^VeS °pti°nS 4» 6' and 7'   Of these> Onions 4 and 6
 appear to  be  about equally reasonable for ORD to pursue.
 NEED  NO.  2
n%m°SR V-    6 initral  apProach 1n ^spondi ng to Need No.  2, above  is
           R   -         r                                    .   ,
  tMn th« Be9lnnin9 in FY 1982, emphasis will  be  shifted from other pursuits
 ^Un Jhn-Sr qUa lt:V"lteuria area to resP°nd  to th1s n"d.  Options 1 and
 3 also should  be explored in the next  budget  exercise.
 NEED  NO. 3

    Need No. 3 requires such an amount  of resources over such a long period
 that  Option 1 should be pursued in the  next  budget exercise.  Within the next
 three years it is expected that some portion of the $900K/11 FTE allocated to
 work  on NFS effects can be shifted to this specific need:  Thus, Opt°on 2 wi?l
 become increasingly more viable as current wort in this general area i?s
 completed and as needs associated with  the Chesapeake Bay, and later  the
 Clean Lakes programs are substantially  satisfied.  Option 3 should a so be
 pursued in each budget exercise.                            =»nuuiu ai^o oe

 NEED  NO. 4


 currenJV::^?.:.;1?!!!^? C^ce  of b*1n? co_vered * Wo* I because of
 nton  2 a                      **"** °Ption 5. in combination with
Options 2 and 3 should be pursued. -
NEED NO. 5
iointl! rflEL8!;?*!11 re?p??ding to th1s need area will be for ORD and OWWM to
jointly determine the relative  responsibilities of the two programs.   Those
t6 k    S  I"6? '-*01  r"Pns1b111^ «" then be sought to  be under-
                                     > 1n C0mbi"at1°" «* <»"™ *  and 5
NEED NO.  6
   n^Wltih Ueed  N°*  J» this one also has a Sl9"1ficant chance of being funded
   Option 1 because  of current Congressional interest.
                                     53

-------
NEED NO. 7

    Options 1 and 3 should be pursued in  the  next  budget exercise.  To get the
necessary effort underway at a minimal  level, Option 2  should be explored,
especially as the Chesapeake Bay Program  draws to  a close.

NEED NO.  8

    Since this need, historically,  has  been viewed as a  responsibility of the
operating programs to meet, Option  4 should be pursued  first, followed by
Option 1.

NEEDS NO. 9 & 10

    It is reasonably likely that these  needs  can be met  through Option 2,
although outputs may not be quite as timely as is  desired.

NEED NO. 11

    This need could be met in a more timely fashion if the S450K/12 FTE
allocated to this work were augmented with extramural funds or if the Corps of
Engineers' assistance could be enhanced.  Options  5 and  2 appear to offer
greatest promise.

NEED NO. 12

    The most promising opton at this point for this need is No. 5.  It wi 11 be
pursued initially, with Option 3 attempted in the  next  budget exercise.

NEED NO. 13

    The first choice for meeting this need is Option 4,  followed by Option 2.

                 POTENTIAL SOURCES  OF FUNDS FOR REALLOCATION

    It is believed that the allocation  of FY  1981  and 1982 resources among
sub-areas within the Water Quality  research area are reasonably reflective of
current priorities, at least to the extent that no substantial shift in
resources should take place before  the  end of FY 1982.   In FY 1983, however,
the Chesapeake Bay research needs are expected to  be satisfied, allowing for a
redistribution of the $1975K/10.7 FTE allocated to it.

    After approximately FY 1985, sufficient progress likely will have been
made on the high priority Clean Lakes related needs (scheduled to be pursued
with the planned $800K increase in  FY 1982) that consideration can be given to
shifting a portion of the FY 1982 increase to other sub-areas.

    Of course, there will be a turnover of resources within each sub-area as
outputs are produced and others are undertaken. The list of important needs
to be addressed by each is long enough  to justify  at least the current level
of resources for each through most  of the decade,  except for the two areas
identified in the previous two paragraphs.  Thus,  the primary options that
will have to be pursued for the majority  of "big ticket" items identified are
No. 1 and 3.
                                     54

-------
                   PRIORITY  ARRAY  FOR SEEKING NEW RESOURCES
     The order of priority for the use  of new resources are:
     1.   Formation of  a  Technical  Assistance Team to support toxic pollutant
         management activities of  EPA client offices.
     2.   Development and field validation of procedures for applying laboratory
         derived  water quality criteria to field situations.
     3.   Development of  exposure analysis and load allocation predictive
         techniques, with the  latter applicable to both specific toxic
         pollutants and  general effluent toxicity measures.
     4.   Acceleration  of work  on:   a) minimum data sets for water quality
         criteria  for  priority pollutants; b) measurement methods for toxic
         volatile  organic pollutants; c) exposure analysis predictive
         techniques; and d)  wetland impact assessment methods.
     5.   Development of  "wet weather" time variant water quality criteria.
     6.   Development of  economic benefit analysis techniques and associated
         data  bases.
     7.   Acceleration  of Great Lakes research on health risks from PCBs and
         other toxic organics.
     8.   Compilation of  rural  BMP effectiveness data base.
              PRIORITY  ARRAY  FOR REALLOCATION OF BASE RESOURCES
     After FY  1982, consideration should be given to a redirection of base
 resources, increasing emphasis in the following areas (arrayed in the order in
 which funding should  be  considered.
     1.   Toxic hot  spot  screening methods.
     2.   Interim gross wasteload allocation techniques applicable to general
        toxicity type assessments.
     3.  More  cost-effective and sensitive reference methods for measurement  of
        toxicants in water,  sediment,  and biota.
    4.  Techniques for assessing impacts of proposed dredge and fill  projects
        involving spoils containing toxic pollutants.
    5.  Technical assistance to the Agency's marine pollution control
        activities.
IQOOA* Prfv1ously indicated, there will be a significant  redirection  in FY
1982 in the water quality criteria sub-area.  Primary emphasis will  be shifted
to the development of procedures for translating  laboratory derived  criteria
to field situations.  Additional  resources  still  will  be  needed to provide the
necessary outputs in a reasonably timely manner.
                                     55

-------
    Without substantial increases  in  resources,  there simply is no way in
which the technical base essential to the  implementaton  of a defensible water
quality based program can be provided in this  decade. The underpinning of a
meaningful water quality based program  will  be a capability to evaluate the
real costs, risks, and benefits of alternative pollution control measures in
order to make intelligent decisions on  water quality goals and the strategy
for their achievement.
                                                       ft U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1981 -757-064/0242

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