§228.15. Dumping sites designated on a final basis.
40 C.F.R. § 228.15
(1) There are no practicable alternatives (as defined in 40 CFR 227.16(b)) to open-water disposal in Long Island Sound. Any available practicable alternative to open-water disposal will be fully utilized for the maximum volume of dredged material practicable;
(2) Determinations relating to paragraph (b)(4)(vi)(C)(1) of this section will recognize that, consistent with 40 CFR 227.16(b), a practicable alternative to open-water disposal may add reasonable incremental costs. Disposal of dredged material at the designated sites pursuant to this paragraph (b)(4) shall not be allowed to the extent that a practicable alternative is available.
(3) The following standards for different dredged material types have been appropriately considered:
(i) Unsuitable material. Disposal shall be limited to dredged sediments that comply with the Ocean Dumping Regulations.
(ii) Suitable sandy material. Suitable coarse-grained material, which generally may include up to 20 percent fines when used for direct beach placement, or up to 40 percent fines when used for nearshore bar/berm nourishment, should be used for beach or nearshore bar/berm nourishment or other beneficial use whenever practicable. If no other alternative is determined to be practicable, suitable course-grained material may be placed at the designated sites.
(iii) Suitable fine-grained material. This material has typically greater than 20 to 40 percent fine content and, therefore, is not typically considered appropriate for beach or nearshore placement, but has been determined to be suitable for open-water placement by testing and analysis. Materials dredged from upper river channels in the Connecticut, Housatonic and Thames Rivers should, whenever possible, be disposed of at existing Confined Open Water sites, on-shore, or through in-river placement. Other beneficial uses such as marsh creation, should be examined and used whenever practicable. If no other alternative is determined to be practicable, suitable fine-grained material may be placed at the designated sites.
(1) Purpose. The LIS RDT will:
(i) Review dredging projects and make recommendations as described in paragraph (vi)(C) above. The LIS RDT will report to the USACE on its review of dredging projects within 30 days of receipt of project information. Project proponents should consult with the LIS RDT early in the development of those projects to ensure that alternatives to open-water placement are fully considered.
(ii) Assist the Steering Committee in: Establishing a baseline for the volume and percentage of dredged material being beneficially used and placed at the open water sites; establishing a reasonable and practicable series of stepped objectives, including timeframes, to increase the percentage of beneficially used material while reducing the percentage and amount being disposed in open water, recognizing that the volume of dredged material generated by the dredging program will naturally fluctuate from year to year; and developing accurate methods to track and report on the placement of dredged material, with due consideration for annual fluctuations.
(iii) In coordination with the Steering Committee, serve as a forum for: Continuing exploration of new beneficial use alternatives to open-water disposal; matching the availability of beneficial use alternatives with dredging projects; exploring cost-sharing opportunities; and promoting opportunities for beneficial use of clean, parent marine sediments often generated in the development of CAD cells.
(iv) Assist the USACE and EPA in continuing long-term efforts to monitor dredging impacts in Long Island Sound, including supporting the USACE's DAMOS (Disposal Area Monitoring System) program and related efforts to study the long-term effects of open-water placement of dredged material.
(2) Geographic scope. The geographic scope of the LIS RDT includes all of Long Island Sound and adjacent waters landward of the seaward boundary of the territorial sea (three-mile limit) or, in other words, from Throgs Neck to a line three miles seaward of the baseline across western Block Island Sound.
(3) Membership. The LIS RDT shall be comprised of representatives from the states of Connecticut and New York, EPA, USACE, and, as appropriate, other federal and state agencies. As previously noted, state participation on the LIS RDT is voluntary.
(4) Organization and procedures. Specific details regarding structure (e.g., chair, committees, working groups) and process shall be determined by the LIS RDT and may be revised as necessary to best accomplish the team's purpose.
Center coordinates: 28°18′44″ N., 80°31′00″ W. (NAD 27).
(1) Transportation of dredged material to the SF-DODS shall only be allowed when weather and sea state conditions will not interfere with safe transportation and will not create risk of spillage, leak or other loss of dredged material in transit to the SF-DODS. No disposal trips shall be initiated when the National Weather Service has issued a gale warning for local waters during the time period necessary to complete dumping operations, or when wave heights are 16 feet or greater. The permittee must consult the most current version of the SMMP Implementation Manual for additional restrictions and/or clarifications regarding other sea state parameters, including, but not limited to wave period.
(2) All vessels used for dredged material transportation and disposal must be loaded to no more than 80 percent by volume of the vessel. Before any disposal vessel departs for the SF-DODS, an independent quality control inspector must certify in writing that the vessel meets the conditions and requirements of a certification checklist that contains all of the substantive elements found in the example contained in the most current SMMP Implementation Manual. For the purposes of paragraph (l)(3)(viii) of this section, “independent” means not an employee of the permittee or dredging contractor; however, the Corps of Engineers may provide inspectors for Corps of Engineers dredged material disposal projects.
(3) Dredged material shall not be leaked or spilled from disposal vessels during transit to the SF-DODS.
(4) Disposal vessels in transit to and from the SF-DODS should remain at least three nautical miles from the Farallon Islands whenever possible. Closer approaches should occur only in situations where the designated vessel traffic lane enters the area encompassed by the 3-mile limit, and where safety may be compromised by staying outside of the 3-mile limit. In no case may disposal vessels leave the designated vessel traffic lane.
(5) When dredged material is discharged within the SF-DODS, no portion of the vessel from which the materials are to be released (e.g., hopper dredge or towed barge) can be further than 1,900 feet (600 meters) from the center of the target area at 37°39′ N, 123°29′ W.
(6) No more than one disposal vessel may be present within the permissible dumping target area referred to in paragraph (l)(3)(viii)(A)(5) of this section at any time.
(7) Disposal vessels shall use an appropriate navigation system capable of indicating the position of the vessel carrying dredged material (for example, a hopper dredged vessel or towed barge) with a minimum accuracy and precision of 100 feet during all disposal operations. The system must also indicate the opening and closing of the doors of the vessel carrying the dredged material. If the positioning system fails, all disposal operations must cease until the navigational capabilities are restored. The back-up navigation system, with all the capabilities listed in this condition, must be in place on the vessel carrying the dredged material.
(8) The permittee shall maintain daily records of the amount of material dredged and loaded into barges for disposal, the times that disposal vessel depart for, arrive at and return from the SF-DODS, the exact locations and times of disposal, and the volumes of material disposed at the SF-DODS during each vessel trip. The permittee shall further record wind and sea state observations at intervals to be established in the permit.
(9) For each disposal vessel trip, the permittee shall maintain a computer printout from a Global Positioning System or other acceptable navigation system showing transit routes and disposal coordinates, including the time and position of the disposal vessel when dumping was commenced and completed.
(10) An independent quality control inspector (as defined in paragraph (l)(3)(viii)(A)(2)) of this section shall observe all dredging and disposal operations. The inspector shall verify the information required in paragraphs (l)(3)(viii)(A)(8) and (9) of this section. The inspector shall promptly inform permittees of any inaccuracies or discrepancies concerning this information and shall prepare summary reports, which summarize all such inaccuracies and discrepancies, from time to time as shall be specified in permits. Such summary reports shall be sent by the permittee to the District Engineer and the Regional Administrator within a time interval that shall be specified in the permit.
(11) The permittee shall report any anticipated or actual permit violations to the District Engineer and the Regional Administrator within 24 hours of discovering such violation. If any anticipated or actual permit violations occur within the Gulf of the Farallones or the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries, the permittee must also report any such violation to the respective Sanctuary Manager within 24 hours. In addition, the permittee shall prepare and submit reports, certified accurate by the independent quality control inspector, on a frequency that shall be specified in permits, to the District Engineer and the Regional Administrator setting forth the information required by Mandatory Conditions in paragraphs (l)(3)(viii)(A)(8) and (9) of this section.
(12) Permittees, and the Corps in its Civil Works projects, must make arrangements for independent observers to be present on disposal vessels for the purpose of conducting shipboard surveys of seabirds and marine mammals. Observers shall employ standardized monitoring protocols, as referenced in the most current SMMP Implementation Manual. At a minimum, permittees shall ensure that independent observers are present on at least one disposal trip during each calendar month that disposal occurs, AND on average at least once every 25 vessel trips to the SF-DODS.
(13) At the completion of short-term dredging projects, at least annually for ongoing projects, and at any other time or interval requested by the District Engineer or Regional Administrator, permittees shall prepare and submit to the District Engineer and Regional Administrator a report that includes complete records of all dredging, transport and disposal activities, such as navigation logs, disposal coordinates, scow certification checklists, and other information required by permit conditions. Electronic data submittals may be required to conform to a format specified by the agencies. Permittees shall include a report indicating whether any dredged material was dredged outside the areas authorized for dredging or was dredged deeper than authorized for dredging by their permits.
(1) Permittees may be required to limit the speed of disposal vessels in transit to the SF-DODS to a rate that is safe under the circumstances and will prevent the spillage of dredged materials.
(2) Permittees may be required to use automated data logging systems for recording navigation and disposal coordinates and/or load levels throughout disposal trips when such systems are feasible and represent an improvement over manual recording methodologies.
(3) Any other conditions that EPA or the Corps of Engineers determine to be necessary or appropriate to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the MPRSA and this section may be included in site use permits.
(1) Physical monitoring. Tier 1 Physical Monitoring shall consist of a physical survey to map the area on the seafloor within and in the vicinity of the disposal site where dredged material has been deposited (the footprint). Such a survey shall use appropriate technology (for example, sediment profile photography) to determine the areal extent and thickness of the disposed dredged material, and to determine if any dredged material has deposited outside of the disposal site boundary.
(2) Chemical monitoring. Tier 1 Chemical Monitoring shall consist of collecting, processing, and preserving boxcore samples of sediments so that such sediments could be subjected to sediment chemistry analysis in the appropriate tier. Samples shall be collected within the dredged material footprint, outside of the dredged material footprint, and outside of the disposal site boundaries. Samples within the footprint shall be subjected to chemical analysis in annual Tier 1 activity. Samples from outside of the footprint and outside of the disposal site boundaries shall be archived and analyzed only when the criteria requiring Tier 2 as specified in paragraph (l)(3)(x) of this section are met. A sufficient number of samples shall be collected so that the potential for adverse impacts due to elevated chemistry can be assessed with an appropriate time-series or ordinal technique.
(3) Biological monitoring. Tier 1 Biological Monitoring shall have two components: Monitoring of pelagic communities and monitoring of benthic communities.
(i) Pelagic communities. Tier 1 Biological Monitoring shall include regional surveys of seabirds, marine mammals and mid-water column fish populations appropriate for evaluating how these populations might be affected by disposal site use. A combination of annual regional and periodic (random) shipboard surveys of seabirds and marine mammals will be used. The regional survey designs for each category of biota shall be similar to that used for the regional characterization studies referenced in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Designation of a Deep Water Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site off San Francisco, California (August 1993) with appropriate realignments to accommodate transects within and in the vicinity of the SF-DODS. The periodic shipboard surveys shall be performed from vessels involved in dredged material disposal operations at the SF-DODS as specified in permit conditions imposed pursuant to paragraph (l)(3)(viii)(A)(12) of this section. The minimum number of surveys must be sufficient to characterize the disposal operations for each project, and, as practicable, provide seasonal data for an assessment of the potential for adverse impacts for the one-year period. An appropriate time-series (ordinal), and community analysis shall be performed using data collected during the current year and previous years.
(ii) Benthic communities. Tier 1 Biological Monitoring shall include collection and preservation of boxcore samples of benthic communities so that such samples could be analyzed as a Tier 2 activity.
(4) Annual reporting. The results of the annual Tier 1 studies shall be compiled in an annual report which will be available for public review.
(B) Tier 2 monitoring activities. Tier 2 monitoring activities shall consist of the following:
(1) Physical monitoring. Tier 2 Physical Monitoring shall consist of oceanographic studies conducted to validate and/or improve the models used to predict the dispersion in the water column and deposition of dredged material on the seafloor at the SF-DODS. The appropriate physical oceanographic studies may include: The collection of additional current meter data, deployment of sediment traps, and deployment of surface and subsurface drifters.
(2) Chemical monitoring. Tier 2 Chemical Monitoring shall consist of performing sediment chemistry analysis on samples collected and preserved in Tier 1 from outside of the footprint and outside of the disposal site boundaries.
(3) Biological monitoring. Tier 2 Biological Monitoring shall involve monitoring of pelagic communities and monitoring of benthic communities.
(i) Pelagic communities. Tier 2 Biological Monitoring for pelagic communities shall include supplemental surveys of similar type to those in Tier 1, or other surveys as appropriate.
(ii) Benthic communities. Tier 2 Biological Monitoring for benthic communities shall include a comparison of the benthic community within the dredged material footprint to benthic communities in adjacent areas outside of the dredged material footprint. An appropriate time-series (ordinal) and community analysis shall be performed using data collected during the current year and previous years to determine whether there are adverse changes in the benthic populations outside of the disposal site which may endanger the marine environment.
(4) Annual reporting. The results of any required Tier 2 studies shall be compiled in an annual report which will be available for public review.
(1) Physical monitoring. Tier 3 physical monitoring shall consist of advanced oceanographic studies to study the dispersion of dredged material in the water column and the deposition of dredged material on the seafloor in the vicinity of the SF-DODS. Such physical monitoring may include additional, intensified studies involving the collection of additional current meter data, deployment of sediment traps, and deployment of surface and subsurface drifters. Such studies may include additional sampling stations, greater frequency of sampling, more advanced sampling methodologies or equipment, or other additional increased study measures compared to similar studies conducted in Tier 1 or 2.
(2) Chemical monitoring. Tier 3 Chemical Monitoring shall consist of analysis of tissues of appropriate field-collected benthic and/or epifaunal organisms to determine bioaccumulation of contaminants that may be associated with dredged materials deposited at the SF-DODS. Sampling and analysis shall be designed and implemented to determine whether the SF-DODS is a source of adverse bioaccumulation in the tissues of benthic species collected at or outside the SF-DODS, compared to adjacent unimpacted areas, which may endanger the marine environment. Appropriate sampling methodologies for these tests will be determined and the appropriate analyses will involve the assessment of benthic body burdens of contaminants and correlation with comparison of the benthic communities inside and outside of the sediment footprint.
(3) Biological monitoring. Tier 3 biological monitoring shall have two components: monitoring of pelagic communities and monitoring of benthic communities.
(i) Pelagic communities. Tier 3 Biological Monitoring shall include advanced studies of seabirds, marine mammals and mid-water column fish to evaluate how these populations might be affected by disposal site use. Such studies may include additional sampling stations, greater frequency of sampling, more advanced sampling methodologies or equipment, or other additional increased study measures compared to similar studies conducted in Tier 1 or 2. Studies may include evaluation of sub-lethal changes in the health of pelagic organisms, such as the development of lesions, tumors, developmental abnormality, decreased fecundity or other adverse sub-lethal effect.
(ii) Benthic communities. Tier 3 Biological Monitoring shall include advanced studies of benthic communities to evaluate how these populations might be affected by disposal site use. Such studies may include additional sampling stations, greater frequency of sampling, more advanced sampling methodologies or equipment, or other additional increased study measures compared to similar studies conducted in Tier 2. Studies may include evaluation of sub-lethal changes in the health of benthic organisms, such as the development of lesions, tumors, developmental abnormality, decreased fecundity or other adverse sub-lethal effect.
(4) Reporting. The results of any required Tier 3 studies shall be compiled in a report which will be available for public review.
(2) Chemical monitoring. (i) Chemical monitoring shall remain limited to Tier 1 Chemical Monitoring when the results of Physical Monitoring indicate that a significant amount of dredged material as defined in paragraph (l)(3)(x)(A)(4) of this section has not been deposited or transported off-site, and Tier 1 Chemical Monitoring establishes that dredged sediments deposited at the disposal site do not contain levels of chemical contaminants that are significantly elevated above the range of chemical contaminant levels in dredged sediments that the Regional Administrator and the District Engineer found to be suitable for disposal at the SF-DODS pursuant to 40 CFR part 227.
(ii) Tier 2 monitoring shall be employed when the results of Physical Monitoring indicate that a significant amount of dredged material as defined in paragraph (l)(3)(x)(A)(4) of this section has been deposited off-site, and Tier 1 Chemical Monitoring is insufficient to establish that dredged sediments deposited at the disposal site do not contain levels of chemical contaminants that are significantly elevated above the range of chemical contaminant levels in dredged sediments that the Regional Administrator and the District Engineer found to be suitable for disposal at the SF-DODS pursuant to 40 CFR part 227.
The Regional Administrator may employ Tier 2 monitoring when available evidence indicates that a significant amount of dredged material as defined in paragraph (l)(3)(x)(A)(4) of this section has been deposited near the SF-DODS site boundary.
(iii) Tier 3 monitoring shall be employed within and outside the dredged material footprint when Tier 2 Chemical Monitoring is insufficient to establish that dredged sediments deposited at the disposal site do not contain levels of chemical contaminants that are significantly elevated above the range of chemical contaminant levels in dredged sediments that the Regional Administrator and the District Engineer found to be suitable for disposal at the SF-DODS pursuant to 40 CFR part 227.
(3) Biological monitoring. (i) Pelagic communities. Biological monitoring for pelagic communities shall remain limited to Tier 1 monitoring when Tier 1 monitoring establishes that disposal at the SF-DODS has not endangered the monitored pelagic communities. When Tier 1 monitoring is insufficient to make reasonable conclusions whether disposal at the site has endangered the monitored pelagic communities, then Tier 2 monitoring of pelagic communities shall be employed. When Tier 2 monitoring is insufficient to make reasonable conclusions whether disposal at the site has endangered the monitored pelagic communities, then Tier 3 monitoring of pelagic communities shall be employed.
(ii) Benthic communities. Biological monitoring for benthic communities shall remain limited to Tier 1 monitoring when physical monitoring establishes that a significant amount of dredged material has not been deposited outside of the site boundaries. If physical monitoring indicates that a significant amount of dredged material has been deposited or transported outside of the site boundaries, then Tier 2 analysis of benthic communities shall be performed. If Chemical Monitoring establishes that there is significant bioaccumulation of contaminants in organisms sampled from within or outside the dredged material footprint, then Tier 3 Biological Monitoring of the disposal site shall be employed. Tier 3 Biological Monitoring may replace Tier 3 Chemical Monitoring if observed biological effects are established as surrogate indicators for bioaccumulation of chemical contaminants in sampled organisms.
(4) Definition of significant dredged material accumulation. For purposes of this paragraph (l)(3)(x)(A) of this section, dredged material accumulation on the ocean bottom to a thickness of five centimeters shall be considered to be a significant amount of dredged material. The Regional Administrator may determine that a lesser amount of accumulation is significant if available evidence indicates that a lesser amount of off-site accumulation could endanger marine resources.
(i) Exceedance of Federal marine water quality criteria within the SF-DODS following initial mixing as defined in 40 CFR 227.29(a) or beyond the site boundary at any time;
(ii) Placement or movement of significant quantities of disposed material outside of site boundaries near or toward significant biological resource areas or marine sanctuaries;
(iii) Endangerment of the marine environment related to potentially significant adverse changes in the structure of the benthic community outside the disposal site boundary;
(iv) Endangerment to the health, welfare, or livelihood of persons or to the environment related to potentially significant adverse bioaccumulation in organisms collected from the disposal site or areas adjacent to the site boundary compared to the reference site;
(v) Endangerment to the health, welfare, or livelihood of persons related to potentially significant adverse impacts upon commercial or recreational fisheries resources near the site; or
(vi) Endangerment to the health, welfare, or livelihood of persons or to the environment related to any other potentially significant adverse environmental impacts.
(2) The Regional Administrator shall modify site use, rather than suspend or terminate site use, when site use modification will be sufficient to eliminate the adverse environmental impacts referred to in paragraphs (l)(3)(x)(B)(1) (i) or (ii) of this section or the endangerment to human health, welfare or livelihood to the environment referred to in paragraphs (l)(3)(x)(B)(1) (iii) through (vi) of this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of any permit or federal project authorization authorizing site use, the Regional Administrator shall order, following opportunity for public comment, any of the following modifications to site use that he or she deems necessary to eliminate the adverse environmental effect or endangerment to human health, welfare, or livelihood or to the environment:
(i) Change or additional restrictions upon the permissible times, rates and total volume of disposal of dredged material at the SF-DODS;
(ii) Change or additional restrictions upon the method of disposal or transportation of dredged materials for disposal; or
(iii) Change or additional limitations upon the type or quality of dredged materials according to chemical, physical, bioassay toxicity, or bioaccumulation characteristics.
(3) The Regional Administrator shall suspend site use when site use suspension is both necessary and sufficient to eliminate any adverse environmental effect or endangerment to human health, welfare, or livelihood or to the environment referred to in paragraph (l)(3)(x)(B)(1) of this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of any permit or federal project authorization authorizing site use, the Regional Administrator shall order, following opportunity for public comment, site use suspension until an appropriate management action is identified or for a time period that will eliminate the adverse environmental effect or endangerment to human health, welfare, or livelihood or to the environment.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of any permit or federal project authorization authorizing site use, the Regional Administrator shall order, following opportunity for public comment, site use permanently terminated if this is the only means for eliminating the adverse environmental impacts referred to in paragraphs (l)(3)(x)(B)(1) (i) or (ii) of this section or the endangerment to human health, welfare or livelihood to the environment referred to in paragraphs (l)(3)(x)(B)(1) (iii) through (vi) of this section.
(2) Disposal shall be managed by the restrictions and requirements contained in the currently-approved Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP);
(3) Monitoring, as specified in the SMMP, is required.
(2) Disposal shall be managed by the restrictions and requirements contained in the currently-approved Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP);
(3) Monitoring, as specified in the SMMP, is required.
(2) Disposal shall be managed by the restrictions and requirements contained in the currently-approved Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP);
(3) Monitoring, as specified in the SMMP, is required.
(2) Disposal shall be managed by the restrictions and requirements contained in the currently-approved Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP);
(3) Monitoring, as specified in the SMMP, is required.
(2) Disposal shall be managed by the restrictions and requirements contained in the currently-approved Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP);
(3) Monitoring, as specified in the SMMP, is required.
(2) Disposal shall be managed by the restrictions and requirements contained in the currently-approved Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP);
(3) Monitoring, as specified in the SMMP, is required.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[59 FR 61130, Nov. 29, 1994]
Authority
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1412 and 1418.
Source
Source: 42 FR 2482, Jan. 11, 1977, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[59 FR 61130, Nov. 29, 1994]