Potential economic impact of sediment quality criteria on the Army Corps of Engineers O and M dredging program

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:40144

Reiley, M C; Lunz, J; Thompson, T

The Environmental Protection Agency has requested public comment on the first five sediment quality criteria (SQC) for the protection of benthic organisms. Aquatic sediments are a sink for water column contaminants that become a source of contamination and adverse effects on benthic organisms, aquatic life, and benthic supported food chains. The proposed criteria are an effort to assess the severity and extent of contamination for risk assessment and remediation, predict future contamination, and prevent contamination in uncontaminated sites. An unanswered question has been the potential economic impact of the SQC implementation on federal regulatory programs involved in aquatic resource protection, contaminated sediment remediation, and dredging and disposal of aquatic sediments. The potential costs have been of primary concern for the Corps of Engineers operation and maintenance dredging program which removes 300 million cubic yards of aquatic sediments from harbors, channels, etc. each year. Sediments found to be contaminated may have to undergo special handling/management practices which add costs to both dredging and disposal. EPA`s goal was to determine the increased percentage of dredged material requiring special handling/management if the SQC were applied under several scenarios, and thus the potential cost increase to dredging programs. The report is a basis for dialogue on the most environmentally and economically sound implementation of the SOC in the dredging program.

• OSTI ID: 40144
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BENTHOS
CONTAMINATION
DREDGE SPOIL
DREDGING
ECONOMIC IMPACT
SEDIMENTS
STANDARDS
WATER QUALITY