Notice of Availability of Great Lakes Dredged Material Testing and Evaluation Manual and Request for Comment

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5123-7]

Notice of Availability of Great Lakes Dredged Material Testing

and Evaluation Manual and Request for Comment

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and requests public

comment on the draft testing manual entitled ``Great Lakes Dredged

Material Testing and Evaluation Manual (Draft)'' (draft Great Lakes

Manual). The manual was prepared by an Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA)/Army Corps of Engineers (CE) workgroup comprised of staff with

scientific and/or programmatic expertise related to Great Lakes dredged

material discharge activities. This manual supplements the manual

entitled ``Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Discharge in

Waters of the U.S.--Testing Manual (Draft)'' (draft National Manual)

which was noticed for comment in the Federal Register on July 21, 1994

(59 FR 37234). The draft Great Lakes manual contains more specific

information for the Great Lakes system, including detailed bioassay

test protocols. Both manuals were issued pursuant to the provisions of

section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act and 40 CFR part 230.

DATES: Written comments on the draft Great Lakes Manual must be

postmarked or submitted by hand on or before March 21, 1995 to Marc

Tuchman at the address listed below under ADDRESSES.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the draft Great Lakes Manual can be obtained by

calling or writing to Jan Miller, USACE North Central Division, CENCD-

ED-WL, 111 North Canal Street, Chicago, Ill., 60606-7205; telephone:

312-353-6354.

Comments on the draft Great Lakes Manual may be mailed or delivered

to: Marc Tuchman, USEPA Great Lakes National Program Office--G-9J,

Attention: Great Lakes Manual Comments, 77 West Jackson Street,

Chicago, Ill. 60604; telephone: 312-353-1369. Commentors are requested

to submit an original and 3 copies of their written comments and

enclosures. Commentors who want receipt of their comments acknowledged

should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. No facsimiles

(faxes) will be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jan Miller, USACE North Central

Division, CENCD-ED-WL, 111 North Canal Street, Chicago, Ill., 60606-

7205; telephone: 312-353-6354; Marc Tuchman, USEPA Great Lakes National

Program Office--G-9J, 77 West Jackson Street, Chicago, Ill. 60604;

telephone: 312-353-1369; or John Dorkin, USEPA Region 5--WS-16J, 77

West Jackson Street, Chicago, Ill. 60604; telephone: 312-886-1980.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed discharges of dredged or fill

material in Great Lakes Waters must be evaluated to determine the

potential environmental impacts of such activities. Specifically,

Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, Public

Law 92-500, as amended by the CWA, Public Law 95-217, requires that the

discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. be

permitted by the CE. EPA has the primary role in developing the

environmental guidelines--the Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines

(Guidelines)--in conjunction with the CE, by which permit applications

must be evaluated. The Guidelines are published at 40 CFR Part 230.

Fundamental to the Guidelines is the precept that dredged or fill

material should not be discharged into the aquatic ecosystem, unless it

can be demonstrated that such a discharge will not have an unacceptable

adverse impact either individually or in combination with known and/or

probable impacts of other activities affecting the ecosystems of

concern.

Dredged material testing is part of the larger evaluation of a

proposed discharge activity to determine its compliance with the

Guidelines. Sections 230.60 and 230.61 of the Guidelines provide the

basis for certain contaminant-related factual determinations regarding

the potential environmental effects of a proposed discharge. The draft

Great Lakes Manual provides regional guidance on the testing provision

of the Guidelines, supplementing the draft National Manual which was

noticed for comment in the Federal Register on July 21, 1994 (59 FR

37234). The manuals detail the physical, chemical, and biological

evaluation procedures outlined in Secs. 230.60 and 230.61, including

technical guidance on sampling and handling, quality assurance,

chemical and physical analysis, and biological effects testing. The

draft Great Lakes Manual contains more specific information for the

Great Lakes system, including detailed bioassay test protocols.

Conclusions reached utilizing the manuals will be used to make factual

determinations of the potential environmental effects of a proposed

discharge of dredged material.

The final Great Lakes Manual will be published in approximately 6

months after review and consideration of the comments received on this

draft and in coordination with the development of the final National

Manual.

Dated: December 7, 1994.

Valdas Adamkus,

Regional Administrator, Region 5.

[FR Doc. 94-30947 Filed 12-16-94; 8:45 am]

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