1. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Development of a Regional Guidance Document for Dredged Material Evaluation Christopher McArthur, P.E. (US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 - USA) Nadia Lombardero (ANAMAR Environmental Consulting, Inc. - USA) Doug Johnson (US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 - USA) Phil Payonk (US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District - USA)

2. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Dredged Material: Regulatory History Marine, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) October 23, 1972 – October 23, 2012

3. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Dredged Material: Regulatory History Statute: MPRSA (Oct. 23, 1972 ) Regulation: CFR National Guidance: Green Book Regional Guidance: RIM

4. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Need: Why was revision of the RIM important? Old Guidance Difficult to Follow Improve Regional Consistency Court Decisions: Existing guidance was found to be inconsistent with the regulations " The Green Book is merely a guidance document which cannot be given the effect of amending the regulations."

5. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Need: Why was revision of the RIM important? Panama Canal Outdated Methods Improved Detection Limits Advances in Scientific Methodology More Material Going Offshore:  Post Panamax Expansion  Reduced Upland Capacity  More Applicants

6. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Challenges to Update Working with Old National Guidance Working with 5 Districts Inconsistency Between Districts Balancing Science with Laws, Regulations, and International Agreements

7. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Solutions: Opportunity to Revamp the Manual Drew from Other Regions’ Experiences and Expertise (R1, 2, 9, and 10) Sought Recommendations from Private Industry Developed a User-Friendly Format Created Templates to Help with Standardization Created Checklists

8. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present 2008 Southeast Regional Implementation Manual (SERIM) Clarification of procedures for applying for permits and coordination requirements Expanded use of tables, charts, and images to assist the user in following all procedures

9. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM – SAP/QAPP Development of a Sampling and Analysis Plan/Quality Assurance Project Plan (SAP/QAPP) template designed to provide a consistent format for all projects in compliance with EPA’s Quality Assurance Policy. This template is based on EPA Guidance QA/G-5.

10. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM - Sampling Guidance on determining sampling sites, number of samples to be collected, the composting scheme, and the depth of sampling

11. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM - Sampling Guidance on determining sample collection methods, sample integrity, appropriate equipment, and compositing methods

12. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM – Reference Sites Fixed locations for reference sites: Based on studies conducted by EPA Region 4, the SERIM provides recommended reference sites known to be free of sources of contamination and with physical characteristics that can be matched with the dredged material being evaluated.

13. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM – Physical and Chemical Testing Incorporated new analytical technologies that were not available in 1993 Updated analytical reporting limits Updated lists of contaminants of concern Introduced clean-up methods

14. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM - Toxicology Expanded information on species and test conditions for toxicological analysis, including performance criteria for the organisms exposed to the reference sediment. Greater guidance on bioaccumulation interpretation: The document provides screening levels based on calculated ecological effects thresholds and background tissue concentrations as measured by EPA Region 4 in field studies of coastal waters in the southeastern U.S.

15. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM – Reporting and Statistics Substantial guidance on reporting and statistical analysis, including how to deal with analytes not detected and with outliers Water and elutriate chemistry data should be reported as µg/L. If analyte concentrations are below the LRL, they should be reported in the summary tables and flagged according to NELAC standards. Replicate 1Replicate 2Replicate 3Replicate 4Replicate 5 90%95%90%85%25% Normal Distribution in Blue Skewed Distribution in Red

16. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM - Checklists Review checklists to assist in validating results and data quality objectives for applicant and regulators. This includes a detailed checklist for QA/QC requirements for physical, chemical, and biological analysis. For Regulators: SAP/QAPP Checklist and Sediment Testing Report Checklist

17. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM – Completed Beta Testing Document Signing Training Winner of EPA’s Bronze Medal Award!

18. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM – Results Improved Coordination up Front Improved Quality Assurance More Standard Processes and Formats Expedited Reviews Improved Efficiency of Document Preparation Better Understanding of Program by Regulators and the Regulated Community

19. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present SERIM – Results Living Document – Planned Updates:  New guidance on water quality modeling, including how to address material bulking and clumping during the dredging process  Test condition updates  Summation techniques for non-detected compounds  Appropriate digestion procedures  More QA guidance  Elutriate-phase ammonia Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) procedures

20. 1972 1977 1991 1993 2002 2006 2008 Present Thanks for Attending our Presentation QUESTIONS?