[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 242 (Thursday, December 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69626-69627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33216]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6202-2]


Great Lakes Dredged Material Testing and Evaluation Manual

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Great Lakes Dredged Material Testing 
and Evaluation Manual.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the availability of the testing manual 
entitled ``Great Lakes Dredged Material Testing and Evaluation Manual'' 
(Great Lakes Manual). The Great Lakes 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 document supplements the manual entitled ``Evaluation of Dredged 
Material Proposed for Discharge in Waters of the U.S.-Testing Manual 
(Inland National Manual), EPA-823-B-98-004,'' which was finalized in 
February 1998. The Great Lakes Manual contains more specific guidance 
than the National Manual specifically for the Great Lakes system, 
including detailed bioassay test protocols. The Great Lakes Manual was 
noticed for comment in the Federal Register on December 19, 1994. Both 
the draft Inland Testing Manual and the Great Lakes Manual were issued 
pursuant to the provisions of section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act 
and 40 CFR part 230.

DATES: The Great Lakes Manual is intended to be utilized by The Corps 
of Engineers and all applicants for section 404(b)(1) dredged material 
discharge permits until March 17, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The Great Lakes Dredged Material Testing and Evaluation 
Manual can be obtained from the Internet at:

www.epa.gov/glnpo/sediment/gltem/

Copies are also available by contacting Marc Tuchman, USEPA Great Lakes 
National Program Office--G-9J, 77 West Jackson Street, Chicago, IL 
60604; telephone: (312) 353-1369.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jan Miller, USACE Great Lakes & Ohio 
River Division, 111 North Canal Street, Chicago, IL 60606-7205; 
telephone: (312) 353-6354; Marc Tuchman, USEPA

[[Page 69627]]

Great Lakes National Program Office--G-9J, 77 West Jackson Street, 
Chicago, IL 60604; telephone: (312) 353-1369; or John Dorkin, USEPA 
Region 5--WS-16J, 77 West Jackson Street, Chicago, IL 60604; telephone: 
(312) 886-1980.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: See also Notice of Availability of draft 
Great Lakes Manual at 59 FR 65358, December 19, 1994; proposed rule at 
60 FR 419, January 4, 1995; and Notice of Availability of Inland 
Testing Manual at 63 FR 10218, March 2, 1998. 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, Pub. L. 92-500, as amended by the CWA, Pub. L. 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 section 404(b)(1) 
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 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) and a proposed rule for the Comparison 
of Dredged Material to Reference Sediment at 60 FR 60419. These 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 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.

    Dated: December 2, 1998.
Jo Lynn Traub,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 98-33216 Filed 12-16-98; 8:45 am]
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