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EPA, CORPS SIGN BAY DREDGING STRATEGY

Release Date: 7/16/1999
Contact Information: Leo Kay, U.S. EPA, 415/744-2201, Cindy Fergus, USACE, 415/977-8659

Strategy will cut dredged material dumping in Bay by 75 percent

     SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today signed the final strategy for managing dredged materials in the San Francisco Bay for the next 50 years, a move that will decrease the  disposal of dredged sediment in the Bay by more than 75 percent from 1990 levels.

     The strategy will also quadruple the amount of material reused in wetlands restoration projects.

     The "Long Term Management Strategy"   co-written by the EPA, the Corps of Engineers, State Water Control Board, San Francisco Regional Water Resources Quality Control Board, and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission with the participation of the shipping and environmental community   emphasizes reusing material dredged from the Bay's shipping lanes and harbors, and decreased disposal of such materials in the Bay.  The plan calls for 40 percent of dredged material to be reused for purposes such as wetlands restoration, levee repair and landfill cover; another 40 percent to be disposed of in a deep ocean site 50 miles west of San Francisco; and only 20 percent of the material to be dumped in the Bay.

    With today's signing of the strategy's record of decision, the EPA and the Corps of Engineers are invoking the initial stages of the plan: reducing overall disposal in the Bay.  In the meantime, all of the parties involved are now working on the management plan, which will address specific policies and other activities the agencies will undertake to implement the strategy.

     "This strategy allows us to promote a healthy shipping industry without compromising the Bay's ecosystem.  It took many long hours of work by a coalition of unlikely partners to achieve both important goals.  Today's action is a victory for the economy, the environment and common sense," said Felicia Marcus, adminstrator of the EPA's Region 9.  "In combination with the EPA's other efforts to promote the area's water, land and air quality, this is a key milestone in creating a healthier, cleaner San Francisco Bay for years to come."

     "Today marks a significant milestone in a journey that began 10 years ago when the Army  Corps of Engineers initiated the Long Term Management Study for the  disposal of dredged  material within San Francisco Bay," said Col. (P) Peter T. Madsen, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division.  "A federal, state, and local partnership was formed to tackle this complex regional issue.  Over that span of time, some 70 agencies and organizations came together in a collaborative effort to arrive at a solution that will ensure that the navigational and environmental needs of San Francisco Bay are protected."

     Loretta Barsamian, executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, noted that, "Dredging and the disposal of dreged materials can have significant impacts on water quality in San Francisco bay.  The LTMS partnership's work assures that these activities will have minimal impacts on the Bay.  At the same time, shipping, with all its economic benefits to the Bay Area, can proceed."

     "When we initiated the LTMS 10 years ago, our goal was to develop an environmentally friendly and economically sound dredging plan for the Bay Area. At the time, we were in the midst of what everyone called 'mudlock,' so achieving our goal seemed daunting,"  said Will Travis, executive director of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission.  "Now, after a decade of careful planning and lots of public involvement, we have shown that sometimes even the loftiest goals are attainable. The ROD signing will ensure the continued success of the LTMS."

     Under the strategy, all dredged material will be evaluated for pollutants, and, if suitable, will then be transported to the approved location.  To ensure that dredgers are complying with the strategy, the EPA, the Corps of Engineers and others have enforcement authority under the Clean Water Act, the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, and state statutes.  

     Currently, an average of 6 million cubic yards of sediments are dredged from navigation areas in the Bay each year.  Recent dredging projects have already begun implementing this new approach.  For example, millions of cubic yards of dredged material from the Port of Oakland's 42-foot deepening project were used to restore over 300 acres of tidal wetlands at the Sonoma Baylands Site, and the rest was sent to the deep ocean disposal site.   Efforts are now underway to establish other similar sites where bay mud can be used to create wetlands habitat.

     The effort to create a long term management strategy for dredged material began in 1990 as a partnership between government agencies, fishing and navigation interests, environmental groups and the public to find solutions to the disposal question.  The group has been working ever since to develop an approach to dredged material management that will support the Bay's $7.5 billion shipping economy, while reducing the environmental impact of in-bay disposal.  

     Last year, Vice President Al Gore presented the consortium with the prestigious "Hammer Award" for its efforts to cut red tape for dredging permits in the Bay.

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