![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Dredging and Sediment Management
| Dredging and Sediment Management Quick Finder | |||
| Oceans, Coasts, and Estuaries Home | Regional Teams and Partners | ||
| Dredging & Sediment Home | Disposal Sites | ||
National Information
Dredged material being loaded onto a barge, and then towed to the disposal site.
Dredging is necessary to create and maintain navigation channels to our nation’s ports, harbors, marinas, and naval facilities. Several million cubic yards of sediment are dredged each year at such facilities throughout Region 9. Managing and regulating all this dredged sediment is a shared responsibility of EPA and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), under both the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA, or Ocean Dumping Act). Consistent with the National Dredging Policy, EPA encourages the “beneficial reuse” of dredged material.
Key activities in Region 9 include:
- Establishing and managing offshore ocean dredged material disposal sites under MPRSA.
- Jointly, with USACE, managing inshore dredged material disposal sites under the Clean Water Act.
- Directing sediment chemical and toxicity testing to ensure that only suitable (non toxic) dredged sediments are discharged at disposal sites
- Enforcing Ocean Dumping (40 CFR 220-229) and Clean Water Act (40CFR 230) regulations
- Co-chairing interagency Regional Dredging Teams, and working in other partnerships, to increase beneficial reuse, maintain environmental quality, and streamline the permitting process for dredging
Ocean Disposal Sites in Region 9
Maps, Site Management and Monitoring Plans (SMMPs), and other descriptive information.
New Ocean Disposal Site Proposed for Guam
Get information on how to comment, and to download the draft Environmental Impact Statement and supporting documents.
Regional Dredging Teams and Other Partnerships
Information and links to regional dredging teams and other partnership efforts.Contact Information
David W. Smith (smith.davidw@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3464