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Protect Coastal and Ocean Waters PAM background information
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Completion of these reports is critical to our ability to determine whether we are making progress towards meeting Strategic Targets P and Q. Work on the 2004 NCCR is progressing on schedule – the draft report is scheduled for release in March 2004; the public comment period and internal peer and policy review will conclude in June; and the final report will be issued in September. In the 2004 report, the number of indicators has been reduced from seven to five; however, this change will not affect our ability to track progress back to the original seven indicators and consistent with Strategic Targets P and Q. Publication of the 2004 NCCR is also an action under the draft EPA 500-day plan. For the 2006 NCCR, in FY05 we will begin analyzing the data collected from 2001 - 2004, and begin writing the draft report.
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Effective dredged material planning and sediment management, including the beneficial re-use of dredged materials, requires open and early communication among federal and state dredged material regulators, watershed planners, and other interested parties. EPA Headquarters will work with the Corps of Engineers to track the number of dredged material management plans developed for major ports and harbors, and the percentage of dredged material that is managed in a beneficial manner. Such tracking is essential to evaluating our progress in managing sediments and using this valuable resource.
Excessive sediment erosion, transport, and deposition are estimated to cause damages of approximately $16 billion annually in North America. The US spends about $800 million annually on dredging. Sediment overloading from land and stream erosion causes significant environmental and economic challenges – excessive sediment in rivers, reservoirs, and estuaries may contribute to low water clarity, increased oxygen demand, eutrophic conditions, sediment contamination, loss of flood-carrying capacity, and sediment deposition in navigable waterways.
Much of the several hundred million cubic meters of sediment dredged each year from these navigable waterways could be used in an environmentally beneficial manner, such as for habitat restoration and creation, beach nourishment, aquaculture, forestry, agriculture, mine reclamation, and industrial and commercial development. Unfortunately, most of this dredged material is instead disposed in open water, confined disposal facilities, and upland disposal facilities.
We need to ensure open and early communication among Federal and State dredged material regulators, watershed planners, and other interested parties so that: (1) sources of sediment (and sources of contamination carried by the sediments) can be addressed; (2) the broadest range of beneficial use and disposal alternatives for dredged material can be evaluated; and (3) adequate funding for dredged material use or disposal can be secured. Local Planning/Project Groups can be an excellent vehicle to facilitate this communication and to foster the development of effective dredged material management plans to address these issues and to identify and implement beneficial use projects for dredged material.
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The monitoring of ocean dredged material disposal sites for proper and accurate dredged material disposal operations will assure the maintenance of high-quality estuarine and marine habitats, the continued health of coastal and oceanic fish and invertebrate populations, and compliance with the requirements of the law. For each ocean dumping site that is monitored in the reporting year (FY05), the Regions will report (1) the name of the site, (2) the name and date of the Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP), and (3) the following information on the monitoring:
| Type of Monitoring (check appropriate box(es) below) | Who paid for it? | If EPA paid, how much did it cost? | Was an EPA vessel used? |
| Bathymetry | |||
| Other Physical Monitoring (e.g., grain size, current speed) | |||
| Chemical Monitoring | |||
| Biological Monitoring |
Establishing appropriate SMMPs for these sites, and meeting the goals and requirements of these SMMPs, will contribute to improvements in water clarity and benthic health. In addition, testing requirements for the disposed dredged material will ensure that there are no negative impacts to dissolved oxygen concentrations, sediment condition, and fish tissue contaminant levels. Analysis of these monitoring efforts will substantially improve EPA’s ability to assess coastal and marine conditions, leading to more accurate national reporting results.
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EPA supports a national marine debris monitoring program through a grant to The Ocean Conservancy. This assessment and monitoring program collects information on the sources of marine debris on 174 beaches along US shorelines in order to better address this environmental and human health hazard. By 2005, The Ocean Conservancy’s network will be fully operational, with the data on marine debris sources posted on the Conservancy’s National Marine Debris Monitoring Program website. In January 2005, EPA will publish a five-year report on the program. This will contain the first statistically valid conclusions as to the sources of marine debris in specific regions of the country. That data will allow us to address those sources in those areas. Marine debris can: be detrimental to the benthic health of the marine environment; kill aquatic life (e.g., when debris is swallowed, or the animal becomes entangled); harm humans (e.g., used hypodermic needles on the beach); and damage property.
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Studies indicate that ballast water discharges are a major contributor
to the introduction of aquatic nuisance species into US waters. Mid-ocean
exchange of ballast water prior to entry into port, while less than 100%
effective as a control measure, can at least help address this problem
by reducing the number of potentially invasive organisms contained in
a vessel’s ballast water tanks.
Ballast water exchange requirements are developed under the authority of the National Invasive Species Act (NISA). Under § 1101 of NISA, the responsible Agency is the USCG. USCG has promulgated mandatory ballast water exchange requirements applicable to vessels equipped with ballast tanks that enter the Great Lakes or upper Hudson River after operating beyond the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 33 C.F.R Part 151, Subpart C. In addition, USCG has promulgated voluntary ballast water exchange guidelines for the remainder of the country. 33 C.F.R Part 151, Subpart D.
A USCG proposed rule to make such ballast water exchange mandatory on a nationwide basis was published in 2003 (68 Fed. Reg. 44691 (July 30, 2003)), and USCG intends to promulgate a final rule in Calendar Year 2004. EPA is providing technical support and assistance to USCG for this rulemaking, primarily in development of the Programmatic Environmental Assessment. EPA will continue to provide such assistance to USCG in 2004 so as to support their finalization of the rulemaking.
back to ocean PAM background information
Studies indicate that ballast water discharges are a major contributor
to the introduction of aquatic nuisance species into US waters. Mid-ocean
exchange of ballast water prior to entry into port is less than 100% effective
as a control measure; as a result, there is considerable interest in developing
ballast water discharge standards (most likely in the form of concentration-based
discharge standards) for organisms in ballast water.
Under § 1101 of NISA, USCG has issued regulations addressing ballast
water exchange requirements (see PAM # 77 for further details). NISA provides
that, as an alternative to ballast water exchange, ships may use other
environmentally sound methods for ballast management that are approved
by USCG, if such methods are at least as effective as ballast water exchange.
NISA §§ 1003(6), 1101(b)(2)(B)(iii) and (c)(2)(D)(iii).
Under NISA, USCG is in the initial stages of developing ballast water standards and has announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in furtherance of that rulemaking (68 Fed. Reg. 5559 (September 26, 2003)). Although USCG is the agency responsible for development of ballast water standards under NISA, EPA will be a cooperating agency on the EIS and has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with USCG to provide technical support and drafting assistance for EIS development. USCG work on that EIS is being initiated in Calendar Year 2004 with EPA support and assistance, and will continue in upcoming years to support the USCG rulemaking.
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Studies indicate that ballast water discharges are a major contributor
to the introduction of aquatic nuisance species into US waters and coastal
areas around the world. An international treaty to address ballast water
discharges from commercial vessels is being negotiated, under the auspices
of the International Maritime Organization, in order to help control such
discharges. OW participates
along with OIA and OGC on the multi-agency US delegation to those treaty
negotiations, which are expected to conclude in Calendar Year 2004. Any
resulting treaty would be subject to US ratification, including Senate
advice and consent. The US delegation is agreed that it will sign the
treaty only if it is environmentally protective and likely to reduce invasions
of aquatic nuisance species. OW will continue in upcoming years to participate
as appropriate on the US delegation for follow-up activities to that treaty,
such as development of technical guidelines, and for domestic implementation
should the treaty be signed/ratified by the US.
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In 2000, Congress passed a law regulating the discharge of sewage and gray water (wastewater from sinks, showers, laundries, and baths) from large cruise ships operating in the waters in and near Alaska. The law set requirements for these discharges and authorized EPA to develop discharge standards to replace those in the law. EPA is currently in the process of developing these standards, and expects to propose regulations in 2006. These discharge standards will address potential impacts from pathogens, nutrients, increased biological oxygen demand, and other contaminants on water quality and clarity and human and ecosystem health.
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The pollution of water from air deposition has become a significant concern in both fresh water and estuaries. A variety of pollutants, including nitrogen, metals such as mercury, and other natural and man-made compounds, including pesticides, can be transported from mobile and stationary sources and deposited on the land and be washed into water or fall directly into water. These compounds can travel various distances affecting both local waters, as well as long-range transport across states and internationally, to contribute to water pollution and food contamination concerns. While various activities are directed at reducing emissions from sources (see Subobjective 1.1, Healthier Outdoor Air), water quality managers need to be aware of both the possible contribution of these sources to water quality issues and the opportunities to reduce these impacts.
To that end, OW, in cooperation with the Regional NEP and TMDL coordinators, is undertaking a series of workshops to provide information and hands-on training for state and local officials with responsibility for TMDLs and NEPs with air deposition concerns. As of early FY2004, state air and water officials in 21 of the 31 coastal states had received training in the assessment of air/water interface issues.
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Mercury is one of various pollutants that can be transported from mobile and stationary air sources ultimately to coastal and other waterbodies. Mercury is an airborne toxic of particular concern because it persists in the environment and tends to bioaccumulate in the food web. While often present in minute amounts, mercury can be concentrated as it moves up the food chain from microorganisms to larger and longer living organisms. Of particular concern are human health effects, including developmental retardation in children, as well as cancer and other concerns for adults.
This measure reports on the number of coastal states that have at least
one mercury deposition monitoring station. Such stations provide useful
data on the scope and extent of the mercury deposition problem. As of
early FY2004, 23 of the 31 coastal states had at least one such station.
In addition to this measure, other parts of the EPA Strategic Plan relate
to the issue of airborne mercury and
its adverse effect on coastal and other waters. In particular, subobjective
1.1.2 addresses reducing air toxic emissions, including mercury emissions
from electric generating units.
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Each National Estuary Program uses a consensus-based, inclusive process to identify the major concerns in the estuary watershed and potential solutions to those problems. The resulting plan (Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, or CCMP) contains a variety of actions designed to protect and restore the estuary, tailored to the problems and solutions identified through that process. For a well-designed plan, implementation will result in environmental progress. It also shows respect for the process, and thereby earns continued support. Implementation also allows for mid-course corrections when it is determined that additional or different actions are needed to address a particular issue.
This measure reports on the number of CCMP priority action items that have been initiated and/or completed by the NEPs. Regular increases in implementation of priority actions will indicate continued progress in protecting and restoring our nation’s estuaries and their watersheds.
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This measure addresses the baseline report on the condition of the NEP
estuaries, and will be the tool used to measure success with Strategic
Target IV-C, described in detail above. We are in the process of drafting
the 2006 NEP baseline report, starting with a draft for the Gulf of Mexico
NEPs comparing the National Coastal Assessment-collected data with data
collected by each NEP and
its partners. This draft will be reviewed by the NCCR workgroup, revised
as needed, and work will proceed in the other coastal regions. A complete
draft of the NEP baseline report is scheduled for early-mid FY 2005.
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Definition and how to report (PDF, 92KB, 5 pages)
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An indicator summarizes complex information into a simplified and useful
manner to facilitate the measurement of status and trends. When tracked
over time, an indicator can provide information on trends in the condition
of a system. By FY2005, each NEP will have individual, estuary-specific
indicators in place. These indicators will range from health and abundance
of a particular species of
fish or shellfish to the percentage change in impervious surface to the
change in the number and abundance of an invasive species.
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