FLOOD08883

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Federal Register EPA Guidelines for Specification of Disposal Sites for Dredged or Fill Material
• Date: 12/24/1980
• Prepared By: EPA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

85354 Federal Register / Vol. 45. No. 249 / Wednesdav. December 24. 1980 / Rules and Regulations

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~ 230.52 Water-related recreation.
(a) Water-related recreation
encompasses activities undertaken for
amusement and relaxation. Activities
encompass two broad categories of use:
consumptive. e.g.. harvesting resources
by hunting and fishing: and non-
comsumptive. e.g. canoeing and sight-
seeing.
(b 1 Possible loss of values: One of the
more important direct impacts of
dredged or fill disposal is to impair or
destroy the resources which support
r~crelltion activities. The disposal of
dredged or fill material may adversely
m Jdify or destroy water use for
recreation by changir:g turbidity.
suspended particuldtes. temperature.
dissolved oxygen. dissolved materials.
toxic materials. pathogenic organisms.
quality of habitat. and the aesthetic
qJlalities of sight. taste. odor. and calor.

~ 230.53 Aesthetics.
fa) Aesthetics associated with the
tl':llJatic ecosystem consist of tho:?
perception of beauty by one or a
combination of the senses of sight,
hearing. tonch, and smell. Aesthetics of
aqu<}lic ecosystems apply to the qlJality
of life enJoyed by the general public and
property owners.
(b) Possible loss of values: The
discharge of dredged Of fill material can
mar the be'luty of natural aquatic
PC(l~vstems by degrading water quality,
cn~Hting distracting disposal sites,
inducing inappropriate development,
encouraging l,;,nplanned and
incompatible human access. and by
destroying vital elements that contribute
to the compositional hannony or unity,
visual distinctiveness. or diversity of an
area. The discharge of dredged 0r fill
material can adversely affect the
particular features. traits. or
characteristics of an aquatic arc a which
make it valuable to property owners.
Acti\"ities which degrade water quality,
disrupt natural substrate and
vegetational characterishcs. deny
i.lcccs~ tl' or visibilitv of the resource, or
result i~ changes in odor. air quality, or
nnise levels may reduce the value of an
aquatic area to r;;-lvate property owners.

~ 230.54 Parks, national and historical
monuments. national seashores, wilderness
areas, re~earch sites, and similar
pre~erves.
[a] These preserves consist of areas
designated under Federal and Slate
IHws cr 10cCll ordinances to bp. man2~ed
fur theif aesthelic. educational. -
historical. recreatianal. or scientific
value.
(bJ Possible loss of values: The
discharge of dredged or fill material into
such areas may modify the aesthetic,

educational. historical. recreational'
and/or scientific qualities thereby
reducing or eliminating the uses for
which such sites are set aside and
managed.
Note.-Possible actions to minimize
adverse impacts regarding site or material
characteristics can be found in Subpart H.

Subpart G-Evaluation and Testing

~ 230.60 General evaluation of dredged or
fill material.

The purpose of these evaluation
procedures and the chemical and
biological testing sequence outlined in
t 230.61 is to provide information to
reaca the determinations required by
t 230.11. 'Wbere the results of prior
evaluations, chemical and biological
tests, scientific research. and experience
can provide information helpful in
making a determination, these should be
used. Such prior results may make new
testing unnecessary. The information
used shall be documented. Where the
same information applic'J to more than
one determination. it may be
documented once and referenced in
ialer determinations.
(a) If the evaluation under paragraph
(b) indicates the dredged or fill material
is not a carrier of contaminants, then the
required determinations pertaining to
the presence and effects of
contaminants can be made without
testing. DrEdged or fill material is most
likely to be free from chemical,
biological. or other pollutants where it is
composed primarily of sand, gravel, or
other naturally occurring inert material.
Dredged material so composed is
generally found in areas of high current
or wave enerFlY such as streams with
large bed loads or coastal areas with
shifting bars and channels. However.
when such material is discolored or
contains other indications that
contamlnants may be present. further
inquiry should be made.
(b) The extraction site shall be
examined in oraer to :'lSSf!>S whether it
is sufficientlv removed from ~ources of
pollution to providp. reasonable
assurance that the proposed discharge
material is not a carrier of
contaminants. Factors to be considered
include but are not limited to:
(1] Potential routes of contaminants or
contaminated sediments to the
extraction site. based on hydrographic
or other maps. aerial photography, or
other materials that show watercourses.
surface relief. proximity !o tidal
movement. private and public roads.
location of buildings. municipal and
industrial areas, and agricultural or
forest lands.

(2: Pertinent results from tests
previously carried out on the material at
the E~xtraction site. or carried out on
simLar material for other permitted
projects in the vicinity. Materials shall
be cl>nsidered similar if the sources of
contamination. the physical
configuration of the sites and the
sediment composition of the materials
are comparable, in light of water
circLlation and stratification. sediment
accumulation and general sediment
characteristics. Tests from other sites
may be relied on only if no changes
have occurred at the extraction sites to
render the results irrelevant.
(3J Any potential for significant
introduction of persistent pesticides
flom land runoff or percolation:
(4J Any records of spilfs or disposal of
petroleum products or substances
designated as hazardous under section
311 (If the Clean Water Act (See 40 CFR
116);
(5] Information in Federal. State and
loca:, records indicating significant
introduction of pollutants Irom
industfles, municipalities. or other
sour:es. including types and amounts of
was1'~ r.;--terials discharged along the
poten.tial routes of contaminants to the
extraction site: and
(6] Any possibility of the presence of
substantial natural deposits of minerals
or other substances which could be
released to the aquatic environment in
harmful qUilntities by man-induced
discharge activities.
(c] To reach the determinations in
fi 230.11 involving potential effects of the
discharge on the Characteristics of the
disp<Jsal site, the narrative guidance in
Subparts C-F shall be used along with
the E:eneral evaluation procedure in
~ 230.00 and, if necessary, the chemical
and biological testing sequence in
t 2.30.61. Where the discharge site is
adiacent to the extraction site and
subj'~ct to the same sources of
contaminants. and materials at the two
sites are substantially similar. the fact
thr; t the ma terial to be discharged may
be a c<J.rrier of contammants is not likely
to result in degradation of the disposal
site. III such circumstances. when
dissulved material and suspended
par1lculates can be controlled to prevent
carrying pollutants to less contaminated
areas, testing will not be required.
(dl Even if the I 230.60(b) evaluation
(previous tests. the presence of polluting
mdustries and information about their
di~c:harge or runoff into waters of the
V.S.. bioinventories, etc.) leads to the
conclusion that there is a high
probability that the material proposed
for discharge is a carrier of
contaminants. testing may not be
necessary if constraints are available to