Ocean Dumping; LA-3 Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site Designation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today designates LA- 3 as a permanent ocean dredged material disposal site (ODMDS) located offshore of Newport Beach, California, managed at a maximum annual dredged material disposal quantity of 2,500,000 cubic yards (yd\3\) (1,911,000 cubic meters [m\3\]), and adjusts the management of the permanently-designated LA-2 ODMDS at an increased maximum annual dredged material disposal quantity of 1,000,000 yd\3\ (765,000 m\3\) for the ocean disposal of clean dredged material from the Los Angeles County and Orange County regions. The availability of suitable ocean disposal sites to support ongoing maintenance and capital improvement projects is essential for the continued use and economic growth of the vital commercial and recreational areas in the region. Dredged material will not be allowed to be disposed of in the ocean unless the material meets strict environmental criteria established by the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The action would shift the center of the permanently-designated LA- 3 site approximately 1.3 nautical miles (nmi) (2.4 kilometers [km]) to the southeast of the interim LA-3 site, and encompass a region that is already disturbed by dredged material. The permanent site also would be located on a flat, depositional plain, and away from the submarine canyons, that will be more amenable to surveillance and monitoring activities. The LA-2 site is a permanently designated ODMDS that has been historically managed at an average annual disposal quantity of 200,000 yd\3\ (153,000 m\3\) for the disposal of material dredged primarily from the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor complex. The action will allow an increased volume of dredged material to be disposed annually at this site. The annual disposal quantity has occasionally exceeded the historical annual average due to capital projects from both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Thus, the new maximum volume designation would accommodate the project