Ocean Dumping; De-designation of Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites and Designation of New Sites

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing its proposal to de-designate four existing ocean dredged material disposal sites located off of the mouth of the Columbia River near the states of Oregon and Washington and to designate two new sites, the Shallow Water site (SWS) and the Deep Water site (DWS). The new sites are needed for long-term use by authorized Columbia River navigation projects and may be available for use by others meeting the criteria for ocean disposal of dredged material. EPA published its proposal to designate the two new ocean disposal sites and to de-designate the four existing ocean disposal sites in the Federal Register on March 11, 2003 (68 FR 11488). The de-designation of existing sites is necessary to discontinue their use where the impact of disposal has resulted in changed and adverse site conditions. The newly designated sites are necessary for current and future dredged material ocean disposal needs and will be subject to ongoing monitoring and management to ensure continued protection of the marine environment from adverse effects to the greatest extent practicable.