Ocean Dumping; Amendment of Site Designation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amends the site designation for the San Francisco Deep Ocean Disposal Site (SF-DODS), an existing deep ocean dredged material disposal site located off San Francisco, California, by establishing a new temporary disposal volume limit of 4.8 million cubic yards per year, and by extending the time period during which the disposal site would be managed under the temporary disposal volume limit by two years (through December 31, 1998). This amendment is necessary in order to allow the SF-DODS to remain an option for disposal of dredged material from authorized projects, while documentation addressing comprehensive long term dredged material management for the region is being completed. The amendment is intended to provide the region with continued access to an environmentally appropriate dredged material disposal alternative. It is emphasized that this action does not constitute or imply EPA Region 9's or the Corps San Francisco District's approval of actual ocean disposal of dredged materials. Before a permit allowing such ocean disposal may be issued, alternatives to ocean disposal must be considered and a need for the disposal established under the Marine, Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA). EPA Region 9 or the Corps San Francisco District will deny permits when either agency determines that feasible environmentally preferable alternatives are available, including beneficial use. Under today's final rule, the SF-DODS will remain designated as an available alternative for the disposal of suitable dredged material removed from the San Francisco Bay region and other nearby harbors or dredging sites for two years (through December 31, 1998). However, EPA is not setting a permanent annual disposal volume limit at this time, as originally envisioned in the August 11, 1994 site designation Final Rule. Instead, EPA is extending the existing interim management of the site at a new and reduced temporary disposal volume li