A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO MANAGE CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT DISPOSAL IN THE LOS ANGELES REGION

An estimated 2.5 million cubic meters of contaminated sediments will need to be dredged from Los Angeles regional harbors and estuaries over the next five years. Currently there is a lack of disposal options making the permitting of dredging projects with contaminated sediments difficult. As a result of an emergency dredging project conducted in March of 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 and the California Coastal Commission (CCC) concluded that the formulation of a regional task force was necessary to investigate and identify disposal management alternatives for the region's contaminated sediments. In a letter to the CCC dated July 11, 1995, the Los Angeles District Army Corps of Engineers declared its support for the concept of developing contaminated dredged material disposal management alternatives at the regional level. This regional task force, called the Los Angeles Contaminated Sediments Task Force (CSTF), first met in October 1995 with EPA Region 9 assuming the role as lead agency.