News Release
| Release Number: | 01-131 |
| Dated: | 9/18/2001 |
| Contact: | Public Affairs Office, 503-808-4510 |
Corps convenes Team to evaluate ocean disposal management practices
Portland, Ore. -- The Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has convened a Review Team to evaluate ocean dredged material disposal management practices used by the Corps at the mouth of the Columbia River. The four-member Team, which began work Monday, Sept. 17, includes two ocean disposal experts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): one from EPA Region 3, Philadelphia, and the second from EPA Region 9, San Francisco. The review is being coordinated with Region 10, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The other two members are from Corps offices outside the Northwest. One is from Massachusetts, and handles a large dredging program there. The second, from the Engineering Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Miss., is a research scientist knowledgeable in ocean wave modeling and prediction. Such models are used by the Corps to manage ocean disposal sites. The Review Team will analyze site management practices at the EPA/Corps ocean disposal Site E, which is near the mouth of the Columbia River. The disposal site has been mentioned in the news media as a possible factor in an Aug. 7 fishing boat accident near Peacock Spit in that area. The Team also will determine whether any modifications to current management practices, such as dispersal and monitoring methods, could improve the Corps' ability to effectively use ocean disposal sites. If findings indicate improvements or modifications are needed, the Team is charged with making such recommendations for Site E and for all disposal actions near the mouth of the Columbia River. The Corps currently uses three disposal sites for maintenance dredging of that portion of the federal navigation channel. If the Team identifies other concerns related to dredged material disposal options, they also are asked to provide recommendations regarding those concerns at the conclusion of their review. The Corps takes its responsibility for public safety very seriously, whether it is safety at Corps hydropower projects, in Corps recreational facilities, or in the way dredging operations are performed. The Portland District continues to support the U.S. Coast Guard in their investigation of the causes of the Aug. 7 accident. An Aug. 29, 2001, congressional letter was sent to the Coast Guard and the Corps requesting that investigation.
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