Lauma Jurkevics, CCC
David Moore, MEC Analytical
Omer Kadaster, Kleinfelder
Steve Bay, SCCWRP
Terri Ely, Corps
Stacey Crouch, POLB
Ralph Appy, POLA
Michael Lyons, RWQCB
Steven John, USEPA

The entire meeting focused on refining the mission statement, establishing goals and setting objectives/work products for the subcommittee.

The subcommittee determined that the principle focus should be on dredged materials and should not, for example, include sediments that are part of a clean-up action.

The mission statement for the subcommittee was set as: "The subcommittee is to develop consistent guidance for the interpretation of sediment chemistry data and the application of sediment quality guidance for the evaluation of dredged materials for aquatic disposal."

Using the mission statement as guidance, the goal of the subcommittee was identified as: "Develop technically defensible bulk sediment chemistry based guidance for the identification of sediments suitable for unconfined aquatic disposal." It was further discussed that it was implicit that this work would be scientifically based ("technically defensible") and would be within the scope of the existing regulatory framework.

Based on this goal, four objectives were identified:

(1) evaluate existing sediment quality guidelines and establish their suitability for use in the Los Angeles region;
(2) compile existing local sediment chemistry and effects data into a single database;
(3) develop standardized data transfer formats for reporting dredged material evaluation results; and,
(4) adopt existing SQG, or refine existing SQG with local data to develop regional SQGs.

Based on these discussions and the identified mission, goal and objectives, the following tasks were assigned:

(1) EPA will renew request to POLA and Corps to survey and summarize their existing dredged material data (EPA, POLB, RWQCB, and SCCWRP have already completed this preliminary survey of their databases);
(2) SCCWRP will evaluate whether they would be host to the dredged materials data and will coordinate with NOAA regarding their database and the exchange of data;
(3) EPA will e-mail to the subcommittee an electronic copy of NOAA paper;
(4) EPA will provide comparison of SQGs (already prepared by Region 9) to serve as basis for completing objective #1; and,
(5) EPA will draft Work Plan for FY 1999-2000 for review by the subcommittee before September 21, 1999 CSTF management committee meeting.

Next sediment subcommittee meeting was set for 1:30-3:30pm, September 21, 1999 -- following the CSTF management committee meeting -- at the Port of Los Angeles.