WAC 173-204-500   Sediment cleanup decision process and policies.  (1) The standards of WAC 173-204-500 through 173-204-590 are procedures which specify a cleanup decision process for managing contaminated sediments. These procedures include:

     (a) Screening sediment station clusters of potential concern;

     (b) Conducting hazard assessments to identify cleanup sites;

     (c) Ranking sites identified in (b) of this subsection;

     (d) Determining the appropriate site cleanup authority;

     (e) Conducting a site cleanup study;

     (f) Determining the site-specific cleanup standard;

     (g) Selecting a site cleanup action; and

     (h) Where necessary, authorizing a cleanup site sediment recovery zone.

     (2) Under this chapter, the department may require or take those actions necessary to implement the standards of WAC 173-204-500 through 173-204-580 for all contaminated sediment stations on the inventory identified in WAC 173-204-350.

     (3) The cleanup process and procedures under this chapter and under other laws may be combined. The department may initiate a cleanup action under this chapter and may upon further analysis determine that another law is more appropriate, or vice versa.

     (4) It is the policy of the department to manage sediment cleanup actions towards the goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating adverse effects on biological resources and significant health threats to humans from sediment contamination. To achieve this goal, the department will pursue sediment cleanup decisions and cleanup standards that are as close as practicable to the sediment quality standards of WAC 173-204-320 through 173-204-340, including the consideration of net environmental effects, cost and technical feasibility. The department shall only authorize sediment recovery zones so as to minimize the number, size and adverse effects of all zones, with the intent to eliminate the existence of all such zones whenever practicable.

     (5) The department shall endeavor to make sediment cleanup decisions in an expeditious manner, as soon as all needed information is available, consistent with the availability of department resources and the priority of the cleanup site.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 43.21C, 70.105D, 90.48, 90.52, 90.54 and 90.70 RCW. 91-08-019 (Order 90-41), § 173-204-500, filed 3/27/91, effective 4/27/91.]