The National Academies Testimony before Congress

Public Laws Containing Studies for the National Academies

Briefings to Congress

Congressionally Mandated Reports

Policy Statements and Historical Documents

The OCGA staff

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
National Research Council
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
Committee on Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites

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Congressional Briefings
Friday, June, 1, 2007
B-308 Rayburn House Office Bldg. – 2:00 p.m.
and
Monday, June 4, 2007
2325 Rayburn House Office Bldg. – 1:00 p.m.

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on

Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites:
Assessing the Effectiveness

by

Danny D. Reible, Bettie Margaret Smith Chair of Environmental Health Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin; and Member, Committee on Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council, The National Academies

Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites: Assessing the Effectiveness evaluates sediment dredging at Superfund megasites and whether risk reduction benefits from dredging have been achieved as predicted. The report discusses the short term and long-term effects from dredging including changes in potential for contaminant exposures to humans and ecological receptors, changes in environmental dispersion of contaminants, and changes in risks due to dredging related processes such as contaminated sediment resuspension during dredging operations. The committee considered current environmental monitoring regimens and their sufficiency to inform assessments of effectiveness and what practices should be implemented to improve monitoring strategies. Recommendations are also provided by the committee to facilitate scientifically based and timely decision making for megasites in the future.

This study, requested by Congress in P.L. 109-54, was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

These briefings were for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on Tuesday, June 5, 2007 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.