Publication Summary

In March 1991, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) adopted a state rule, the Sediment Management Standards (SMS), Chapter 173-204 WAC, addressing sediment quality. The SMS rule was reviewed and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, pursuant to Section 303 of the Clean Water Act. The SMS rule provides the regulatory framework for Ecology to monitor sediment quality in the state of Washington, requiring adherence to specific criteria for discharge source control and cleanup of contaminated sediments.

In March 1991, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) adopted a state rule, the Sediment Management Standards (SMS), Chapter 173-204 WAC, addressing sediment quality. The SMS rule was reviewed and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, pursuant to Section 303 of the Clean Water Act. The SMS rule provides the regulatory framework for Ecology to monitor sediment quality in the state of Washington, requiring adherence to specific criteria for discharge source control and cleanup of contaminated sediments.

The Environmental Review and Sediment Section (ERSS) has recently completed a triennial review of the SMS as required under the authority of the Clean Water Act. Triennial review provides the opportunity for incorporating revisions and/or modifications to the SMS bioassays generated by either public comment or technical improvements. The ERSS has requested assistance from the Environmental Investigations and Laboratory Services Program in conducting this review of the SMS bioassay suite, and recommending revisions to the bioassay requirements.

The Work Plan for Review of Sediment Management Standards Bioassay Protocols outlines the following tasks:

1. Review existing SMS bioassay protocols and recommend changes if needed 2. Provide recommendations for data deliverables to be included in sediment bioassay reports submitted to Ecology 3. Identify and evaluate bioassays not presently included which should be considered for use in the SMS.

This report describes the findings of Task 2. The primary objective of Task 2 is to develop a list of recommended minimum data deliverables for bioassay monitoring reports submitted to Ecology under authority of the SMS. There are presently no defined minimum quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) deliverables. Because it has been left to the discretion of the testing laboratories, the result has been inconsistency in the report format and type of deliverables submitted. Specified deliverables are needed to provide a consistent basis for evaluating the quality and interpreting bioassay data submitted for SMS projects.