Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS)-Specific Polychlorinated Biphenyl Worm Tissue Criterion

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing today to modify the designation of the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS) to establish a HARS-specific worm tissue polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) criterion of 113 parts per billion (ppb) for use in determining the suitability of proposed dredged material for use as Remediation Material. This amendment to the HARS designation would establish a pass/fail criterion for evaluating PCBs in worm tissue from bioaccumulation tests performed on dredged material proposed for use at the HARS as Remediation Material. This value would remain in effect until after EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) complete their review of the 2002 HARS human health scientific peer review comments, conduct and respond to the comments on the scientific peer review on the ecological proposal, and revise, as necessary, the process used to evaluate the suitability of dredged material proposed for use as Remediation Material at the HARS for all contaminants of concern in accordance with the September 27, 2000 Memorandum of Agreement between EPA and the USACE.

Agency Contact: Mr. Douglas Pabst, Team Leader, Dredged Material Management Team, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007-1866 (E-mail pabst.douglas@epa.gov) (212) 637-3797.