2008 Puget Sound PCB/Dioxin Survey aboard the OSV Bold

 

The Dredged Material Management Program  agencies (EPA, USACE - Seattle district, WADNR and Ecology) announced new procedures for evaluation of dredged material for the presence of dioxins in 2010. This evaluation process was initiated to ensure consistency with regulatory requirements, support the Puget Sound Initiative’s goals for Puget Sound, and to maintain the viability of the open-water disposal program . 

To support this effort, the EPA research vessel OSV Bold was used to collect data to assess concentrations of PCB congeners and dioxins in surface sediments throughout Puget Sound.  Prior to the 2008 Bold survey, very little dioxin data had been collected in areas of Puget Sound outside of known sources and cleanup sites.  The Bold survey collected samples from reference sites and locations distant from known sources of contamination in order for the DMMP to evaluate dioxin guideline alternatives and associated practical, economic, environmental, and regulatory consequences.