USACE Mobile District is responsible for maintaining navigation channels along the Gulf of Mexico from Mississippi to the panhandle of Florida. Under Section 102 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is authorized to designate ODMDSs for ocean disposal of dredge material. EPA site designations are published in the Federal Register at 40 CFR Part 228. Site designations include a description of the site, the type of material for which the site is designated, and any restrictions on site use established by EPA.
USACE identified a need to convert a previously selected Section 103 site into an authorized Section 102 site. The objective of this project was to evaluate the existing sediment and site water characteristics at the proposed disposal area. ANAMAR was contracted by USACE to help coordinate a site designation survey of the proposed Mobile ODMDS with EPA Region 4. ANAMAR assisted in the collection of sediment and water samples within the proposed disposal area, subcontracted laboratory analysis of samples, reviewed and compiled data into summary tables, and presented results in a final report. Field operations during the site designation surveys were performed aboard the EPA Ocean Survey Vessel (OSV) Bold.