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 One participant proposed that regulators reject permit applications and require
submission of additional information or reconsideration of projects when the
potential for adverse effects is very uncertain. Others responded that the applicant
might have limited flexibility for reconsidering the project.
One group member recommended that the USACE recognize the social ecology
surrounding dredged material management project controversies. Specifically,
human value judgments about ecology are the focus of dredged material
management decisions and could prevent objective management of cumulative
risk. For example, a disposal option might be rejected simply because it is located
in close proximity to people, even if it has the least potential to cause adverse
human health and ecological impacts.
Research Needs
Workgroup members were asked to recommend research initiatives to eliminate
large contributors to uncertainty in the risk characterization of dredged material
management alternatives. Their major research request was to report on case
studies that demonstrate how risk assessment and uncertainty analysis could aid
regulatory decision-making, research planning, and risk communication. Other
important recommendations are listed below in no particular order:
a. Expand on existing centralized research databases (e.g., ERED) and create
new centralized databases.
b. Conduct new research to derive tissue effect levels.
c. Monitor environmental effects of dredged material management activities
and compare to predictions of effects (e.g., compare trophic transfer data
to model results).
d. Determine innovative ways to quantify risk at dispersive versus non-
dispersive sites.
e. Gather life-cycle information to aid in the interpretation of BSAF and the
extrapolation of BSAF across taxa.
f.
Improve understanding of basis for extrapolating from laboratory to field
conditions, including extrapolations from lab species to native species,
from individual indicator species to populations.
g. Investigate efforts of others to develop ecosystem models (i.e., models that
illustrate relationships among species).
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Chapter 4 Risk Characterization Workgroup Summary
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