Washington Administrative Code › Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508) › Chapter 173-204 - Sediment management standards › Part II - DEFINITIONS › Section 173-204-200 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions
				  shall apply unless the context indicates otherwise:
(1) "Acute" means measurements of biological
				effects using surface sediment bioassays conducted for time periods that are
				relatively short in comparison to the life cycle of the test organism. Acute
				effects may include mortality, larval abnormality, or other endpoints
				determined appropriate by the department.
(2) "Amphipod" means crustacean of the Class
				Amphipoda, e.g., Rhepoxynius abronius, Ampelisca abdita, Eohaustorius
				estuarius, or Hyalella azteca.
(3)
				"Appropriate biological tests" means only tests designed to measure directly,
				or through established predictive capability, biologically significant adverse
				effects to the established or potential benthic or aquatic resources at a given
				location, as determined by rule by the department.
(4) "Beneficial uses" means uses of waters of
				the state which include, but are not limited to, use for domestic, stock
				watering, industrial, commercial, agricultural, irrigation, mining, fish and
				wildlife maintenance and enhancement, recreation, generation of electric power,
				and preservation of environmental and aesthetic values, and all other uses
				compatible with the enjoyment of the public waters of the state.
(5) "Best management practices" or "BMPs"
				means schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance
				procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the pollution
				of surface sediments of the state. BMPs also include treatment requirements,
				operating procedures and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or
				leaks, sludge or water disposal, or drainage from raw material
				storage.
(6) "Bioassay" means a
				test procedure that measures the response of living plants, animals, or tissues
				to a sediment sample.
(7) "Chronic"
				means measurements of biological effects using sediment bioassays conducted
				for, or simulating, prolonged exposure periods of not less than one complete
				life cycle, evaluations of indigenous field organisms for long-term effects,
				assessment of biological effects resulting from bioaccumulation and
				biomagnification, and/or extrapolated values or methods for simulating effects
				from prolonged exposure periods. Chronic effects may include mortality, reduced
				growth, impaired reproduction, histopathological abnormalities, adverse effects
				to birds and mammals, or other endpoints determined appropriate by the
				department.
(8) "Contaminated
				sediment" means surface sediments exceeding the applicable sediment quality
				standards in WAC
				173-204-320 through
				173-204-340 or the applicable
				sediment cleanup standards in WAC
				173-204-560.
(9) "Control sediment sample" means a surface
				sediment sample which is relatively free of contamination and is physically and
				chemically characteristic of the area from which bioassay test animals are
				collected. Control sediment sample bioassays provide information concerning a
				test animal's tolerance for stress due to transportation, laboratory handling,
				and bioassay procedures. Control sediment samples cannot exceed the applicable
				sediment quality standards of WAC
				173-204-320 through
				173-204-340 or the applicable
				criteria in WAC 173-204-562 and
				173-204-563.
(10) "Department" means the department of
				ecology.
(11) "Freshwater
				sediments" means surface sediments in which the sediment pore water contains
				less than or equal to 0.5 parts per thousand salinity.
(12) "Low salinity sediments" means surface
				sediments in which the sediment pore water contains greater than 0.5 parts per
				thousand salinity and less than 25 parts per thousand salinity.
(13) "Marine finfish rearing facilities"
				means those private and public facilities located within state waters where
				finfish are fed, nurtured, held, maintained, or reared to reach the size of
				release or for market sale.
(14)
				"Marine sediments" means surface sediments in which the sediment pore water
				contains 25 parts per thousand salinity or greater.
(15) "Minor adverse effects" means a level of
				effects that:
(a) Has been determined by rule
				by the department, except in cases subject to WAC
				173-204-110(6);
				and
(b) Meets the following
				criteria:
(i) An acute or chronic adverse
				effect to biological resources as measured by a statistically and biologically
				significant response relative to reference or control, as appropriate, in no
				more than one appropriate biological test as defined in WAC
				173-204-200(3);
				or
(ii) A statistically and
				biologically significant response that is significantly elevated relative to
				reference or control, as appropriate, in any appropriate biological test as
				defined in WAC
				173-204-200(3);
				or
(iii) Biological effects per
				(b)(i) or (ii) of this subsection as predicted by exceedance of an appropriate
				chemical or other deleterious substance standard, except where the prediction
				is overridden by direct biological testing evidence pursuant to (b)(i) and (ii)
				of this subsection; and
(c) Does not result in significant human
				health risk as predicted by exceedance of an appropriate chemical, biological,
				or other deleterious substance standard.