COORDINATING ACTIVITIES BETWEEN NOAA AND OTHER AGENCIES

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)(1) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollutio n Contingency Plan(2) (NCP) mandate protection of public health, we(fa re, and the environment at Superfund hazardous waste sites. The NCP re quires lead: response agenciesto integrate baseline risk assessments i nto the remedial process that ''assess threats to the environment.'' E PA policy statements(3) direct regional offices to perform thorough, c onsistent ecological risk assessments, and stress the importance of co ordination and technical consultation with the natural resource truste es. As a Federal natural trustee, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) role and responsibilities within the CERCLA p rocess also are defined and mandated by Federal law. NOAA is responsib le for identifying sites in the coastal zone that may affect natural r esources, evaluating injury to trust resources, and providing technica l advice on assessments and remedial and restoration alternatives. Sta tutes require lead cleanup agencies and trustee agencies to notify and coordinate with each other during CERCLA response. Over the past ten years, NOAA has gained valuable experience and technical expertise in environmental assessments and in evaluating contaminated aquatic envir onments. NOAA fulfills its responsibilities through an effective netwo rk of Coastal Resource Coordinators (CRCs) who can rapidly respond to local technical requirements and priorities, and coordinate effectivel y with technical and trustee representatives. In addition to CRCs, an interdisciplinary support group provides technical expertise in the sc ientific disciplines required to respond to the needs of regional acti vities. NOAA provides CRCs to coastal EPA regional offices for technic al support, and to act as liaisons with Federal and state natural reso urce trustee agencies. The CRCs help EPA and other lead response agenc ies identify and assess risks to coastal resources from hazardous wast e sites and to develop cost-effective strategies to minimize those ris ks. Notification of trustees of potential natural resource injuries an d coordination of subsequent investigations helps Federal and stare tr ustees to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Trustees' earl y involvement in the scoping of ecological risk assessments ensures th at assessments and the entire remedial process adequately evaluate the risk to trust resources. Coordination throughout the process makes if easier to develop cost-effective and protective remedies that enhance the recovery of natural resources. Examples of NOAA's successful coor dination and cooperative ecological risk assessments will be presented in briefcase studies for both EPA and Department of Defense (DOD) lea d sites.