scope:

INTRODUCTION

Sediment quality criteria are a controversial subject. This controversy covers the gamut from whether such criteria are necessary, to whether they can be developed, to what is the best means of developing them. Partly because of this controversy, A.P.I. requested E. V .S. Consultants to review the various approaches to sediment quality criteria development.

The term "criterion", as it is used in this paper, is not intended to imply that a regulatory mandate or law exists, or that there will be no flexibility or malleability allowed when and if appropriate criteria are developed. Rather, the word criterion is used simply to denote a standard on which a decision or judgement may be based.