(a) The monitoring program, if deemed necessary by the Regional Administrator or the District Engineer, as appropriate, may include baseline or trend assessment surveys by EPA, NOAA, other Federal agencies, or contractors, special studies by permittees, and the analysis and interpretation of data from remote or automatic sampling and/or sensing devices. The primary purpose of the monitoring program is to evaluate the impact of disposal on the marine environment by referencing the monitoring results to a set of baseline conditions. When disposal sites are being used on a continuing basis, such programs may consist of the following components:

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(1) Trend assessment surveys conducted at intervals frequent enough to assess the extent and trends of environmental impact. Until survey data or other information are adequate to show that changes in frequency or scope are necessary or desirable, trend assessment and baseline surveys should generally conform to the applicable requirements of § 228.13. These surveys shall be the responsibility of the Federal government.

(2) Special studies conducted by the permittee to identify immediate and short-term impacts of disposal operations.

(b) These surveys may be supplemented, where feasible and useful, by data collected from the use of automatic sampling buoys, satellites or in situ platforms, and from experimental programs.

(c) EPA will require the full participation of permittees, and encourage the full participation of other Federal and State and local agencies in the development and implementation of disposal site monitoring programs. The monitoring and research programs presently supported by permittees may be incorporated into the overall monitoring program insofar as feasible.