(a) The state board shall adopt sediment quality objectives pursuant to the workplan submitted pursuant to Section 13392.6.

(b) The state board shall adopt the sediment quality objectives pursuant to the procedures established by this division for adopting or amending water quality control plans. The sediment quality objectives shall be based on scientific information, including, but not limited to, chemical monitoring, bioassays, or established modeling procedures, and shall provide adequate protection for the most sensitive aquatic organisms. The state board shall base the sediment quality objectives on a health risk assessment if there is a potential for exposure of humans to pollutants through the food chain to edible fish, shellfish, or wildlife.

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Terms Used In California Water Code 13393

  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Water Code 18
  • State board: means the State Water Resources Control Board. See California Water Code 13050
  • Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Water Code 10
  • United States: means the United States of America, and in relation to any particular matter includes the officers, agents, employees, agencies, or instrumentalities authorized to act in relation thereto. See California Water Code 20
  • Water quality control: means the regulation of any activity or factor which may affect the quality of the waters of the state and includes the prevention and correction of water pollution and nuisance. See California Water Code 13050

(c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in adopting sediment quality objectives pursuant to this section, the state board shall consider the federal sediment criteria for toxic pollutants that are being prepared, or that have been adopted, by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 1314 of Title 33 of the United States Code.

(2) If federal sediment criteria have been adopted, the state board shall review the federal sediment criteria and determine if the criteria meet the requirements of this section. If the state board determines that a federal sediment criterion meets the requirements of this section, the state board shall adopt the criterion as a sediment quality objective pursuant to this section. If the state board determines that a federal sediment criterion fails to meet the requirements of this section, the state board shall adopt a sediment quality objective that meets the requirements of this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 1157, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1994.)