Regulations, Guidance, and Additional Information about the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act
On this page:
- MPRSA Statute and Regulations
- International Treaties: London Convention and London Protocol
- The EPA's National Guidance, Policies, and Reports to Congress
- The EPA's Regional Guidance, Policies, and Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- National Dredging Team Guidance
MPRSA Statute and Regulations, and International Treaties
National MPRSA Statute and Regulations
- The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (pdf)
- Code of Federal Regulations for the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act Part 220-229 (Title 40, Chapter I, Subchapter H)
International Treaties: London Convention and London Protocol
The EPA's National Guidance, Policies and Reports to Congress
National Guidance and Policies
- Testing Manual: Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Ocean Disposal (Green Book) (pdf)
- SMMP Guidance (pdf)
- Evaluating Environmental Effects on Dredged Material Management Alternatives (pdf)
- Evaluating Environmental Effects on Dredged Material Management Alternatives (pdf)
- National Guidance: Best Management Practices for Preparing Vessels Intended to Create Artificial Reefs (pdf)
- Methods for Collection, Storage and Manipulation of Sediments for Chemical and Toxicological Analyses: Technical Manual (pdf)
- Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans EPA QA/G-5 (pdf)
- QA/QC Guidance for Sampling and Analysis of Sediments (pdf)
- Guidance on Systematic Planning Using the Data Quality Objectives Process: EPA QA/G-4 (pdf)
MPRSA Reports to Congress
Between 1973 and 1990, EPA prepared reports to Congress on the administration of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act:
- Report to Congress - 1973
- Report to Congress - 1974
- Report to Congress - 1975
- Report to Congress - 1976
- Report to Congress - 1977
- Report to Congress - 1978
- Report to Congress - 1979
- Report to Congress - 1980
- Report to Congress - 1981-1983
- Report to Congress - 1984-1986
- Report to Congress - 1987-1990
The EPA's Regional Guidance, Policies, and Site Management and Monitoring Plans
In this section:
- Region 1 Guidance, Policies and SMMPs
- Region 2 Guidance, Policies and SMMPs
- Region 3 Guidance, Policies and SMMPs
- Region 4 Guidance, Policies and SMMPs
- Region 6 Guidance, Policies and SMMPs
- Region 9 Guidance, Policies and SMMPs
- Region 10 Guidance, Policies and SMMPs
Region 1 Guidance and Policies
Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Central Long Island Sound Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, CT/NY (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Eastern Long Island Sound Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, CT/NY (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Massachusetts Bay Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, MS (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Isle of Shoals North Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, ME (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Portland Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, ME (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Rhode Island Sound Disposal Site, RI (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Western Long Island Sound Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, CT/NY (pdf)
Region 2 Guidance and Policies
Guidance for Performing Tests on Dredged Material Proposed for Ocean DisposaL (pdf)
Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Arecibo Harbor, Ponce Harbor, San Juan Harbor, and Yabucoa Harbor Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, Puerto Rico (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Historic Area Remediation Site, NJ (pdf)
Region 3 Guidance and Policies
Mid-Atlantic Regional Implementation Manual for Dredged Material Evaluation for Norfolk and Dam Neck Ocean Disposal Sites (pdf)
Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Dam Neck Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, VA (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Norfolk Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, VA (pdf)
Region 4 Guidance and Policies
Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Brunswick Harbor Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, GA (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Canaveral Harbor Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Charleston Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, SC (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Fernandina Beach Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Fort Pierce Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Georgetown Harbor Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, SC (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Gulfport East and West Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, MS (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Jacksonville Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Miami Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Mobile Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, AL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Morehead City Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, NC (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Palm Beach Harbor Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Pascagoula Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, MS (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Pensacola Nearshore Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Pensacola Offshore Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Port Everglades Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Port Royal Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, SC (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Savannah Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, GA (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Tampa Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, FL (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Wilmington Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, NC (pdf)
Region 6 Guidance and Policies
Regional Implementation Agreement for Testing and Reporting Requirements for Ocean Disposal of Dredged Material off the Louisiana and Texas Coasts (pdf)
Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Atchafalaya River and Bayous Chene, Boeuf, and Black Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, LA (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Barataria Bay Waterway Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, LA (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Brazos Island Harbor Maintenance Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, TX (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Calcasieu Dredged Material Disposal Sites 1-3, LA (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, TX
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Freeport Harbor Maintenance and New Work Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, TX (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Galveston Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, TX (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Matagorda Ship Channel Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, TX (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Port Mansfield Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, TX (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Sabine-Neches Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, TX (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Southwest Pass Mississippi River Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, LA (pdf)
Region 9 Guidance and Policies
Local regional guidance is provided by San Francisco Bay’s Long Term Management Strategy (LTMS) and its Dredged Material Management Office (DMMO) for USACE San Francisco District projects and by the Southern California Dredged Material Management Team (SC-DMMT) for USACE Los Angeles District projects. For all other dredging projects involving ocean dumping, local sediment testing guidance is provided on a case-by-case basis, using the Ocean Testing Manual (Green Book).
- Guidelines for Implementing the Inland Testing Manual in the San Francisco Bay Region (pdf)
- QA/QC Guidance for Sampling and Analysis of Sediments (pdf)
Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- 2010 SMMP: Guam Deep Ocean Disposal Site (G-DODS) (pdf)
- 2024 SMMP: Five Hawai‘i Ocean Disposal Sites (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Humboldt Bay (HOODS) Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, CA
- 2024 SMMP: LA-2, LA-3, and LA-5 Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites (pdf)
- San Francisco Channel Bar Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (SF-8) Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP) (pdf)
- San Francisco Deepwater ODMDS SMMP (pdf)
Region 10 Guidance and Policies
Puget Sound Dredge Material Evaluation and Disposal Procedures (Users Manual)
Sediment Evaluation Framework for the Pacific Northwest
Site Management and Monitoring Plans
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Chetco River Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, OR (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Coos Bay Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, OR< (pdf)/a>
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Coquille River Entrance Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, OR (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Grays Harbor Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, WA (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Mouth of the Columbia River- Deep and Shallow Water Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, OR/WA
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Rogue River Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site, OR (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Siuslaw River Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, OR (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Umpqua River Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, OR (pdf)
- Site Management and Monitoring Plan for the Yaquina River Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites, OR (pdf)
National Dredging Team Guidance
- Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material Case Study: Jetty Island, Puget Sound (pdf)
- Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material Case Study: Poplar Island, Chesapeake Bay (pdf)
- Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material Case Study: San Francisco Bay Region (pdf)
- Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material Fact Sheet: Public Involvement and Outreach (pdf)
- Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material Fact Sheet: Project Partners and Decision Makers (pdf)
- Federal Standard: Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (pdf)
- Guidance for Local Planning Groups and Development of Dredged Material Management Plans (pdf)