For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context indicates otherwise:

(1) "Acute" means measurements of biological effects using surface sediment bioassays conducted for time periods that are relatively short in comparison to the life cycle of the test organism. Acute effects may include mortality, larval abnormality, or other endpoints determined appropriate by the department.

(2) "Amphipod" means crustacean of the Class Amphipoda, e.g., Rhepoxynius abronius, Ampelisca abdita, Eohaustorius estuarius, or Hyalella azteca.

(3) "Appropriate biological tests" means only tests designed to measure directly, or through established predictive capability, biologically significant adverse effects to the established or potential benthic or aquatic resources at a given location, as determined by rule by the department.

(4) "Beneficial uses" means uses of waters of the state which include, but are not limited to, use for domestic, stock watering, industrial, commercial, agricultural, irrigation, mining, fish and wildlife maintenance and enhancement, recreation, generation of electric power, and preservation of environmental and aesthetic values, and all other uses compatible with the enjoyment of the public waters of the state.

(5) "Best management practices" or "BMPs" means schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the pollution of surface sediments of the state. BMPs also include treatment requirements, operating procedures and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or water disposal, or drainage from raw material storage.

(6) "Bioassay" means a test procedure that measures the response of living plants, animals, or tissues to a sediment sample.

(7) "Chronic" means measurements of biological effects using sediment bioassays conducted for, or simulating, prolonged exposure periods of not less than one complete life cycle, evaluations of indigenous field organisms for long-term effects, assessment of biological effects resulting from bioaccumulation and biomagnification, and/or extrapolated values or methods for simulating effects from prolonged exposure periods. Chronic effects may include mortality, reduced growth, impaired reproduction, histopathological abnormalities, adverse effects to birds and mammals, or other endpoints determined appropriate by the department.

(8) "Contaminated sediment" means surface sediments exceeding the applicable sediment quality standards in WAC 173-204-320 through 173-204-340 or the applicable sediment cleanup standards in WAC 173-204-560.

(9) "Control sediment sample" means a surface sediment sample which is relatively free of contamination and is physically and chemically characteristic of the area from which bioassay test animals are collected. Control sediment sample bioassays provide information concerning a test animal's tolerance for stress due to transportation, laboratory handling, and bioassay procedures. Control sediment samples cannot exceed the applicable sediment quality standards of WAC 173-204-320 through 173-204-340 or the applicable criteria in WAC 173-204-562 and 173-204-563.

(10) "Department" means the department of ecology.

(11) "Freshwater sediments" means surface sediments in which the sediment pore water contains less than or equal to 0.5 parts per thousand salinity.

(12) "Low salinity sediments" means surface sediments in which the sediment pore water contains greater than 0.5 parts per thousand salinity and less than 25 parts per thousand salinity.

(13) "Marine finfish rearing facilities" means those private and public facilities located within state waters where finfish are fed, nurtured, held, maintained, or reared to reach the size of release or for market sale.

(14) "Marine sediments" means surface sediments in which the sediment pore water contains 25 parts per thousand salinity or greater.

(15) "Minor adverse effects" means a level of effects that:

(a) Has been determined by rule by the department, except in cases subject to WAC 173-204-110(6); and

(b) Meets the following criteria:

(i) An acute or chronic adverse effect to biological resources as measured by a statistically and biologically significant response relative to reference or control, as appropriate, in no more than one appropriate biological test as defined in WAC 173-204-200(3); or

(ii) A statistically and biologically significant response that is significantly elevated relative to reference or control, as appropriate, in any appropriate biological test as defined in WAC 173-204-200(3); or

(iii) Biological effects per (b)(i) or (ii) of this subsection as predicted by exceedance of an appropriate chemical or other deleterious substance standard, except where the prediction is overridden by direct biological testing evidence pursuant to (b)(i) and (ii) of this subsection; and

(c) Does not result in significant human health risk as predicted by exceedance of an appropriate chemical, biological, or other deleterious substance standard.

(16) "No adverse effects" means a level of effects that:

(a) Has been determined by rule by the department, except in cases subject to WAC 173-204-110(6); and

(b) Meets the following biological criteria:

(i) No acute or chronic adverse effects to biological resources as measured by a statistically and biologically significant response relative to reference or control, as appropriate, in any appropriate biological test as defined in WAC 173-204-200(3); and

(ii) No acute or chronic adverse biological effect per (b)(i) of this subsection as predicted by exceedance of an appropriate chemical or other deleterious substance standard, except where the prediction is overridden by direct biological testing evidence pursuant to (b)(i) of this subsection; and

(iii) Does not result in significant human health risk as predicted by exceedance of an appropriate chemical, biological, or other deleterious substance standard.

(17) "Other toxic, radioactive, biological, or deleterious substances" means, except for purposes of Part V of this chapter, contaminants which are not specifically identified in the sediment quality standards chemical criteria of WAC 173-204-320 through 173-204-340 (e.g., organic debris, tributyltin, DDT, etc.).

(18) "Person" means an individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, consortium, joint venture, commercial entity, industry, private corporation, port district, special purpose district, irrigation district, unit of local government, state government agency, federal government agency, Indian tribe, or any other entity whatsoever.

(19) "Practicable" means, except for purposes of Part V of this chapter, able to be completed in consideration of environmental effects, technical feasibility and cost.

(20) "Puget Sound basin" or "Puget Sound" means:

(a) Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet, including Hood Canal and Saratoga Passage;

(b) The waters north to the Canadian border, including portions of the Strait of Georgia;

(c) The Strait of Juan de Fuca south of the Canadian border; and

(d) All the lands draining into these waters as mapped in water resources inventory areas numbers 1 through 19, set forth in water resources management program established pursuant to the Water Resources Act of 1971, chapter 173-500 WAC.

(21) "Puget Sound protocols" means Puget Sound Estuary Program. 1986. As amended. Recommended Protocols for Measuring Selected Environmental Variables in Puget Sound, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, Seattle, WA (looseleaf).

(22) "Reference sediment sample" means a surface sediment sample which serves as a laboratory indicator of a test animal's tolerance to important natural physical and chemical characteristics of the sediment, e.g., grain size, organic content. Reference sediment samples represent the nonanthropogenically affected background surface sediment quality of the sediment sample. Reference sediment samples cannot exceed the applicable sediment quality standards of WAC 173-204-320 through 173-204-340 or the applicable criteria of WAC 173-204-562 and 173-204-563.

(23) "Sediment impact zone" means an area where the applicable sediment quality standards of WAC 173-204-320 through 173-204-340 are exceeded due to ongoing permitted or otherwise authorized wastewater, stormwater, or nonpoint source discharges and authorized by the department within a federal or state wastewater or stormwater discharge permit, or other formal department authorization.

(24) "Surface sediments" or "sediment(s)" means, except for purposes of Part V of this chapter, settled particulate matter located in the predominant biologically active aquatic zone, or exposed to the water column. Sediment(s) also includes settled particulate matter exposed by human activity (e.g., dredging) to the biologically active aquatic zone or to the water column.

(25) "Test sediment" means a sediment sample that is evaluated for compliance with the sediment quality standards of WAC 173-204-320 through 173-204-340, the sediment impact zone maximum criteria of WAC 173-240-420 [WAC 173-204-420], or the applicable criteria of WAC 173-204-560.