(1) Applicability. These standards apply to:

(a) Any person who samples sediments to determine compliance with this chapter;

(b) Any person who makes application to the department for authorization of a sediment impact zone under the standards of WAC 173-204-400 through 173-204-420; and

(c) Any person who samples sediments consistent with cleanup action plans approved and cleanup actions conducted under this chapter.

(2) All applicable persons shall at a minimum, develop, keep, and abide by a sediment sampling and testing plan. The sampling and testing plan shall be available for inspection at the request of the department. Sediment sampling and testing plans shall identify sampling dates, sample types, sample depths, sample composites, sample locations, sample positioning methods, sampling personnel, sampling equipment and methods, a description of methods of chemical analysis and biological testing, and quality assurance/quality control procedures.

(3) Sediment sampling locations and procedures and testing protocols and interpretations shall be those included in the Puget Sound protocols as amended and/or other methods approved by the department.

(4) The department reserves the right to revise these sampling and testing protocols when:

(a) The Puget Sound protocols are modified or updated per the approval of the department; or

(b) The department determines the Puget Sound protocols are not applicable to, or appropriate for analysis of sediment chemical contamination in any given case.