Special PIANC Session on Environmental Dredging

ERDC TN-DOER-T4

December 2001

Special PIANC Session

on Environmental Dredging

PURPOSE: This technical note summarizes the presentations and lessons learned discussions

from the special PIANC (Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses) session

on environmental dredging on June 26, 2001, at the 21st Meeting of the Western Dredging

Association (WEDA) in Houston, Texas.

BACKGROUND: The Innovative Dredging Technology Focus Area (IT) of the Dredging Opera-

tions and Environmental Research (DOER) Program emphasizes identifying and evaluating inno-

vations in dredging operations, processes, or equipment and techniques developed by dredging and

dredging-related industries worldwide. As part of this effort, DOER IT uses workshops and

professional meetings to bring together key individuals from academia, industry, and government

to exchange information and innovations on state-of-the-art technologies for dredging and dredged

material management. On June 26, 2001, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development

Center (ERDC), Vicksburg, Mississippi, and WEDA sponsored a special PIANC session, "Envi-

ronmental Dredging," during the 21st Meeting of WEDA in Houston, Texas. The emphasis of the

session was on identifying key components of environmental dredging and defining the present

capabilities of the dredging industry to meet certain goals of environmental dredging projects.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 225 dredging professionals registered and attended the West-

ern Dredging Association 21st Annual Technical Conference, Texas A&M 33rd Dredging Seminar,

and Special PIANC Session on Environmental Dredging. Seventy-five people attended the special

session on environmental dredging that was held on the last day of the WEDA meeting. The session

attracted broad representation from the dredging industry, private consulting, environmental regu-

latory agencies, and academia. The purpose of the workshop was to conduct a critical review of

environmental dredging technologies presently being implemented in cleanup projects across the

nation. The agenda for the Session is given in Appendix I.

Five speakers (Photo 1) from private industry and government gave key presentations in Panel A

of the session. Copies of their presentations are available in the electronic version of this note at

PANEL A: PRESENTATIONS

Defining the Effectiveness of Environmental Dredging - Paul Doody, Blasland,

Bouck, and Lee, Inc. Most of the environmental dredging projects completed to date have

involved low volumes (less than 50,000 cu yd [38,000 cu m]). Because we are at the threshold of

evaluating remedial management options for sites typically involving 100,000 to 1,000,000 plus

cubic yards [76,500 to 765,000 cu m] of material, the effectiveness of environmental dredging has

become even more important. Experience from completed projects demonstrates certain limitations

in the effectiveness of environmental dredging to reduce risks, which typically is the primary