Retention of Environmentally Acceptable Beneficial Use Alternatives

Framework for Dredged Material Management

May 2004

confined placement as an integral part of the application or an initial step in developing

the application. Therefore, the testing and assessment procedures as well as compliance

with the overall 404 Guidelines themselves, must also be considered for beneficial uses

(see Chapters 4 and 5).

There is considerable interest in removing dredged material from confined

placement and using the material as a resource for construction material or topsoil to

restore capacity of existing CDFs. Many dredged materials currently contained in CDFs

will support desirable vegetation with little input other than fertilizer. Efforts to alter

undesirable dredged material characteristics by adding organic materials such as yard

litter (leaves, grass and tree trimmings) animal manures or other biosolids can provide

characteristics necessary to produce soil material for containerized plants, bedding plants

and turf grass. With local support to provide materials that are normally considered

waste (yard litter and biosolids), valuable soil materials can be produced for use in local

projects such as brownfield redevelopment, road construction, parks and recreation fields.

Since the purpose of most CDFs is to contain contaminated materials, the issue of reuse

poses some question as to the suitability of the material for beneficial uses outside the

CDF and there is currently no clear guidance specifically addressing suitability of

dredged material for beneficial uses. Some states have set standards for contaminants in

industrial waste materials and have included dredged material in that category. Other

criteria may be applicable, such as Ecological Soil Screening Levels or USEPA 503

Regulations for the application of biosolids, but the criteria for suitability will be

determined by the State or local authority where the dredged material will be used. The

Great Lakes Upland Testing and Evaluation for Beneficial Use project is an interagency

effort to compile existing guidance, criteria, testing recommendations and case studies to

facilitate consensus building in the regulatory and scientific communities for beneficial

use of dredged material. A briefing paper that also includes an extensive annotated

bibliography with references relevant to beneficial use of dredged material has been

published by the working group (Great Lakes Commission 2004).

For ongoing activities, periodic reevaluations are advisable to ensure that the

conditions regarding sediment contaminants have not changed since the last dredging

cycle. For new applications and particularly for habitat development applications, it will,

at times, be advisable (depending on the nature and source of the dredged material) to

conduct limited plant and/or animal bioassays to ensure that the material will not be

harmful to the target species. Examples of such situations may be when highly saline

material is to be used in a brackish or freshwater habitat development project, or if the

material is to be used for upland habitat development or portions of the site will be

emergent. In some cases, chloride and/or heavy metal toxicity may or may not be

problematic but should be sufficiently evaluated for this potential.

6.6 Retention of Environmentally Acceptable Beneficial Use Alternatives

Once appropriate assessments are complete, a determination of environmental

acceptability can be made. This determination must ensure that all applicable standards or

criteria are met. If control measures were considered, a determination of the effectiveness