| Abstract |
Much of the several hundred million cubic yards of sediment dredged each year from U.S. ports, harbors, and waterways could be used in a beneficial manner, such as for habitat restoration and creation, beach nourishment, aquaculture, forestry, agriculture, mine reclamation, and industrial and commercial development. Yet most of this dredged material is instead disposed of in open water, confined disposal facilities, and upland disposal facilities. The most commonly cited hurdles to using dredged material beneficially are increased costs, the need for earlier planning and more widespread coordination, lack of complementary federal and state regulatory frameworks for evaluating dredged material as a resource, and a widespread misperception that dredged material is a waste instead of a resource. The National Dredging Team recognizes that a number of steps will need to be taken so that dredged material is used beneficially to the greatest extent possible. The National Dredging Team s action plan, Dredged Material Management: Action Agenda for the Next Decade (NDT 2003) describes a number of recommended actions intended to enhance and facilitate efforts to increase the beneficial use of dredged material. Among these actions is the recommendation to develop a national guidance document that explains the role of the Federal Standard in implementing beneficial uses of dredged material from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers new and maintenance navigation projects. This paper has been developed as a guide for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Districts, other federal agencies, state agencies, local governments, and private interest groups on using dredged material as a resource to achieve environmental and economic benefits. It is intended as a companion piece to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USACE joint document, Identifying, Planning, and Financing Beneficial Use Projects Using Dredged Material: Beneficial Use Planning Manual (EPA/USACE 2007). |
