USACE Issues Dredging Permit

The USACE, New York District, has issued a federal permit to Castle Astoria Terminals, Inc., to dredge up to 105,000 cu. yards of material from its facility on Steinway Creek, off the East River in Queens, N.Y. The dredged material will be transported to the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS) in the Atlantic Ocean, where it will be placed as cover to remediate the site. As a result of the agreement, the Mud Dump Site - a site about six miles off Sandy Hook, N.J., historically used for disposal of sand, silt and clays dredged from shipping channels - was closed. Simultaneous with closure of the Mud Dump, the site and surrounding areas used historically as disposal sites for contaminated material, were redesignated as the HARS. The material from the Castle Astoria Terminals facility has been tested and meets the criteria put forth in a 1996 agreement as material suitable to cover contaminated sediments presently existing within the HARS. The permit issued to Castle Astoria Terminals contains 22 special conditions aimed at protecting the environment and navigation during dredging and HARS remediation activities. For example, the permit requires all dump scows be equipped with "black boxes" containing positioning equipment protected in tamper-proof receptacles. The boxes allow accurate monitoring of transport and placement locations. In addition, inspectors responsible for ensuring strict observance of dredged material placement requirements must monitor all trips to the HARS. Inspectors must also ride vessels to ensure placement activities do not interfere with federally protected sea turtles and whales. Additional conservation measures include a requirement for a closed clamshell dredge bucket and a restriction on barge overflow practices, which will further minimize environmental impacts of the project.