Erie Pier: Finding Sustainable Markets For Dredged Materials

Abstract

The Port of Duluth is a public corporation charged with maintaining the infrastructure and facilities that allow shipping companies to profitability move large quantities of commodities through the port to their destination. One essential element of ongoing operations is dredging; that is maintaining adequate depth for the very large bulk carrier ships that frequent the Port of Duluth. A major challenge is finding a place to store the dredged materials. A number of Federal and State regulations restrict how and where the materials can be stored. In the Port of Duluth space to store the materials is quickly disappearing. Without a place to store the materials, both dredging and overall port operations will have to be seriously curtailed. The port’s management is searching for low cost alternatives to the contained disposal facility it is now using. Presently, sustainable markets are being developed as an alternative to storing dredged materials at the port’s facility.