New dredging methods to be used in New York
Environmentalists say a settlement approved last week in federal court will result in new environmental safety measures being used when shipping channels in Newark Bay — where most of the Port of New York and New Jersey's major container terminals are concentrated — are deepened to 50 feet.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), NY/NJ Baykeeper and GreenFaith.
Part of the channel is contaminated with dioxin, and the environmental groups said the new procedures would help ensure that dredging does not spread the contamination into surrounding waterways.
The NRDC said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would be required to adopt specialized environmental dredging methods, including the use of computerized controls to precisely guide dredging equipment and maximize the removal, rather than dispersal, of contaminated sediment.
It also said the Corps must conduct a pilot project to monitor the amount of sediment dispersed during dredging, information which can be used by the Corps to better regulate its private contractors.
NRDC said the Corps would conduct new analyses of sediment, which New Jersey state regulators can use to determine whether additional precautions are necessary.
New dredging methods to be used in New York
