Multiuser Sites for Contaminated Sediment Disposal

by Pieter N. Booth, PTI Environmental Services, Bellevue, United States,
Kimberly A. Henson, PTI Environmental Services, Bellevue, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Water Resources Planning and Management: Saving a Threatened Resource?In Search of Solutions

Abstract:

The Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE) recently adopted a program to identify, rank, and clean up contaminated sediment sites in Puget Sound. Site cleanup, in conjunction with dredging of navigation channels, may generate up to 80 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment by the year 2008. Dredged contaminated sediments must be placed in confined disposal sites, and existing and planned disposal sites can accommodate less than 3 percent of the projected need. A recent study by WDOE indicates that the projected need can be met by a system of multiuser sites that would be accessible to both the public and private sectors. A multiuser sites program would likely provide lower environmental and human health risks than the current disposal scheme for contaminated sediments. The cost of a multiuser sites program compares favorably to the costs of existing disposal options, provided that liability risks are adequately accommodated.

Subject Headings: Waste sites | Sediment | Pollution | Health hazards | Soil pollution | Dredged materials | Waste disposal

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