WEDA Partners with PIANC to Address Beneficial Use of Dredged Material

The Western Dredging Association (WEDA) is partnering with The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC) to work cooperatively developing a report on beneficial use of dredged material. PIANC’s Environmental Commission (EnviCom) formed Working Group 214 (WG214), focused on developing this report.

Three WEDA-members, Victor Magar, Don Hayes and Burton Suedel, are members of this new PIANC Working Group. To assure broad coverage and input from the WEDA region on the issue of this international working group, a supporting WEDA Work Group will be formed to contribute to the overall effort and the ultimate joint report. WEDA solicited for new individual members for the group in February.

Conference calls will begin in March and an in-person meeting of the WEDA Work Group will be conducted during the upcoming Dredging Summit and Exposition in Chicago this June. The WEDA Work Group plans to select its chair during the Chicago meeting.

The objective of the WEDA Work Group is to provide technical information and guidance regarding the use of sediment as a beneficial use product by drawing from existing approaches and best practices in the Americas (the WEDA region). The overall joint PIANC-WEDA-CEDA report will give orientation to sediment beneficial use practices, technologies, regulations and limitations world-wide.

The final report will provide guidance to practitioners that will serve to identify, define and ultimately realize sediment management alternatives for waterborne navigation projects.