An ACE-Designated Best Management Practice

When you need assurance that your environmental dredging site operations are minimizing impact to the environment, our U.S.manufactured Triton silt curtains, strong and durable anchoring accessories, dewatering tubes, and turbidity meters can help. When it comes to environmental dredging, every situation is unique and often requires a custom dredge solution to suit site-specific conditions.

As the manufacturer, we know floating silt curtains inside and out, and can help you choose features that suit your project's specifications. We also have installation guides and knowledgeable staff that can assist you with curtain systems that are designed for proper deployment and anchoring to maximize effectiveness. Contact us today to discuss dredging solutions that work for your environmental dredging site.

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If you have questions about products, give us a call at 1-772-646-0597 or request a price quote.

The Importance of Environmental Dredging

Contaminated sediments pose health hazards to wildlife and people in the surrounding environment. They limit the use of the water body, endanger fish and aquatic life, and in some circumstances, can harm both wildlife and humans who eat contaminated fish. Some of the common contaminants found in sediment are PCBs, metals, PAHs, pesticides, PBTs, and mercury. Contaminants enter the water body from many sources, including storm water discharges, sewer overflows, industrial spills, and surface runoff from waste dumps, chemical storage, mines, agricultural, and urban areas. Many of these contaminants pose an ongoing risk and can remain on the waterbed for years since they either don't degrade or else degrade very slowly.

That's where environmental dredging fits in. Whereas other types of dredging focus on clearing navigational passages or mitigating flood risks, environmental dredging engineering is specifically applied to remediate sediment in a contaminated area.

While the dredging remediation is ongoing, it's important to minimize the effects to the environment from the dredging itself. That way it doesn't undermine the dredging remediation's intended purpose—to reduce contaminants to an acceptable level.

The 4 R's of Environmental Dredging

In response to this risk, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has developed an assessment of the potential issues related to dredging environmental concerns, called "The 4 R's." These 4 R's can help determine the potential risks, and therefore the dredging solution needed for your site.

1. Resuspension of sediment occurs when the dredging operation disturbs settled sediment and disperses it into the water. The turbidity from the dredging can affect the water quality, ecology of the area, nearby fish habitats, and aquatic plants.

2. Release of contaminants happens when the sediment floor releases the polluted silt into the water and air. These contaminants can be transported further away, affecting not only the immediate area, but also the surrounding areas as well.

3. Residual contamination is what has been stirred up and remains left behind on the water-body floor after the dredging is completed. This is affected by the type of dredging equipment used, the sediment features, the physical site conditions, and the method of dredging.

4. Risks help to define the likelihood of an adverse outcome. There are several types of potential risks. Direct risks evaluate the toxic effects to humans and the habitat. Indirect risks affect social losses, including recreational uses. Economic risks affect the value of property and loss of income (such as commercial fishing) for the area.

Call us and we will talk you through what factors will affect the performance of your dredging system and what solution we recommend for your site.

Questions? We can help! Call our team at 1-772-646-0597 or submit a form.

Silt Curtain: USACE Best Management Practice

Since no site can completely eliminate the contaminants, these 4 R's clarify the issues of dredging remediation. They also highlight the importance of developing dredging environmental solutions. A common, economical and effective dredging solution is the silt curtain, which is a recognized USACE best management practice to minimize the spread of suspended contaminated particulate. During the environmental dredging engineering process, the silt curtain helps to contain and prevent the spread of the contaminated silt, which is resuspended or released into the dredging area, allowing time and gravity to work.

Speak to a representative today for guidance in selecting silt curtain for your custom dredge site specifications.

For dredging sites with rougher conditions, such as rugged marine environments, a Triton Type 3 Curtain may likely be needed. This is the sturdiest line of curtain available and can withstand rougher conditions surrounding the site. A Triton Type 2 Curtain may be appropriate if the wind and wave conditions are more moderate and less rough.

Both types of curtains have special durable features including:
• Reinforced steel stress plates as corner connectors
• 18 or 22 oz. PVC material
• Galvanized Tension Cables
• Ballast Chains

Either of these curtains types can be built to meet the needs of your specific project.

Treatment of Contamination

After environmental dredging, treatment is often required to help remove the contamination from the dredged material. Taurus Dewatering Bags and Tubes provide a common solution. These dredging dewatering solutions filter the accumulated sludge by containing the contaminants in the fabric enclosure and releasing water with less particulate. Flocculants or other filtration media may be required to treat or polish the water. Dewatering bags and tubes are available in a range of sizes. However, as the manufacturer, we can easily accommodate site-specific needs such as the size and material weight needed for your dredging site.

We also offer turbidity meters to measure the level of turbidity in the water, and to test that your dredging remediation site is compliant. If you need assistance with your remediation efforts, call us. We'll work with you to determine the right solution for your project.

Call us today to discuss the containment and cleanup solutions we can provide for your environmental dredging site!