Ports and Harbours

Many ports and harbours require regular dredging to maintain entrances and basins.  The dredge material has to be disposed, which in the UK is a licensed procedure to ensure that environmental standards are met.

Disposal of dredge material

Dredging and disposal of dredged material constitutes one of the most important issues in coastal zone management. As a result, a number of 'beneficial use' options have developed by Cefas whereby the dredge material is regarded as a potential resource and used to recharge or recreate inter-tidal habitats.

Our services

Cefas advises on the beneficial use of dredge material and participates in programmes to ensure that contaminated dredge material is disposed of safely. 

Our services include:

• Assessment of dredge material contamination, e.g. tributyltin (TBT)
• Advice for disposing of contaminated material
• Monitoring of disposal sites
• Impact assessment of dredging on the marine environment
• Baseline surveys
• Sediment dynamic studies