By Karen Robes Meeks
With the help of the state’s dredging machine The Laura, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay recently wrapped up dredging work at the Port of Garibaldi with the removal of 32,000 cubic yards of material from its boat launch and marina.
The dredging was necessary for Garibaldi, which saw ships “sitting on bottom at low tide, preventing them from getting underway when the tide was out,” according to the Port of Coos Bay, which stationed six of its staff members in the area to work with Garibaldi port staff.
The Port of Coos Bay operates The Laura on behalf of the state, which purchased the Ellicot-360SL swing ladder suction dredge in 2015 to meet essential dredging needs at Oregon ports.
Coos Bay also operates the state-acquired Ms. SoCo, a 30-foot twin outboard vessel equipped with a one-ton crane that serves as tender to The Laura.
Showing posts with label dredging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dredging. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Friday, October 2, 2015
Removal of Contaminated Tacoma Sediment Begins
By Mark Edward Nero
The Port of Tacoma has begun dredging contaminated sediments in Blair Waterway in preparation to expand Pier 4, which is located within the major South Puget Sound waterway of Commencement Bay.
The work became necessary after the port detected a marine biocide, called tributyltin, while completing a dredging inspection for the site evaluation to expand Pier 4 for larger ships. The Port of Tacoma has agreed to complete the cleanup of the sediments, which the US Environmental Protection Agency will oversee.
The dredging work began September 15th.
The port plans to dredge an additional 500,000 cubic yards of clean sediment to make the base of the pier deeper as part of the pier expansion.
“In an effort to contain costs and remain competitive, shipping lines are increasing the size of the container ships, providing economies of scale. The planned upgrades to Pier 4 will allow Husky Terminal to handle two of the world’s largest ships simultaneously,” Port of Tacoma Commission President Don Johnson said. “An estimated 1,500 jobs in Washington State are connected to the movement of cargo through Husky Terminal. These berth improvements will add capacity, creating the demand for additional family-wage jobs in the region.”
A 2013 investigation performed by the Port of Tacoma showed that the fill material used to create the bulkhead under Pier 4 was contaminated with TBT.
Developed to be toxic to aquatic life, TBT is a marine biocide, commonly added to ship paint to prevent mollusks from sticking onto vessels and other objects that contain the chemical. EPA canceled all TBT antifouling paint product registrations in December of 2005.
The port removed the Pier 4 deck and pilings between May and August and plans to dredge about 40,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments. The contaminated sediments are to be dewatered and trucked to a waste disposal facility. The Superfund phase of the work is expected to be finished by April of 2016 at an overall cost of $19.3 million.
Once the contamination extraction is complete, the Port of Tacoma begins the second phase of the Blair Waterway extraction and reconstruction, which includes additional piling removal, deck demolition, dredging and reconfiguration of the existing pier.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Port of Oakland Makes Dredging Progress
By Mark Edward Nero
The Port of Oakland said Sept. 21 that it is nearly a third of the way through its annual maintenance dredging program for 2015 and that by November it plans to scoop 185,000 cubic yards of sediment from 17 deep-water shipping berths. The goal of the $3.7 million project: maintain 50-foot depths so container ships aren’t stuck in the mud.
“This is one of the least glamorous, but most important jobs a port authority has every year,” the port’s Director of Engineering, Chris Chan, said. “Few ports nationwide have the deep-water capability to berth the biggest container vessels, so we need to continually protect that advantage.”
Vessels capable of carrying up to 14,000 TEUs berth at Oakland, among the largest ships calling US ports. Berths and approach channels must be 50 feet deep to accommodate them.
The port said it has dredged 45,000 cubic yards of material from six berths since dredging began in August, and that it will clear another 140,000 yards of material from 11 additional berths.
Dredging season is restricted to this time period to protect endangered fish and fowl. Sediment dredged from Oakland berths is being deposited at the Montezuma Wetlands on Suisun Bay. The 2,400-acre marsh is being restored as a shorebird habitat.
The Port of Oakland said Sept. 21 that it is nearly a third of the way through its annual maintenance dredging program for 2015 and that by November it plans to scoop 185,000 cubic yards of sediment from 17 deep-water shipping berths. The goal of the $3.7 million project: maintain 50-foot depths so container ships aren’t stuck in the mud.
“This is one of the least glamorous, but most important jobs a port authority has every year,” the port’s Director of Engineering, Chris Chan, said. “Few ports nationwide have the deep-water capability to berth the biggest container vessels, so we need to continually protect that advantage.”
Vessels capable of carrying up to 14,000 TEUs berth at Oakland, among the largest ships calling US ports. Berths and approach channels must be 50 feet deep to accommodate them.
The port said it has dredged 45,000 cubic yards of material from six berths since dredging began in August, and that it will clear another 140,000 yards of material from 11 additional berths.
Dredging season is restricted to this time period to protect endangered fish and fowl. Sediment dredged from Oakland berths is being deposited at the Montezuma Wetlands on Suisun Bay. The 2,400-acre marsh is being restored as a shorebird habitat.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Port of Everett Begins Snohomish River Dredging
By Mark Edward Nero
The Port of Everett, in partnership with the US Army Corps
of Engineers, has begun maintenance dredging of the Snohomish River upstream
and downstream settling basins.
Boaters in the area are being advised by the two agencies to
slow down, pay attention to rig markings and be cautious around the operations.
The $1.3 million project is expected to be done by
mid-February according to the Corps, which began maintenance dredging of the
Snohomish River Project in 1910. The latest project, consisting of deep and
shallow-draft navigation channels and two settling basins, serves the Port of
Everett.
On Oct. 27, project contractor Portable Hydraulic Dredging
of Eagle Creek, Ore., began dredging in the upstream settling basin, which is
where 100,000 cubic yards of material are to be removed and placed on City of
Everett property for use by the port and city. About 50,000 cubic yards of
downstream dredged material is expected to be put to use nourishing areas on
the Port of Everett-owned Jetty Island.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Olympia Port Begins First Dredging Project in More Than 30 Years
Maintenance dredging of the marine terminal vessel berths and the Swantown Boatworks haulout area began at the Port of Olympia in late November and is expected to continue for several weeks.
The port is dredging the 20-foot area adjacent to the marine terminal pier to its authorized depth of minus 42 feet. The port is also dredging areas waterward of the 20-foot strip that are higher than minus 38 feet. The dredge is also expected to remove contaminated sediments from Budd Inlet.
According to the port, it has been more than 30 years since the Budd Inlet areas were dredged, and over time, silt has built up and decreased water depths, causing safety issues for workers and limiting the number of ships the port can safely berth.
“The increased water depths will help ensure safe services to the marine terminal’s international customers and allow Swantown Boatworks to fully serve its local and regional customers,” the port’s environmental programs director, Alexandra Smith, said. “The maintenance dredge also contributes to the removal of contaminated sediments from Budd Inlet.” The project, which has been contracted out to Tacoma-based Orion Marine, is expected to be complete in either January or early February of 2014.
For the marine terminal, the current shallow depths adjacent to the pier mean the ships can’t dock directly at the pier. To move cargo, a device attached to the dock called a “camel” holds the vessel five feet away from the pier. The cargo loading and unloading takes place across the five-foot span, which carries safety risks. The dredge project is expected to remove the safety risks and enable fully loaded ships to utilize all the berths simultaneously. Currently, the port can’t accommodate even two fully loaded vessels at berth.
At low tide, the Boatworks has only eight inches of water depth and therefore must close its haulout facility to customers. The dredge is expected to provide safe depths for the haulout facility and allow it to operate at low tides.
The port says it expects dredging up to 40,000 cubic yards of sediments, with 6,000 cubic yards from the Swantown Boatworks area and the remainder from berths one, two and three. The dredged material will then be transported by truck to an upland disposal facility in Castle Rock, Washington.
Following the removal of the material, a six to nine inch layer of clean sand will cover the exposed berth areas as a safety barrier between the exposed areas and the surface, according to Smith.
The port is dredging the 20-foot area adjacent to the marine terminal pier to its authorized depth of minus 42 feet. The port is also dredging areas waterward of the 20-foot strip that are higher than minus 38 feet. The dredge is also expected to remove contaminated sediments from Budd Inlet.
According to the port, it has been more than 30 years since the Budd Inlet areas were dredged, and over time, silt has built up and decreased water depths, causing safety issues for workers and limiting the number of ships the port can safely berth.
“The increased water depths will help ensure safe services to the marine terminal’s international customers and allow Swantown Boatworks to fully serve its local and regional customers,” the port’s environmental programs director, Alexandra Smith, said. “The maintenance dredge also contributes to the removal of contaminated sediments from Budd Inlet.” The project, which has been contracted out to Tacoma-based Orion Marine, is expected to be complete in either January or early February of 2014.
For the marine terminal, the current shallow depths adjacent to the pier mean the ships can’t dock directly at the pier. To move cargo, a device attached to the dock called a “camel” holds the vessel five feet away from the pier. The cargo loading and unloading takes place across the five-foot span, which carries safety risks. The dredge project is expected to remove the safety risks and enable fully loaded ships to utilize all the berths simultaneously. Currently, the port can’t accommodate even two fully loaded vessels at berth.
At low tide, the Boatworks has only eight inches of water depth and therefore must close its haulout facility to customers. The dredge is expected to provide safe depths for the haulout facility and allow it to operate at low tides.
The port says it expects dredging up to 40,000 cubic yards of sediments, with 6,000 cubic yards from the Swantown Boatworks area and the remainder from berths one, two and three. The dredged material will then be transported by truck to an upland disposal facility in Castle Rock, Washington.
Following the removal of the material, a six to nine inch layer of clean sand will cover the exposed berth areas as a safety barrier between the exposed areas and the surface, according to Smith.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Long Beach Port Kicks Off Dredging Project
Officials from the Port of Long Beach and the United States Army Corps of Engineers officially kicked off a $40 million dredging project at the port on Tuesday.
During the 17-month project, which actually began earlier this year with dredging work at a nearby passenger ferry terminal, the Army Corps will oversee the deepening of the port's main shipping channel as well as the removal and containment of contaminated sediments from the harbor.
The project, being performed by contractor Manson Construction Co., is being paid for by the port and the Army Corps.
When completed in 2001, the project will allow the main channel to accommodate the largest oil tankers fully laden. While the port already features one of the world's deepest main channels – capable of handling the world's largest container vessels – inconsistencies in previous dredging projects left certain areas of the main channel impassable by ultra-large oil tankers when fully loaded. These tankers have had to either arrive in Long Beach with a partial load or unload some of their cargo outside the harbor entrance before entering the port.
The dredging project will also provide enough room for the oil tankers to turn around while in the harbor, also something currently not possible. In addition, the project calls for some of the dredged material to be recycled and used as landfill for an on-going terminal development project at the port's Pier G.
“The Main Channel Deepening and related projects are a significant step forward for the Port of Long Beach and the harbor as a whole,” said port Executive Director Richard Steinke. “This is a vital project that is creating jobs and will help keep the Port competitive as the economy rebounds.”
During the 17-month project, which actually began earlier this year with dredging work at a nearby passenger ferry terminal, the Army Corps will oversee the deepening of the port's main shipping channel as well as the removal and containment of contaminated sediments from the harbor.
The project, being performed by contractor Manson Construction Co., is being paid for by the port and the Army Corps.
When completed in 2001, the project will allow the main channel to accommodate the largest oil tankers fully laden. While the port already features one of the world's deepest main channels – capable of handling the world's largest container vessels – inconsistencies in previous dredging projects left certain areas of the main channel impassable by ultra-large oil tankers when fully loaded. These tankers have had to either arrive in Long Beach with a partial load or unload some of their cargo outside the harbor entrance before entering the port.
The dredging project will also provide enough room for the oil tankers to turn around while in the harbor, also something currently not possible. In addition, the project calls for some of the dredged material to be recycled and used as landfill for an on-going terminal development project at the port's Pier G.
“The Main Channel Deepening and related projects are a significant step forward for the Port of Long Beach and the harbor as a whole,” said port Executive Director Richard Steinke. “This is a vital project that is creating jobs and will help keep the Port competitive as the economy rebounds.”
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Stockton Port Channel Gets Fed Funds for Dredging
Congress has allocated more than $11 million for water projects in San Joaquin County, including nearly $3.4 million for maintenance dredging of the Port of Stockton's Deep Water Channel.
Located about 75 miles east of San Francisco Bay, the Port of Stockton is only accessible through the channel, which as part of a delta requires periodic dredging.
"These funds are also an injection of much-needed capital in the local economy," Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, said in a news release. "Our area needs the jobs that projects like these can help create and save."
Built in the early 1930s to a depth of 30 feet, the Deep Water Channel went through a major dredging project in the late 1980s, providing up to 70 feet of depth in some areas. The channel still ranges from 35 feet to 70 feet throughout its entire length. An Army Corps of Engineers study is under way of a $140 million plan to increase the minimum depth of the channel to 40 feet, thereby allowing much larger vessels to transit.
