SELECTION OF DISPOSAL AREAS FOR SPOIL FROM BALTIMORE HARBOR

Abstract

Selection of sites for the diked disposal of 100 million cubic yards of spoil dredged from Baltimore Harbor presented a formidable problem Fifty percent of this spoil will be derived from harbor improvement m the next ten years The remainder will result from maintenance dredging and some private dredging over a 20 to 25 year period The number of sites available for diked disposal areas, the various methods used for dredging and the fact that the dike material required transportation to site gave rise to a number of variables The decision making process was facilitated by an econometric model Concentrations of metals such as chromium, cadium, zinc, lead, and copper have been found in the sediments of Chesapeake Bay An investigation as to the mode of their occurrence m the material to be dredged was made to appraise any possibility of toxic concentrations occurring m filter feeders such as oysters for shellfish constitute a sizeable industry in the Chesapeake Bay Stabilization of the deposited dredged spoil was investigated m order to determine whether the unstable loosely-deposited fine gram material extending over a three to five square mile area could be economically converted to a firm foundation material suitable for industrial parks, harbor terminals or water-oriented parks.