The state of Maryland is charged with a dual responsibility for providing safe passage to the
large cargo vessels that travel the Chesapeake Bay and for protecting its sensitive ecosystem.
As a result, Maryland’s Dredged Material Management Program has evolved in response to an increased awareness of the impacts that dredging can have on the Chesapeake Bay. The approach has shifted from placing dredged material in the open waters of the Bay to a sophisticated mix of strategies that includes wetland restoration, island recreation, upland placement, construction of carefully engineered containment facilities, and the innovative reuse of dredged material. The dredging program also relies on broad participation by citizens, scientific experts, regulatory agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
The current Dredged Material Management Program is rooted in the Dredged Material Management Act of 2001. The Act requires the state to have a rolling plan that ensures adequate capacity for placing and managing dredged material at least twenty years into the future—this foresight is critical in helping the Port of Baltimore to secure long-term contracts with shipping lines.
The Dredged Material Management Act also created a new committee structure through which the Maryland Port Administration creates and implements the plan. The committee structure includes representatives from federal and state agencies with regulatory authority over dredging activities, as well as citizens, scientists, and local government officials. The Port Administration relies on these committees to make decisions concerning the dredging program, and the result has been a significant level of cooperation and support.
The committees profiled here have responsibility for overseeing existing placement sites, which include Hart Miller Island, Cox Creek, Pooles Island, Poplar Island, and the Port’s newest site at Masonville. They are also involved with expanding the work at Poplar Island and planning a major new site at James Island. The committees are also responsible for looking toward the future. They are investigating the use of dredged material in restoring wetland systems, such as those at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, as well as overseeing the development of a program for the innovative reuse of dredged material and identifying a new site that can receive dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor. The Dredged Material Management Program continues to deliver effective options for Maryland through the early and extensive involvement of diverse stakeholders: citizens, regulators, and scientists. The placement site at Masonville is the latest example of their success, by meeting design, planning, and permitting needs in record time and with unprecedented community support. |
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