Disposal of dredged material
Ports and harbours continually carry out dredging operations to make sure that sufficient depth and width of navigational channels is maintained. This dredged material is normally disposed of at sea after an application to the Department of Environment (DOE) for a licence. Following an assessment and consultation with the DOE's statutory consultees a licence may be granted to dispose of the dredged material at a designated sea disposal site. As part of the assessment, the dredged material is chemically analysed to ensure that the marine environment is not harmed by the deposition of contaminated dredged material. If levels of contaminants, such as Tributyltin (TBT), exceed acceptable levels then a licence will not be granted.
Dredging operations in Belfast Lough
If the sediment analysis has shown that it is not of a contaminated nature and the proposal has been assessed by the DOE's consultees without objection then a licence will be granted. The licence will stipulate the type and quantity of dredged material to be deposited at a specific designated sea disposal site. |
The licence will normally be valid for a year and will contain conditions that the licensee must comply with. Once a licence has been issued, inspection and enforcement visits are carried out to make sure of compliance with all aspects of the licence. Similar licence compliance monitoring is carried out for construction licences. |
