The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has awarded a contract for $3.9 million to Cashman Dredging and Marine Contracting Company of Quincy, Mass., for the maintenance dredging of the Jamaica Bay Federal Channel at Rockaway Inlet.
The maintenance dredging will restore authorized channel dimensions to help ensure continued safe navigation in the channel, which has a five-year average annual commercial tonnage of 560,683 tons. Major commodities transported through the channel include petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals and sand, gravel and stone.
Approximately 350,000 cubic yards of sand are expected to be removed and beneficially reused for capping at the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS).
The most recent maintenance dredging in the channel overseen by the Corps was conducted in 2009 when approximately 330,000 cubic yards of material were removed, with beneficial reuse both at the HARS and at White Island in the Jamaica Bay Complex.
“Performing periodic maintenance dredging of the channel helps provide reliable and efficient waterborne transportation infrastructure to users of the federal channel, ” said Joe Olha, New York District project manager . “ Shipping companies providing petroleum products and New York City Department of Environmental Protection sludge vessels all require adequate depths for transiting the inlet. Restoring authorized channel dimensions also reduces the risk of a spill that could potentially cause damage to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.”
The dredging is scheduled to begin in October and should be completed by the end of the year.
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Press Release, September 25, 2012