All Set for Peel Marina Dredging

Work to remove 44,000 tonnes of silt from Peel Marina is set to begin on Monday, 13 January.

The first stage will see contractor Land and Water Services Limited (LAWS) construct a temporary draining pool in a field upstream from the marina, beyond the power station site.

LAWS will be on site from next week and, following the construction of the pool, will start dredging in early March.

The dredging process will involve using a long reach excavator on a floating barge, and the material will be transported 450 metres in purpose-designed trailers to the pool, which will be around 2.5 meters deep and measuring roughly 70m by 100m.

Excess water will be drained back into the River Neb after satisfying environmental standards agreed with the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA).

The material will be stored in the pool and drained over a number of months before being suitable for transportation.

In previous plans, a proposal was made for the silt to be used for land remediation at the former Cross Vein Mine. This has now been revised, however, as the Department of Infrastructure is seeking to extend the range of materials that are deposited at the existing landfill facilities at Turkeylands Quarry, Malew.

A planning application for the strategic waste facility is due to be submitted in early 2020 and will include details of the route to be used to transport material between Peel and Turkeylands.