USA: More Money for Toledo Harbor Dredging Scheme

Ohio EPA has identified $10 million dollars of funding from Governor John R. Kasich’s capital budget to promote alternative beneficial uses for Toledo Harbor dredge materials.

An agreement between Ohio EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will allow dredging of Toledo Harbor and the federal shipping channel to proceed while moving toward an eventual goal of eliminating open lake placement of dredge materials.

Under the condition, a first-of-its-kind agreement between USACE and Ohio EPA, the State of Ohio will evaluate various beneficial use options for the dredge material. Once a project is identified, the USACE will provide dredge material for the project. Since the USACE is required to utilize the least costly, environmentally acceptable method of placement, which is open lake placement, the state will pay the difference between open lake placement and the alternative use.

Examples of beneficial use include soil amendments, landfill cover, fill dirt, wetland habitat restoration and agricultural uses.

Up to $10 million of funding is available this year through the state capital budget, made possible under the leadership of State Senator Randy Gardner (Bowling Green), with the support of the Ohio General Assembly and Governor Kasich.

Ohio EPA will work with local partners, including the Toledo Port Authority and City of Toledo, to evaluate the recommendations of the 2012 Toledo Harbor Sediment Management and Use Plan, which identified and evaluated potential beneficial-use options of dredge material.