Guidelines for Dredging Best Practice Environmental Management
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BEST PRACTICE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR DREDGING BEST PRACTICE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR DREDGING Environment Protection Authority 40 City Road, Southbank Victoria 3006 AUSTRALIA © Environment Protection Authority, October 2001 Publication 691 ISBN 0 7306 7578 5 Printed on recycled paper FOREWORD Dredging is necessary to create and maintain shipping and boating channels so that we can continue to engage in international trade and to enjoy safe fishing and recreational boating. However, dredging has the potential for significant environmental impact. These guidelines identify such impacts and suggest measures that may be taken to minimise them. They have been developed in consultation with organisations that undertake dredging, dredging contractors and conservation interests. In many cases impacts are minimal, but any impacts can cause considerable public concern. For example, discharge of black anaerobic sand onto sandy beaches looks and smells unpleasant, but the environmental impacts are minimal, and a typical sand colour returns after a few days exposure to air. Where the impacts of dredging are poorly known these are identified in the guidelines and addressed through monitoring or targeted research where this is considered more appropriate. A new mandatory process for consideration of dredging proposals is outlined. This represents a new step towards better control of the impacts of dredging that started when EPA developed the Trial Dredge Protocol in 1992. It involves a cooperative approach between Environment Protection Authority and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and the issuing of a Coastal Management Act 1995 consent for dredging works. Further advances in dredging technology and in our understanding of the major impacts will, in time, lead to further improvements to these guidelines. Finally, I thank members of the Dredge Protocol Management Committee for their contribution to the development of these guidelines. The technical appendices were written by Greg Parry, Sue Bextream (appendix 6), Gus Fabris (MAFRI, appendix 3) and Andrew Longmore (MAFRI, appendix 4). BRIAN ROBINSON CHAIRMAN i CONTENTS FOREWORD .....................................................................................................................................................i 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives and Scope.........................................................................................................................2 1.2 Best Practice Environmental Management (BPEM) ...............................................................................3 1.3 Using these Guidelines .......................................................................................................................3 1.4 How to Apply for Dredging Permits.......................................................................................................4 2. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................................7 2.1 History of Controls on Dredging ...........................................................................................................7 2.2 Legislation that Affects Dredging Proposals .........................................................................................7 3. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS ................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 Minimise the Need for Dredging and Spoil Disposal............................................................................ 10 3.2 Minimise Physical Effects of Spoil Disposal ........................................................................................ 12 3.3 Minimise Effects of Contaminated Sediments..................................................................................... 15 3.4 Minimise Effects on Water Quality...................................................................................................... 19 3.5 Optimise Dredging and Disposal Methods .........................................................................................23 3.6 Control of Noise................................................................................................................................28 3.7 Control of Odour ...............................................................................................................................29 3.8 Establish Appropriate Monitoring Programs .......................................................................................30 4. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT............................................................................................................ 35 4.1 Environmental Improvement Plans.....................................................................................................36 APPENDIX 1: APPLICATION FORM FOR SECTION 40 (COASTAL MANAGEMENT ACT 1995) CONSENT FOR A DREDGING PROPOSAL...........................................................................................................38 APPENDIX 2: DREDGING OPERATIONS AND IMPACTS........................................................................................43 APPENDIX 3: TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION OF DREDGED SEDIMENTS.............................................................................................................................. 55 APPENDIX 4: ESTIMATED NUTRIENT RELEASE BY DREDGING .............................................................................76 APPENDIX 5: ESTIMATED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED TURBIDITY TO MAINTAIN SEAGRASS HEALTH ............................79 APPENDIX 6: IMPLICATIONS OF FISH LIFE HISTORIES FOR DREDGING PRACTICES IN PORT PHILLIP BAY .................83 APPENDIX 7: CHECKLIST OF ISSUES REQUIRING CONSIDERATION FOR LAND DISPOSAL.......................................95 APPENDIX 8: FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING DATA TO EPA .........................................97 GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................99 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................................. 102 Tables Table 1: Average sediment volumes (m3) dredged per annum to maintain channels in Victorian coastal regions..2 Table 2: Typical number sediment cores to be sampled for dredging proposals removing different volumes of material (summarised from appendix 3)........................................................................................................ 14 Table 3: Months in which the eggs (E), larvae (L), juveniles (J), and adults (A) of marine and estuarine fish in Victoria may be vulnerable to dredging impacts. Months in which a life-history phase of a species is sufficiently aggregated that its vulnerability to dredging should be considered when determining the timing of dredging are shown in bold (see appendix 6 for details) ....................................................................................................24 Table 4: Examples of typical noise limits for various types of land use, based on (1) Interim Guidelines for Control of Noise in Country Victoria, and (2) SEPP No. N-1...........................................................................................30 Table 5: Guidance on selection of appropriate dredges for maintenance dredging (from Bray et al. 1997).......... 47 Table 6: Guidance on selection of appropriate dredges for capital dredging (from Bray et al. 1997) ..................48 Table 7: Typical number of sediment cores to be sampled for dredging proposals removing different volumes of material.......................................................................................................................................................59 Table 8: Sample collection methods, storage conditions and holding times for the various analyses (from USEPA 1991, ANZECC 1998).....................................................................................................................................62 Table 9: Recommended quantities of sediment or water required for various analyses (USEPA 1991; ANZECC 1998).........................................................................................................................63 Table 10: Classification of grain size of sediments based on the Udden-Wentworth grain size scale (Lewis 1984) ........................................................................................................................64 Table 11: Desirable detection for contaminants in sediment and elutriate samples, based on ANZECC (1992b) ......................................................................................................................................68 Table 12: Minimum and maximum screening levels for contaminants for sediments (ANZECC 1998, ANZECC - ARMCANZ, 2001) and twice background levels for selected contaminants in Port Phillip Bay. Water-quality guidelines for elutriate solutions are also shown. Consult the responsible authority for contaminants not listed 73 Table 13: Nutrient concentrations in pore water (mmol.L-1) from different regions of Port Phillip Bay, representative values from Nicholson et al. 1996 ...........................................................................................76