Abstract |
More than 1.5 million cubic yard (CY) sediment needs to be removed annually from fifteen federal harbors, and numerous smaller ports for recreational navigation along the Ohio’s Lake Erie coast. Landfill of these materials is costly and depletes land resources. Open water placement of these materials in Lake Erie deteriorates water quality. In Cleveland, there are more than 14,000 acres of brownfields many with over 90% impervious surface. Impervious surface is commonly employed on post-industry lands to abate pollutions. However, this practice conflicts with “infiltration” the principle required by contemporary stormwater strategies. In addition, research shows that devaluation and destabilization of neighborhoods are around these unremediated brownfields, and the impervious surface increases flooding concerns in combined sewer overflow areas where many brownfields are located. Green infrastructure (GI), e.g. green roof, rain gardens et al, emphasizes infiltration and hydrological retention, and could potentially provide a flexible and affordable solution to remediate urban brownfield in Cleveland. The dredged material may supply nutrients for plant growth in GI and raw mineral materials for aggregate production, which has high hydrological retention capacity for GI construction.
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Dredge Material Samples, Poster