Army Corps Issues Dredging Permit To U.S. Gypsum; Corps Finds Solution Among Divergent Interests.Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2002 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of District has granted a federal permit to U.S. Gypsum gypsum (jĭp`səm), mineral composed of calcium sulfate (calcium, sulfur, and oxygen) with two molecules of water, CaSO4·2H2O. It is the most common sulfate mineral, occurring in many places in a variety of forms. to dredge 125,000 cubic yards of sediment from its Stony Point Ston·y Point A village of southeast New York on the Hudson River north of New City. Its blockhouse, captured by British troops in May 1779, was retaken in July by Gen. Anthony Wayne's forces. Population: 11,744. terminal on the Hudson River Hudson River River, New York, U.S. Originating in the Adirondack Mountains and flowing for about 315 mi (507 km) to New York City, it was named for Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609. Dutch settlement of the Hudson valley began in 1629. and beneficially place the material at the Bayonne Landfill in NJ. The project has been the subject of substantial controversy during the last two years, culminated by a federal court directive that the Corps make a decision on the permit action this week. At issue was the acceptability of placing the dredged material at the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS HARS Historical Aircraft Restoration Society HARS HIV/AIDS Reporting System HARS Historic Area Remediation Site HARS Highway Advisory Radio System (public service announcements) HARS High Altitude Route System ) in the Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean [Lat.,=of Atlas], second largest ocean (c.31,800,000 sq mi/82,362,000 sq km; c.36,000,000 sq mi/93,240,000 sq km with marginal seas). Physical Geography Extent and Seas . Many environmentalists, ocean advocates and elected officials strenuously objected to the placement of the material in the ocean. In response to the controversy, the Corps facilitated negotiations between the states of New York and New Jersey and U.S. Gypsum to find reasonable alternatives. As a result of unprecedented cooperation, U.S. Gypsum agreed to beneficially reuse the dredged material in capping the Bayonne Landfill. The permit issued by the Corps late yesterday authorizes the dredging dredging, process of excavating materials underwater. It is used to deepen waterways, harbors, and docks and for mining alluvial mineral deposits, including tin, gold, and diamonds. subject to the placement at the upland location. Dredging is scheduled to begin almost immediately and is anticipated to be completed when the seasonal window closes in mid-November. Corps District Engineer Col. John B. O'Dowd said, "Yesterday's action could not have happened without the cooperation of U.S. Gypsum and the states of New York and New Jersey." The Corps was proactively engaged in seeking alternatives to ocean disposal, since the 113 ppb interim standard for PCBs could not be used as a result of the court decision. "The question remains, now that the Gypsum decision is behind us," said O'Dowd, "will there be a standard in place for PCBs when the next applicant applies for a federal permit? We need," he said, "to develop procedures for assessing the suitability of materials for placement at the HARS consistent with sound environmental operating principles and science." But equally important, O'Dowd added, is for lawmakers, environmentalists, federal and state agencies, and the maritime community to become energized in finding ways of driving down disposal costs for beneficial reuse or upland placement of dredged material, so that all entities, especially the smaller businesses, can afford to dredge. |
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