Dredging Creates a Strong Economy and a Cleaner Environment

WEDA/ERDC Short Course: Innovations Towards Achieving More Sustainable Management of Dredged Material

General Course Overview:
As part of the Western Dredging Association (WEDA) and the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) MOU, we propose to offer a short course to help participants implement new USACE guidance to consider environmental benefits and efficiencies when comparing dredged sediment beneficial use placement options.

After providing some essential background on USACE’s 70 by 30 goal, updates to USACE’s beneficial use of dredged materials (BUDM) practice and guidance, and important basics associated with valuing economic and environmental benefits resulting from BUDM, the course will focus on recent tools and resources that can be used as strategic enablers of sediment beneficial use within and outside the Corps.  Students completing this course will have an enhanced understanding of how to achieve more sustainable management of dredged material and be capable of performing site-specific valuation comparisons of sediment placement alternatives as well as identify and quantify environmental benefits applicable to a wide variety of dredging projects in coastal and inland systems.

The course material was established to give a comprehensive overview of:

  • Understanding the changing landscapes of Beneficial Use of dredged material in the United States
  • Defining sustainable dredged material management
  • Federal Standard policy and beneficial use
  • Beneficial Use of Goods and Services (BUGS) Tool
  • DUDM case study best practices

PDH's
This course qualifies for 4 Professional Development Hours (PDH's). Certificates will be issued via email upon request.

Who Should Attend?
The course is ideally suited for those who are involved in dredging for a major portion of their normal daily work or have had specific schooling in dredging. Individuals who deal with dredging occasionally or somewhat frequently as part of their work and need to have a good working knowledge and understanding of dredging will benefit from this course.

  • federal, state, and local regulators and environmental resource managers
  • project managers
  • environmental consulting engineers and environmental scientists
  • members of environmental interest groups