WEDA Webinar - A New PIANC Guideline for Managing Environmental Risks of Navigation Infrastructure Projects
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| General Webinar Overview: A Working Group formed within the PIANC Environmental Commission has developed a standard of practice to support ports and other public and commercial navigation interests in managing environmental risks associated with navigation infrastructure projects. Managing environmental risks from navigation infrastructure involves economic and environmental costs, and is complicated by the diverse range of policies, perspectives, risk attitudes, and personal values that influence decision-making. The report provides a robust yet practical approach to risk management decision-making for the broad range of environmental risks associated with navigation infrastructure. Effectively managing infrastructure project risk must consider multiple physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic processes that can span broad spatial and temporal scales. Understanding and clearly articulating uncertainties related to these processes is essential to developing projections regarding the future performance of risk management actions and effective adaptive management strategies. An overview will be provided of the structured management process through which actions for reducing environmental risks can be identified, evaluated, selected, and implemented. Uncertainty (e.g., short-term infrastructure operations), long-range risks (e.g., climate change), residual risk, the resiliency of natural features, and the role of sustainability and life-cycle analysis in risk management will be discussed. The approach is compatible with PIANC’s Working with Nature philosophy, considering existing approaches and current best practices worldwide. Working Group members representing the United States will be presenting an overview of the report and its relevance to WEDA members in general and dredging projects in particular.
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Presenter Bios: Dr. Burton Suedel leads the Risk Integration Team in the ERDC Environmental Laboratory where among other research interests he investigates ways in which environmental enhancements can be incorporated into navigation and port infrastructure planning. He also manages the Dredging Operations Technical Support (DOTS) program that facilitates the transfer of existing and new navigation and dredging technology to stakeholders in the USACE’s navigation mission. He has received international recognition for applying the EWN initiative in practice at multiple USACE navigation and coastal projects nationwide. Rebecca Gardner is a project manager and engineer with a broad range of experience in developing and implementing environmental compliance and remedial action strategies for sites with sediment, groundwater, and surface water contamination. She has worked for both multi-party groups and smaller stakeholders on several complex, large-scale sites in the United States and Scandinavia. With this experience, she brings a unique perspective to each new project, helping her clients negotiate cost-effective remedial solutions for their sites. David Moore is an Environmental Toxicologist with experience in developing and directing large, multi-disciplinary studies relating to emerging environmental contaminants, sediment assessment, management and planning, water quality, watershed management, environmental remediation/restoration, and environmental mitigation. He specializes in Ecotoxicology with a focus on emerging contaminants of concern and environmental risk assessment. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you online soon! | |