Peel Ports has signed an international sediment management pledge to more effectively manage the disposal of sediments as part of the necessary dredging of its ports and harbours.
The initiative, from Navigating a Changing Climate (a Global Climate Action partnership) and SedNet (a European Sediment network) brings together businesses, scientists and organisations involved in the management of sediments in coasts and waterways, globally.
“The commitment from Peel Ports means that it will ensure it explores every opportunity to relocate the sediments extracted as part of its crucial dredging operations to places where they help protect natural habitats, across all its locations,” according to their official statement.
At the Port of Liverpool, Peel Ports has already established a Sediment Stakeholder Group to assess re-use options for maintenance dredged material.
This group, which includes officials from the Environment Agency, Natural England and Local Authorities, helped to establish a scheme to deposit an estimated 400,000m 3 of material annually at the Mid-River site in the Mersey Estuary, with the objective of sustaining the saltmarshes further upstream.
Peel Ports has been awarded the PIANC ‘Working with Nature’ accolade to recognise the work it does in this area.
Similar beneficial use schemes and steering groups and now being set up across all of Peel Ports estates.