Minnesota MPO Summer Workshop

August 11, 2008

MIC Harbor Planning

SLRIDT Superfund Site

Erie Pier

Wind Turbine Components

Great Ships Initiative

Hog Island Inlet

Harbor Tour Route

Harbor Technical Advisory Committee

(HTAC)

30 Member Committee Representing Harbor Stakeholders

•Government – local, regional, state, & federal

•Citizen – environmental groups

•Industry Sectors

Mission

•Forum for Harbor Related Issues

•Promote Harbor’s Economic and Environmental Importance

•Provide Sound Planning and Management Recommendations to the MIC

Harbor Technical Advisory Committee

(HTAC)

Presentation Outline

•Ballast Water Research

•Accelerated Corrosion

•Dredged Material

Management

•Contaminated Sediment

Cleanup

•Freight Movement

The Challenge of Ballast Treatment The Challenge of Ballast Treatment Technology DevelopmentTechnology Development

• IMO standard difficult to measure against IMO standard difficult to measure against • No clear standard yet domesticallyNo clear standard yet domestically• Tests on board ships are difficult to control Tests on board ships are difficult to control

and replicateand replicate• Shore based tests require special test Shore based tests require special test

conditionsconditions– Large tanksLarge tanks– Specialized analysesSpecialized analyses– High flow ratesHigh flow rates– Various conditionsVarious conditions

Ballast Water Research

The Great Ships Initiative:The Great Ships Initiative:

• An industry-led cooperative effort to resolve An industry-led cooperative effort to resolve

problems of ship-mediated invasive species problems of ship-mediated invasive species

in the Great Lakes - St Lawrence Seawayin the Great Lakes - St Lawrence Seaway

• Identify solutions as quickly, effectively and Identify solutions as quickly, effectively and

economically as possible through research, economically as possible through research,

monitoring and implementationmonitoring and implementation• Communicate results into domestic (US and Communicate results into domestic (US and

Canada), and global (IMO) policy processes Canada), and global (IMO) policy processes

The Great Ships Initiative:The Great Ships Initiative:

Funders to DateFunders to Date

• Canadian and U.S. Great Lakes PortsCanadian and U.S. Great Lakes Ports

• City of SuperiorCity of Superior

• St. Lawrence Seaway Development Organizations St. Lawrence Seaway Development Organizations (U.S. and Canada)(U.S. and Canada)

• U.S. Maritime Administration U.S. Maritime Administration

• U.S. Department of TransportationU.S. Department of Transportation

• University of Wisconsin-Superior (in-kind)University of Wisconsin-Superior (in-kind)

• University of Minnesota-Duluth (in-kind)University of Minnesota-Duluth (in-kind)

• Great Lakes carrier companies (in-kind)Great Lakes carrier companies (in-kind)

• NOAA NOAA

• Great Lakes Maritime Research InstituteGreat Lakes Maritime Research Institute

Accelerated Corrosion in the Duluth-Superior

HarborTHE PROBLEM

•Advanced localized corrosion in submerged steel structures

•Evident on all steel structures in the working harbor area - up to 7 miles upstream from Aerial Lift Bridge

•Severity of corrosion is most severe in the upper 4 feet of submerged dock structure

Steel Docks NoDive Inspection

Steel Docks WithDive Inspection

COAST GUARD RANGE CELL - REMAINING STEELSITE I.D. # CGB1o

(Measured Steel Thickness of 0.379 inches)

0.375

0.060

0.111

0.302

0.296

0.375

0.307

0.379

0.363

0.350

0.000 0.050 0.100 0.150 0.200 0.250 0.300 0.350 0.400

+2

0

-2

-4

-6

DE

PT

H (

FE

ET

)

REMAINING STEEL (INCHES)

Minimum Thickness Maximum Thickness

Potential Causes

Iron-oxidizing (Siderooxidans

lithoautotrophicus) and iron-reducing

(Rhodoferax ferrireducens) bacteria are

present on corroding steel sheet pilings

Accelerated Corrosion in the Duluth-Superior

Harbor

Dredged Material Management

Advanced dredged material

management planning must be

conducted on a port or regional scale by

a partnership that includes the Federal

government, the port authorities, state

and local governments, natural resource

agencies, public interest groups, the

maritime industry, and private citizens.

National Dredging Policy Principles

National Dredging Policy Principles

Dredged material is a resource, and

environmentally-sound beneficial use of

dredged material for such projects as

wetland creation, beach nourishment,

and development projects must be

encouraged.

Erie Pier Confined Disposal Facility (CDF)

Erie Pier Management Plan

•Sets management processes in place to facilitate a dredged material reuse program at Erie Pier•Describes testing procedures and reuse guidelines from both MN & WI

Updating of the Dredged Material Management Plan

(DMMP)

•DMMP must include 20 years of dredged material management strategies •We are currently compiling potential projects and strategies for the Army Corps for Engineers to study further

2121stst Avenue Avenue Wetland CreationWetland Creation

• Restores 75 acres of Restores 75 acres of habitat in a habitat in a freshwater estuary, freshwater estuary, a nationally scarce a nationally scarce resource.resource.

• Placement of Placement of dredged material dredged material would cover would cover (isolate) sediment at (isolate) sediment at the site.the site.

• Provides Provides recreational benefits recreational benefits in an urban area.in an urban area.

Mineland ReclamationMineland Reclamation

• Mine Tailings Cover Mine Tailings Cover over 25,000 Acres in over 25,000 Acres in northern Minnesota.northern Minnesota.

• Tailings are Infertile and Tailings are Infertile and Difficult to Re-vegetate.Difficult to Re-vegetate.

• Mining Companies are Mining Companies are Required to Reclaim Required to Reclaim Tailings Basins and to Tailings Basins and to Replace any Wetland Replace any Wetland that has been Disturbed that has been Disturbed by Mining Activity.by Mining Activity.

Sky Harbor Airport SiteSky Harbor Airport Site

• Dredged material Dredged material would be used as fill would be used as fill for runway for runway realignment.realignment.

• Yields approximately Yields approximately 250K yd250K yd3 3 of capacity.of capacity.

CN Ore Dock - Lakehead SiteCN Ore Dock - Lakehead Site

• Fill needed to Fill needed to stabilize dock stabilize dock and create and create bulk material bulk material storage area storage area

• Site estimated Site estimated to provide to provide 800K yd800K yd3 3 of of capacity.capacity.

Contaminated Sediment Cleanup

St. Louis River/ Interlake/Duluth Tar Superfund Site

Hog Island Inlet

Dredge Areas

Cap Areas

Contained Aquatic Disposal

End Dike

St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar (SLRIDT) Superfund Site

St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar (SLRIDT) Superfund Site

Hog Island Inlet

•Aqua barriers used to drain inlet and sediments were removed in the dry

•56,000 cu. yd. of sediment removed to local landfill

Freight Movement in the Duluth-Superior Port

Wind Turbine Components•Pieces move into and out of the port

•Components manufactured in North Dakota bound for Spain

•Components manufactured in Denmark bound for Midwest wind generation sites

•Cargoes handled by Lake Superior Warehousing

Questions and Comments