During the 2004 hurricane season, sediment was transported and deposited into the Canaveral Harbor entrance channel which prevented large ships from entering the port and forced the Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) to conduct emergency dredging within the channel. To help minimize sediment deposition within the channel, a sediment trap was proposed to provide a basin for deposition of sediments.
ANAMAR Environmental Consulting, Inc. was contracted by CPA to review the feasibility of off-shore disposal for the South Jetty Sediment Trap using historical data as well as data provided by a private engineering firm.
ANAMAR reviewed historical data and compared the physical characteristics of the new material to samples collected and analyzed in 2003. Based on the similarities of the data and the extenuating circumstances involving the funding and time frame for the project, ANAMAR prepared a report presenting an alternative to extensive and expensive testing. The report summarized the available data and established a scientific comparison on which to base a “no need for new testing” decision and subsequent approval for off-shore disposal. The report was reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who determined there was sufficient information on which to base such a decision. The acceptance of this report in effect saved the Port Authority more than $500,000 in costs that would be associated with performing a comprehensive toxicological testing regimen and hiring a dredge exclusively for this project.