CHICAGO AREA WATERWAY SYSTEM (CAWS) DREDGED MATERIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN Briefing for Great Lakes Waterways Conference Presentation by Timothy J. Kroll, P.E. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District Existing Chicago Area CDF February 7-8, 2018 Cleveland, Ohio The views, opinions and findings contained in this report are those of the authors(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision, unless so designated by other official documentation. BUILDING STRONG and Taking Care of People! ISO-9001
CALUMET HARBOR & RIVER DMMP PROJECT - BLUF 2 Chicago Area CDF has surpassed its original design capacity. LRC is now employing life-extension measures (piling) to continue maintenance dredging activities Estimated cessation of life-extension actions in 2022 Calumet River sediment needs confinement; Calumet Harbor material may be beneficially used New Dredged Material Disposal Facility (DMDF) - Needs lead time of approximately 6 years Navigation in Calumet River and Harbor will be impacted Draft DMMP Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) at former Republic Steel June 2015 City of Chicago New non-federal sponsor as of September 2017 Necessary non-federal items of cooperation: Lands for new facility Funding for design and construction Liaison with local community O&M of the site in perpetuity following closure TSP from Draft DMMP no longer available, site development to support nearby industry December 2017 With sponsor input, currently identifying new potential site alternatives. New site selection process, same preliminary facility design
AUTHORIZED NAVIGATION CHANNELS AND PROJECTED DREDGING NEEDS 3 Calumet Harbor Sediment Suitable for beneficial use Calumet River Sediment Requires confinement Cal-Sag Channel Sediment Requires confinement
WHY IS CALUMET RIVER & HARBOR DREDGING NEEDED? 4 Major Great Lakes Port ~11.8 million tons/year (2011-2015 average) Regional Economic Benefits Cargo handling, transportation, and other support support industries contribute to Illinois economy 4,300 jobs $608 million in annual revenues Environmental and Social Benefits Waterborne transportation safety and efficiency Maintained since 1870 Remove legacy contaminated sediment from waterway Commodity Movements (2011-2015) Calumet Harbor & River (annual average, 11.8M tons) Calumet Sag-Channel (annual average, 5.4M tons)
5 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO NAVIGATION Dredging locations selected annually based on areas of greatest sediment accumulation Calumet River accumulates between 0.5 and 0.7 feet of sediment annually Without dredging Best Case Scenario Navigation channels continue to fill with sediment. More shippers impacted; higher transportation costs would be incurred. Best case scenario: Based on current status, already a projected 2-year gap in dredging
SITE SELECTION AND SCREENING PROCESS Existing CDF Previously Identified TSP Site The Chicago District previously evaluated 61 sites to determine whether the proposed project would be: Environmentally responsible Technically sound Economically justifieda Potential sites screened out based on: Size Must be at least 30 acres Natural Resources Avoid quality habitat In-Use Vacant or under-utilized land Environmental Conditions No unresolved contamination issues Cultural resources No historic landmarks, etc. Operational Feasibility Practical to build and operate (adjacent to waterway, flat, etc.) 6 Previously evaluated sites and new sites within city limits will be screened in a second iteration of the site selection process
PRELIMINARY DMDF SITE LAYOUT 7 Beneficial use of Calumet Harbor material in facility construction extends the life of the DMDF Does not require filling in waters of the United States (additional permitting actions required, extending duration of project implementation) Closed DMDF would be approx. 25-foot high grasscovered hill when turned over to the sponsor.
8 NEXT STEPS: Identify possible additional site alternatives...february 2018 Public workshops. April 2018 Update draft DMMP..July 2018 NEPA public review.august 2018 Finalize DMMP and submit to division office..fy19 Arrive at Recommended Plan Division Commander approves DMMP; Sign Design Agreement; Initiate plans and specs.fy19 Chief of Engineers approves FY19 Complete design, sign Project Partnership Agreement.... FY20 Sponsor obtains real estate, construction begins... FY21 Complete Phase 1 of DMDF construction; begin accepting material...fy24 3 years of dredging impacts anticipated on current path