Lakes, rivers, and marine environments, especially those located in urban waterfront and coastal areas, often have contaminated sediment, surface water, and stressed biota from decades of industrial and commercial activities. Sediment contamination can include metals, crude oil and refined petroleum compounds, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Contaminated sediment sites present complex challenges. Site evaluation and clean-up are expensive and can take several years to implement, and the metrics for remedy effectiveness are not often well defined.

Source control, quantification of background concentrations, assessment of ecological and human health risks, future land use, and stakeholder values are important factors to understanding “how clean is clean.” Effective sediment management for water-dependent businesses, institutions, and cities, depends upon good science; risk assessment and planning; identification and implementation of adaptative solutions; stakeholder engagement; actionable and achievable remedy metrics; and monitoring that allows for adaptation as site conditions change.

Our engineering and scientific staff provide clients with the expertise and resources to resolve a variety of project challenges including small, intermittent-flow streams, large artificial and natural lakes, and complex river, estuary, and harbor systems. Geosyntec has extensive experience with all aspects of sediment site management: sediment investigations, risk evaluations, treatability and pilot testing, feasibility studies, regulatory negotiations, permitting, environmental monitoring, remedial design, construction management, and construction quality control; with the ultimate goal of developing a remedy that will provide risk reduction with minimal disruption and costs.

Geosyntec’s multidisciplinary approach brings together specialists in engineering for dredging, capping, and natural recovery; ecological and biological sciences, risk assessment and applied toxicology, and earth sciences to address the complex issues associated with sediment management. Unique to Geosyntec, we can harmonize the site assessment process with our engineering expertise (coastal, hydraulic, hydrologic, geotechnical); as well as water resources management and climate change resiliency/ecology to help our clients address the challenges associated with sediment management in waterfront and coastal settings.

We can provide a holistic approach to sediment projects. In particular, we excel at developing efficient remedial design solutions that support berth maintenance, dredging, capping, carbon amendments, and natural recovery projects. We also specialize in reliable and innovative tools to help our clients manage their financial risks and cost recovery efforts.