Hosted and co-organised by: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway

5^th International SedNet conference 27^th-29^th May 2008 hosted and co-organised by NGI, Oslo, Norway

Urban Sediment Management and Port Redevelopment & Sediment in River Basin Management Plans

The 5th International SedNet Conference was hosted and co-organised by the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. It took place in Oslo, Norway. More than 50 presentations were given and about 40 posters were shown. The conference was attended by 180 sediment experts from 19 countries.

The first part of the conference was dedicated to the main title. Sediment in rivers, harbours and marine coastal zones in urban areas is often historically contaminated. Contamination originates from industrial activities, dockyard and harbour operations as well as discharges of municipal wastewater and urban surface water run-off. This ‘legacy of the past’ complicates the redevelopment of harbour areas and the waterfront of cities for housing or commercial purposes. A proper sediment management strategy is required that takes into account environmental risks associated with contaminated sediment as well as the identification of appropriate remediation options for use in the urban environment. Furthermore, European legislation increasingly requires the involvement of stakeholders, who may have conflicting viewpoints and concerns. How to manage such complexity? What challenges with regard to the management of contaminated sediments have been met and what experiences gained in port redevelopment cases in urban areas?
The second part of the conference was dedicated to the state-of-the-art on sediment management in river basin management planning. By this conference part a European discussion was continued which was started in 2006 in Venice with the SedNet Round Table Discussion "Sediment Management – an essential element of River Basin Management Plans".

At the end of each session, the session chairman summarized the highlights or conclusions. It is foreseen to give a more in-depth summary in the Journal of Soils and Sediments in 2009.

Surveys (chairman Aivo Lepland, Geological Survey of Norway)

• The importance of fine, clayey fractions became clear.
• Combination of high-resolution acoustic techniques with sediment core data provides insights for reliable assessment of thickness and volume of sediments.
• Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI) is a promising and quick tool for environmental monitoring of the seabed and capping.
• Modelling of sediment spreading during dredging and deposition of dredged materials using hydrodynamics and sediment properties; verifications from the field are still required.

Solutions (chairman Audun Hauge, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute)

• Capping is becoming a widely used remediation technique.
• Focus on developing active caps.
• Stabilization and solidification of dredged material in land reclamation gives good results.
• Special recipies must be found for each situation.
• For management of contaminated sediments in fjords with ongoing contaminant sources dredging is not the solution. Thin layer capping with sandy material is a better option.
• “Remediation efficiency” tools can be useful for both pre-design assessment and post-construction monitoring of engineered caps.
• Capping of contaminated sediments has the potential to severely alter the soft bottom fauna community structure.
• Incorporating contaminant budget principles has been a good tool for communicating the progress and status of remediating activities for environmental authorities and stakeholders.
• Design and construction aspects of remediation projects offer numerous insights and lessons for other projects of any scale.

• SQS require the incorporation of a huge number of scientific considerations (most of them valid, but making the work very complex).
• As a consequence, use of SQS in the near future will still leave a lot of uncertainties.
• Earlier evaluations of strong and weak points of the application of SQSs (e.g. Pellston workshop : Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines and Related Tools for the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments: Proceedings from the Pellston Workshop on Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines and Related Tools for the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments, 18-22 August 2002, Fairmont, Montana, USA. Editor Richard J. Wenning, SETAC 2005 (ISBN 1880611716, 9781880611715) seem to have been ignored. Concerns about the use of SQSs reported earlier are:
  • The ability to adequately predict the presence or absence of chronic toxicity to sediment-dwelling organisms under field conditions;
  • The ability of SQSs to predict effects caused by accumulation in foodchains;
  • Doubts whether SQSs can be used to demonstrate cause-effect relationships;
  • Concern whether SQSs based on particular endpoints can be used to predict other toxicity endpoints and mechanisms.
• The linkage between SQSs and management objectives (WFD!) should be made clear (and be the joint product of stakeholders).
• Application of SQSs as trigger values (in tiered approaches) is a way of getting around scientific discussion on the uncertainties of those SQS values.
• A risk assessment framework based on the use of SQSs could also consist of two sets of SQS values: a high value, above which there will be no discussion about necessity of measures, and a lower value triggering further research.
• The scientific community has shown many times the advantages of tiered approaches (with also the use of biological and ecotoxicological parameters).
• Communication is needed about existing experience in EU countries with specific methods how to derive SQSs and the way these are used in risk assessment or in pass/fail quality assessment steps. More insight is needed in the benefits and in the disadvantages of these frameworks, thus enabling a better EU-wide discussion on the perspectives of a (rigid) sediment management system based on SQSs.

• Effective management not only requires a good understanding of the biophysical system, but also of the social system, and specifically of the dynamic and complex interaction between both systems. Hence, all stakeholders should be involved.
• Spatial planning, such as port revitalisation, is a good opportunity to also address (contaminated) sediment issues. Hence, a ‘sediment check’ – like the water check (‘Watertoets’) in the Netherlands – should become obligatory in spatial planning.

• Sediment management objectives need to be driven by regional risk reduction aiming at improvement on river basin scale.
• For regional risk reduction, research gaps need to be reduced and they comprise quality as well as quantity issues, as well as linking scientific assessment to decision support systems for stakeholders.
• Important quality issues:
  · remobilization of contaminants from sediments
  middot; biological activity may have secondary effects by gas-production
• Important quantity issues:
  middot; what happens during flood events e.g. with retention areas in terms of resuspension and setting of material (models may help us understand and generalize)
• Decision support systems comprising tiered approaches, developed by scientists in cooperation with stakeholders are useful tools which are both economic and support sound science.
• Extensive projects like Risk-Base and others stress the importance of RBM but integration of field-specific expertise and regional oriented perception still remains a challenge.

• River basin in many respects represents the most appropriate unit for sediment management decision making.
• Sediment management in terms of quality and quantity should receive due attention in River Basin Management Plans including programmes of measures. Exceptions from including sediment management into the plans should be justified.
• As the plans of the 1^st management cycle are now well developed it is time to analyse critically whether sediment management has been accounted for to the necessary extent. Conclusions for the 2^nd and 3^rd cycles have to be drawn.
• There is a strong need for developing decision support tools for sediment management, e.g. to assist in balancing the costs and benefits of management options.
• Efforts towards a better linking of river and coastal/marine management should be further intensified. The marine strategy aims at a “good environmental status” whereas the WFD aims at a “good ecological status”. This seems to be a progress in thinking.
• A general knowledge base on risk assessment approaches and merging the concepts, approaches and models for specific risks (e.g. contamination, erosion) into a common scheme of integrated risk assessment at a river basin scale is required.
• Geochemical mapping (monitoring), particularly of overbank sediments, may be a powerful tool to better understand particle bound fluxes and thus to develop management plans.

• Sediments play an essential role in urban river basins, however this is often neglected in the management policies. Water quality in municipalities is influenced by the presence of sediments and this has to be taken into consideration in preparation of river basin management plans.
• Contaminated sediment remediation must be supported by an effective system of assessing the risks related to the manipulation with a dredged material to avoid any adverse impacts on the status of the water bodies.
• High annual throughput of sediment remediation projects necessitates availability of appropriate expert and management systems for risk assessment of dredged material; these expert systems should include quality assurance aspects to guarantee compliance with the standards.

EC Best Paper 2008 Award
At the end of the conference, the Environment Commission (EC) of the Central Dredging Association, CEDA, presented its 2008 Award for a contribution to the literature on dredging and environment at the SedNet conference. CEDA EC has established this award to stimulate the dissemination of good quality information related to dredging and the environment, including technical, regulatory and managerial aspects of dredging operations and dredged material management. The Prize is € 1000 in cash and the publication of the full paper in Dredging and Port Construction Magazine. The winning abstract was 'The Oslo Remediation Project' by Torild Jørgensen of the Oslo Port Authorty. The price was handed over by Anders Jensen, vice-chairman of the CEDA EC.

For the Final conference program, the list of participants, abstracts, slides and a photo impression of the event see this website.

Day 1 - Intro and Setting the scene

Presentations

Contaminated sediments in a Norwegian perspective, Ellen Hambro, Norwegian Pollution Control Authority
Challenges in remediation of contaminated sediments in Norway, Gijs Breedveld et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway (abstract)
Lessons about sediment management learned from case studies: results of the meetings of DGE-plus, Piet den Besten et al, Centre for Water Management, NL (abstract)
The Oslo Harbour Remediation Project, Torild Jørgensen et al, Oslo Port Authority, Norway (abstract)

Posters

Evaluation and recovery of heavy metal polluted coastal lagoon sediments: towards a sustainable remediation, Renata Pacifico et al, ENEA, Italy
R&D project for a sustainable management of shoreline and sea floor in Emilia-Romagna region, Emiliano Altavilla et al, Arpa Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Day 1 - Surveys

Presentations

A comparison of environmental sedimentology in four harbours (Bergen, Göteborg, Ventspils and Port San Luis), Rodney Stevens et al, Göteborg Univ, Sweden (abstract)
Innovative use of remote sensing in combination with chemical borehole data results in superior insights in the spread of contaminated sediments, Fred de Haan et al, Waternet, NL (abstract)
PCB-anomalies in the sediments of the harbour basin of Zadar (Croatia) as a consequence of war action and/or industrial contamination, Martin Kralik et al, Umweltbundesamt, Austria (abstract)
Modeling of dreding-induced sediment resuspension: remaining questions and progress towards answers, Thomas Borrowman et al, Engineer Research and Development Center US Army, USA (abstract)
Modeling environmental impact caused by spreading of dredged material during dredging and deposition, Henrik Rye et al, SINTEF, Norway (abstract)
Contamination of fjords by urban run-off, Arne Pettersen et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway (abstract)
Sediment quality assessment by Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI) in contaminated Norwegian harbour and fjords, Hans C. Nilsson, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Norway (abstract)
Definition of the natural sediment dynamics before the dredging of the port of Genoa (Italy), Marco Capello et al, University of Genoa, Italy (abstract)

Posters

Impact of unburnt hard coal particles in river and marine sediments: boon or bane for sediment mngt?, Christine Achten et al, Vienna University, Austria
Pollutants in urban stormwater runoff - studied by analysis of catch basin sediments, Morten Jartun, Geological Survey of Norway, Norway

Day 1 - Solutions

Presentations

Capping for management of contaminated sediments and dredging residuals, Thomas Borrowman, Carlos E. Ruiz et al, US Army Eng. Research & Development, USA (abstract)
Opticap, thin layer capping of sediments using reactive and non-reactive materials, field studies, Gerard Cornelissen et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway (abstract)
Design and implementation of an erosion protection barrier for mercury-contaminated sediments at Tollare, Sweden, Andrew Petsonk et al, WSP Environmental, Sweden (abstract)
“Non-conventional” capping remedies for risk-based management of contaminated sediments in shallower inner-harbor areas, Joe Jersak et al, Biologge AS, Norway (abstract)
Stabilisation/solidification of sediments and soils - overview of technologies and experience, Stany Pensaert et al, DEC NV, Belgium (abstract)
Development of Mass Stabilisation Technique for Contaminated Sediments, Pentti O. Lahtinen et al, Ramboll Finland Oy, Finland (abstract)
Mechanical and chemical factors influencing the success of stabilisation/solidification of contaminated Norwegian marine sediments for use in land reclamation, Magnus Sparrevik et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway (abstract)
Usage of mud in the land reclamation of harbor areas - building a handling area for automobile export in Bremerhaven, Germany, Dirk Lesemann et al, Planungsgesellschaft für Hafenflächenrecycling und Wasserbau mbH, Germany (abstract)

Posters

From dredge spoil to concrete, Simon Bos et al, Tauw, NL
Monitoring of contaminant transport from Nearshore Confined Disposal Facilities - study of full scale stabilisation of dredged sediments in the Port of Trondheim, Randi Skirstad Grini et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway
In situ sludge consolidation: a sustainable and ecological solution for sludge disposal in river beds or landfills?, Winnie Dejonghe et al, VITO, Belgium
Measurement of geotechnical properties and physical stability of dredged material in a CAD, Tore Kvalstad et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway
Remediation of tributyltin-contaminated sediments and water, Eva Gkenakou et al, University of Southampton, UK

Day 2: Managing Contaminated Sediments - continued

In-place treatment of persistent organic contaminants in sediments through addition of activated carbon sorbent, Richard G. Luthy et al, Stanford University, USA

Day 2 - Case Studies

Presentations

Dumped ammunition - an environmental problem for sediment management?, Jens Laugesen et al, Det Norske Veritas, Norway (abstract)
Management of metal contaminated sediments in Sorfjorden, West Norway - an internationally known site, Jens Skei et al, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadallèen 21, Norway (abstract)
Thea Foss Waterway Remediation Project: An example of the risk-based, multi-technology approach to contaminated sediment management, Philip A. Spadaro et al, Arcadis US Inc., USA (abstract)
Innovative methods to determine efficiency of remediation by sediment capping, Espen Eek et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway (abstract)
The Norwegian Grenland fjord dioxin story - sediment remedial options and consequences, Kristoffer Naes et al, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Norway (abstract)
Including contaminant budget principles i the monitoring program for sediment remediation efforts in Oslo harbour, Norway, Amy Oen et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway (abstract)

Posters

Utilization of sediment in a former domestic refuse dump, Jürgen Pelzer et al, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany
TAPARURA Project: Sustainable coastal development, including the decontamination and rehabilitation of the coastal area of the city of Sfax, Bart Callaert et al, Envisan NV, Belgium
Sediments management in small hydroelectric basins: Italian case studies, Mario Lagorio et al, URS Italia spa, Italy
The Svärtsjö project: environmental dredging and dewatering of pulp and pulp-sludges, Stany Pensaert et al, DEC NV, Belgium

Day 2 - SQS-SQT

Presentations

The Water Framework Directive and setting environmental quality standards (EQS) for priority substances in sediments, Dorien ten Hulscher, Centre for Water Management, NL and Ana B. Payá Pérez, EC-Joint Research Centre, Italy (abstract)
Overview of the recommendations of WG-EG-EQS concerning environmental quality standards for metals in sediments, Katrien Delbeke, Eurocopper, Denmark, and Henning Clausen, EPA, Denmark (abstract)
Environmental Quality Standards for (organic) priority substances in sediments: the Water Framework Directive challenging science and vice versa, Marc Babut et al, Cemagref, France (abstract)
Development of sediment quality criteria in Norway, Torgeir Bakke et al, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Norway (abstract)
The use of the Sediment Quality Triad for quality assessment of freshwater sediments in Northern Spain, Pilar Rodrigues et al, University of Basque Country, Spain (abstract)

Posters

Risk-based management of TBT-Contaminated sediments in Norway: remedial approaches, regulatory requirements and other challenges, Joe Jersak et al, Biologge AS, Norway
Unexpected results from risk assessment of mercury-contaminated sediments at Tollare, Sweden, Andrew Petsonk et al, WSP Environmental, Sweden
Evaluation of metal contaminated sediments from Sorfjorden, Norway - whole sediment-toxicity and bioaccumulation of metals, Anders Ruus et al, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Norway
Elevated PAHs concentration and risk assessment in floodplain soils impacted by coal mining, Thilo Hofmann et al, Vienna University, Austria
MODELKEY: New evidences on the impact of environmental key pollutants on aquatic ecosystems, Michaela Hein et al, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany
Sediment toxicity profiling: monitoring instruments for water quality, Cor Schipper et al, Deltares, NL

Day 2 - Emerging Issues

Presentations

Sediment management and stakeholder involvement, Michael Mery, Tomales Bay Watershed Council, USA, and Adriaan Slob et al, TNO, NL (abstract)
Sustainable urban and environmental management restoration applications using sediment treatment systems with beneficial use, Eric A. Stern et al, US Environmental Protection Agency, USA (abstract)
Valuing the benefits of remediating contaminated marine sediments - a case study from Grenlandsfjorden, Norway, David N. Barton et al, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Norway (abstract)
Sediment management from a resilience perspective, Adriaan Slob et al, TNO, NL (abstract)
A systems approach to water(soil) management: systems' resilience as a challenge to organizations and innovation processes, Gerald Jan Ellen et al, TNO, NL (abstract)

Posters

Risk assessment of landslides of contaminated soil into surface waters - an example from the Swedish west coast, Gunnel Göransson et al, Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Sweden
Innovative in situ treatment options for contaminated sediments, Jürgen Thomas et al, URS Deutschland GmbH, Germany
Characterization of the fluvial sediments: field determination of TPH concentration with Hanby Environmental Test Kit, Raffaele Pellegatta et al, ENSR Italia, Italy
Stability of contaminated sediments - a multidisciplinary research program, Gijs Breedveld et al, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway
XAD-4 mediated desorption of pentachlorobenzene from laboratory spiked sediment, Jelena Tričković et al, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Subsequent release of substances from aquatic sediments, Cor Schipper et al, Deltares, NL
Stimulation of degradation of brominated flame retardants in lake sediments by NOAH gypsum, Linda Thoresen et al, NOAH AS, Norway

Day 2 - Science for RBM

Presentations

Origins and causes of river basin sediment degradation and available remediation and mitigation options: Feedback from the Riskbase workshop, Corinne Merly et al, BRGM, France (abstract)
Marching forward or flying blind? Ensuring that sediment management strategies and frameworks meet our objectives, Sabine E. Apitz et al, SEA Environmental Decisions Ltd., UK (abstract)
A decision-making methodology for the management of dredged sediments on the basis of chemical and toxicological data, Alexandra Katsiri et al, Dept of Water Resources and Environment, NTUA, Greece (abstract)
Are polluted sediments a source of contaminants for the water column?, Philippe Bataillard et al, BRGM, France (abstract)
Impact of shape and land use on sedimentation in greed flood retention reservoirs, Sven Wurms et al, Institute of Hydraulic Eng., University of Stuttgart, Germany (abstract)

Day 3: River Basin Management

Global geochemical mapping and the particle bound flux of major world rivers, Rolf Tore Ottesen et al, Geological Survey of Norway, Norway
Sustainable management of sediment resources: Sediment management at the river basin scale, Philip N. Owens et al, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada (abstract)
Where River Basin Management meets the European Marine Strategy, Diana Slijkerman et al, IMARES, NL (abstract)
Risk assessment in risk-based management of European river basins, Michaela Hein et al, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany (abstract)
, (abstract)
Management of sediment quality and quantity in the Danube River Basin, Igor Liska, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, Austria (abstract)
Recent developments in the ICPR sediment management activities in the Rhine basin, Martin Keller, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany (abstract)
A basin-wide analysis identifying areas of risk in the Elbe watershed, Susanne Heise et al, BIS / TU Hamburg-Harburg, Germany (abstract)
Sediment transport in Norwegian rivers and antropogenic impacts. Case studies of importance to sediment management plans, Jim Bogen et al, Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Administration, Norway (abstract)
, (abstract)
Sediment in the urban Mersey river basin, northwest UK: implications for basin-scale management and sustainability, Kevin G. Taylor et al, Dept of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, MMU, UK (abstract)
From monitoring to measures: Historical contaminated sediments in the Elbe river basin, Ulrich Förstner et al, TU Hamburg-Harburg, Germany (abstract, paper)
WSV-Lab - an expert and management system for dredged material quality assessment in German Federal Waterways, Peter Heininger et al, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany (abstract)
River Danube - Danube Delta - Black Sea geosystem, Nicolae Panin, National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, Romania
Sediment transport: a key issue for transboundary water management in the Danube basin, Hans-Peter Nachtnebel, University of Vienna, Austria

Posters

Sediment sampling in mountainous rivers and potential implications for the Water Framework Directive: a case study in Northern Portugal, Anabela Reis et al, University of Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
Model Based Estimation of Contaminated Sediment Dynamics in Groyne Fields along the River Elbe, Sandra Prohaska et al, University of Stuttgart, Germany
Assessment of sediment contaminants in river basin. A case study of Po river., Roberto Mezzalama et al, Golder Ass., Italy
HCB-contaminated sediments in the Upper Rhine - a case study while developing a sediment management plan, Vera Breitung et al, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany
The role of environmental stewardship in sediment management: the example of the Fraser River basin, British Columbia, Canada, Philip N. Owens, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
Trace elements, radionuclides and persistent organic pollutants in Sulejów reservoir bottom sediments (Poland), Izabela Bojakowska et al, Polish Geological Inst., Poland
Priority assessment of heavily polluted area’s in Serbian riversheds; a practical approach, Rob Dijcker et al, Witteveen+Bos, NL
Heavy metals contamination of river sediments at the historical industrial areas in Poland, Edeltrauda Helios-Rybicka et al, AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland
Propagation of elevated cadmium contents of suspended particulate matter in the Dutch part of the Meuse river, Pauline van Gaans et al, TNO, NL

Extra workshop 30th May 2008 - Sustainable Sediment Management 

Organising Committee
Piet den Besten, Centre for Water Management, The Netherlands
Gijs Breedveld, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway
Jos Brils, Deltares, The Netherlands
Marc Eisma, Port of Rotterdam Authority, The Netherlands
Audun Hauge, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway
Susanne Heise, TU Hamburg-Harburg, Germany
Peter Heininger, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany
Igor Liska, ICPDR, Austria
Hans-Peter Nachtnebel, University of Vienna, Austria
Axel Netzband, Hamburg Port Authority, Germany
Sue White, Cranfield University, UK