Abstract

The Taranto harbor area is included in the Italian National Priority List of contaminated sites. For the enlargement works of the fourth quay in the Taranto harbor, the remediation of contaminated sediments shall be carried out. The existing jetty was devoted to unloading of iron ore for the nearby ILVA steel mill. The sea depth in the intervention area ranges between 2 and 10 m and contaminated sediments (up to 3 m thick) are deposited on a layer of overconsolidated hard clay. The characterization activity of the area was carried out by ICRAM (a public sea research institute) indicating the presence of both organic (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) and inorganic (metals) contaminants in the sediments. The remediation project consists of the two following phases: Mechanical dredging of highly contaminated sediments (15.500 m3) using low-turbidity tools and hydraulic excavation of sediments with a lower level of contamination (360.000 m3). Abiding by national regulations, the highly contaminated sediments will be treated in a dedicated plant while the sediments with a low level of contamination will be deposited in large ponds. The impact of dredging activities shall be mitigated by specific precautions. The possibility of beneficial reuse of dredged material was also studied, especially for low contamination sediments, as well as compatibility with national regulations. A specific monitoring plan will be enacted for the entire duration of remediation works, which are expected to start in 2010.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Keywords:
contaminated sediments, dredging, treatment, mitigation, monitoring

References

1.
Law (Decreto Legislativo) No. 152, April 3, 2006, “Norme in Materia Ambientale” (Regulation on Environmental Matter), printed out in Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 88 on April 14,
2006
.
2.
Law (Decreto del Ministero dell’Ambiente) No. 367, November 6, 2003, “Regolamento Concernente la Fissazione di Standard di Qualità Nell'ambiente Acquatico per le Sostanze Pericolose,” ai Sensi Dell’articolo 3, Comma 4, Del Decreto Legislativo 11 Maggio 1999, No. 152 (Regulation About the Quality Standards in Aquatic Habitat for Hazardous Substances), printed out in Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 88 on April 14,
2006
.
3.
Italian Institute for Scientific and Technological Marine Research (ICRAM)
, “Valori di Intervento per Sedimenti di Aree Fortemente Antropizzate con Particolare Riferimento al Sito di Bonifica di Interesse Nazionale di Taranto” (in Italian).
4.
Italian Institute for Scientific and Technological Marine Research (ICRAM)
, “Elaborazione e Valutazione dei Risultati della Caratterizzazione ai Fini Dell’Individuazione delle Più Appropriate Modalità di Gestione dei Gedimenti,” April
2005
(in Italian).
5.
Italian Institute for Scientific and Technological Marine Research (ICRAM)
, “Volumi di Sedimento Corrispondenti allo Strato di Recente Sedimentazione Nell’Area del IV Sporgente nel Porto di Taranto Sottoposta a Caratterizzazione,” September
2004
(in Italian).
6.
http://www.decnv.com/EN/techniques/environmental_dredging.
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