The Seaport Economic Council recently awarded a grant to Beverly City (Mass) to complete a feasibility study that will determine the safest method to dispose dredged material from the Bass River.
Beverly will receive $140,000 to facilitate the process of identifying a suitable dredge sediment disposal option for the Bass River Maintenance Dredging Project.
“From modernizing infrastructure to improving resiliency and expanding capacity, these investments ensure that our coastal assets will continue to support our maritime industries and position these key sectors for success long into the future,” said Governor Charlie Baker in the release.
Dredge sediment from this project has been determined to be unsuitable for unconfined offshore disposal at the Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site (MBDS) and has therefore delayed the dredging project.
This feasibility study will allow the city to explore the possibility of constructing a Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) cell within the limits of the Bass River.
If feasible, a disposal cell could be an economically viable and environmentally sound method for sediment disposal, allowing the dredging project to resume, and ultimately restoring safe and reliable navigation within the river system for commercial and recreational boating.
With this award, the Seaport Economic Council has awarded a total of approximately $57 million in grants to 48 coastal communities since the Baker-Polito Administration re-launched the Council in 2015.