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River Tees Maintenance Dredging Licence
2012 MLA/2012/00141 Marine Licence Application
Cefas
In 2012 based on the 15 samples analysed, which appears to have been proposed by Cefas in support of a 1 year licence renewal, as Cefas recommended only 1 year licence with annual sampling.
Cefas response 12th March 2012 - (email 01082012 Cefas advice to applicant MLA201200141; Tees and Hartlepool Maintenance Dredge and Disposal.msg)
Cefas understanding of the licence - 1. This a renewal application by PD Teesport for the disposal of 2 889 700 tonnes (approximately 1 850 553 cubic metres) of sand and silt maintenance dredge material from the areas previously listed for disposal under this licence comprising the River Tees (channel, berths and frontages), Hartlepool (entrance channel docks and water area) and Seaton channel (basin and berths). The requested licensed quantity this year represents a slight increase on the previous 12 month licence period but is broadly in line with annual quantities of material licensed previously over the duration of this long standing maintenance licence held by PD Teesport.
Summary 12. Based on my assessment of this application I would suggest that some elevation in contaminant levels is observed in sediments throughout the sites analysed this year. I would suggest that in general these are within those ranges which would be considered acceptable for disposal at sea, however I consider that maintenance material arising from the sites listed below should be excluded at the present time. Against the backdrop of ongoing contamination of dredge material from the Tees the continued policy of issue of a 1-year licence would be recommended. Continuing to re-sample on a rolling program simplifies the logistics of the sampling demands on the port, together with targeted monitoring samples where these are considered appropriate.
Natural England
Advice from the Environment Agency was reproduced verbatim in the Decision Letter (Marine) from the MMO.
With regard to the potential impacts on migratory salmonids, background conditions are likely to be stressful during the warm summer months. The smolt migration will occur during April to June and numbers of returning adults are likely to peak in early autumn. To reduce the risks to migratory fish, we would recommend that dredging in chart areas* 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 should only occur during a time window from the beginning of November till the end of March inclusive wherever possible. Chart areas 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 may be maintenance dredged throughout the year. * Chart areas are taken from the Tees Maintenance Dredging Annual Review 2011 PD Teesport (included in the Marine Licence application)
MMO
L/2012/00366 - 1st October 2012 to 31st May 2015
MMO issued a 3 year licence with conditions including:
3.2.1 Material should be excluded from disposal at sea from the following wharfs/frontages; Cochrane's/Tees wharf, Normanby Wharf Graving Dock Tees Offshore Base And in the interim, also from Teesport Commerce wharf (TPC) Dry Dock
Reason: To ensure that only material which has contaminant levels within those ranges which are considered acceptable for disposal at sea are disposed via this route.
2015 MLA/2015/00088 Marine Licence Application
Cefas 18th November 2015
20151118 MLA201500088 PD Teesport Tees and Hartelpool maintenance dredge advice final.docx
25 surface samples taken concentrated on Tees berths as 2012 concentrated on Tees Channel, Approaches and Hartlepool. Only analysed for metals, organotins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s), as a gradual decline has been observed in previous years in maintenance material levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and BDE’s,
Observed metal and organotin levels considered acceptable for disposal at sea. Bamletts Wharf and Britannia Enterprise Zone, showed lead levels in excess of Cefas AL2 comparable to other excluded areas such as Teesport Commerce Wharf (TPC) Dry Dock, all higher than 2010 measurements suggesting some sporadic source of contaminant input into these sites. Recommended exclusion from new licence and stopping dredging these areas immediately.
“PAH’s demonstrate some areas of elevation, particularly with respect to those PAH’s associated with redundancy from the petro chemical industry but generally levels observed were consistent with those anticipated in sediments from the Tees estuary and within those ranges previously disposed of to the Tees Bay site. I recommend continuing the monitoring of sediment quality through regular future sampling campaigns.”
“It is my view that these works will fall outside the scope of a relevant project as defined by the Marine Works (EIA) Regulations 2007.”
“18. Based on my assessment of this application I consider that 2,889,700 tonnes (per annum) from the proposed dredged areas is suitable for disposal at sea to the licensed disposal site TY 160 (Tees Bay A).”
“19. I would suggest however that due to the elevation in contaminant levels observed from sample analyses in both previous and this year in sediments at specific sites. Those locations as listed below should be excluded from inclusion in the maintenance renewal licence at the present time.”
“20. Against the backdrop of ongoing contamination of dredge material identified within the Tees I suggest that the continued policy of issue of shorter term licences would be desirable. This is however a policy decision and if a 10 year licence is granted I would stress the necessity to re-sample on a regular basis within a strategic rolling sampling monitoring program. I recommend the following licence conditions;….”