Those who wish to engage in dredging and disposal activities are required to submit, have reviewed, and obtain a Dredging Environmental Management Plan and a Dredging Compliance Certificate.
According to the Environmental Management Regulation of Dredging Materials dated 14.01.2020, numbered 31008, it is necessary to report on the beneficial use and disposal of dredging materials resulting from dredging activities in marine and coastal areas.
Who Prepares the Dredging Suitability Document? Who Issues the Suitability Document?
The Dredging Environmental Management Plan is prepared by environmental consultancy firms that have personnel trained by the Ministry on dredging and disposal issues.
The Dredging Environmental Management Plan must include information on the dredging activity, the standards of the material, its beneficial use, and the disposal area, as well as the use of appropriate equipment, technology, and methods.
The Dredging Suitability Letter is issued by the Ministry for dredging activities of 50,000 m3 and above, and by the Provincial Directorates located in the province where the dredging will take place for activities below 50,000 m3.
How to Obtain the Dredging Environmental Management Suitability Document?
The Environmental Management Plan is submitted to the Administration for the area where dredging and disposal activities will take place. The Administration reviews the Dredging Environmental Management Plan within 30 working days. If deemed necessary, it may request additional information, documents, and research from the activity owner. It issues a Suitability Document by approving those found suitable.
If there is any change anticipated in the Dredging Environmental Management Plan of activities that have a Suitability Document, the activity owner must apply to the Administration to obtain the Suitability Document again.
Management of Dredging and Disposal Activities
Before starting the activity, sediment samples are taken from the area to be dredged under Annex-1 of the relevant regulation to determine the pollution status and composition (gravel, sand, silt) of the material to be dredged.
Bathymetric measurements of the activity area are conducted, and a bathymetric map at a scale of at least 1/1000 is prepared and submitted to the Administration. Using the bathymetric map, the material to be dredged is determined.
the amount of material and the location of the area are determined.
If new port constructions and offshore seabed construction activities are planned, an Ecological Report including the determination of macro flora and fauna species in the marine area where dredging activities will take place is added to the Dredging Environmental Management Plan.
Beneficial Use and Disposal of Dredged Material
Beneficial use of dredged material is essential for reducing environmental impact. In this context, the possibilities for beneficial use of dredged material are investigated. The possibilities for beneficial use are evaluated according to the characteristics of the material and the provisions specified in the relevant regulations' annexes. Examples of beneficial use areas include the creation of artificial islands, recreational or industrial coastal fill, or beach nourishment.
Technical methods for beneficial use are determined and added to the Dredging Environmental Management Plan. Disposal of dredged material is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on the Regular Storage of Wastes dated 26.10.2010 and numbered 27533.
Disposal Activities in Seas
Disposal of dredged material that does not exceed the limit values based on sample analysis results may be permitted in suitable marine areas. If any of the relevant parameters exceed the upper limit value, disposal of dredged materials into the sea is not allowed.
If any of the relevant parameters exceed the limit value but do not exceed the upper limit value, the results of ecotoxicological analysis are added to the Dredging Environmental Management Plan to investigate the potential effects of the disposal activity on the marine environment.
If the concentration level at which the EC50 value is achieved does not indicate toxic characteristics of the dredged material, disposal of the dredged material into suitable marine areas may be permitted.
To avoid adverse effects on the flow regime, dredged material is evenly and homogeneously distributed in the disposal area. Bathymetric measurements of the marine area are conducted before and after the activity, and a bathymetric map at a scale of at least 1/1000 is submitted to the Administration.
Disposal activitiesTo prevent or minimize the negative environmental impacts that may arise from this, the Ministry shall determine the appropriate discharge period for all seas of Turkey. Additional measures will be implemented by the Ministry for the Sea of Marmara, which was declared a Special Environmental Protection Area on November 4, 2021.In areas where the discharge area has not been determined by the Ministry, excluding the Sea of Marmara, a marine discharge area that meets the criteria specified in Table 4 of Annex-1 and is deemed appropriate by the relevant institutions and organizations may be proposed by the operator. In this case, an ecological report of the marine area will be prepared and submitted to the Administration as an annex to the Bottom Dredging Environmental Management Plan.**Source**https://www.lcmrotadenizcilik.com/faaliyetler/deniz-dip-tarama-hizmetleri