§2326g Beneficial Use of Dredged Material; Dredged Material Management Plans

Summary

The Corps of Engineers must try to use dredged material from building, operating, and maintaining water projects in ways that are helpful and safe for the environment. The goal is to use at least 70 percent by volume (measured in cubic yards) of suitable dredged material for beneficial purposes whenever practicable. The Secretary must look at whether the material can be used in many useful ways and must weigh the economic and environmental benefits, efficiencies, and harms (including effects on living coral), including when multiple projects work together. The Secretary must include those economic benefits when setting the “Federal standard” under section 335.7 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations. The Secretary must also give Congress a report explaining how the Federal standard was set and, for each evaluation, a report showing the calculations of the economic and environmental benefits and efficiencies considered, including any use of alternative dredging equipment or disposal methods where appropriate.