Confined Aquatic Disposal of Contaminated and Unsuitable Marine Sediments at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard provides a range of services for U.S. Navy submarines and surface ships including the deactivation and recycling of nuclear-powered ships. In order to maintain nuclear-powered carriers, the Navy needed to upgrade their existing homeport facilities. In addition, the Bremerton Naval Complex was placed on the National Priorities List in 1994 which required the Navy to implement a cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). As part of the homeport expansion and upgrade, 280,000 m³ of sediment was dredged, of which 110,000 m³ were deemed unsuitable, and approximately 115,000 m³ of contaminated marine sediments were scheduled for removal and disposal as part of the Operable Unit B Remedial Action. The Navy, EPA, and Washington State Department of Ecology recognized both the environmental and economic advantages of combining the OU B Marine Remedial Action with the homeport dredging.