Evaluation of a Berth Sedimentation Control Technology in the Kill Van Kull: The AirGuard Pneumatic Barrier System

The problems associated with dredging and disposal in the New York and New Jersey Harbor area over the past 10 years have triggered sedimentation avoidance as being one of many possible tools in an ever-growing arsenal of dredged material management technologies. With overall project costs associated with the permitting, dredging, transportation, and disposal of dredged material reaching a typical value of $50 per cubic yard in the harbor, it is apparent to many that technologies which can reduce sedimentation within a berth are worthy to pursue. This paper discusses the results of a two year program which examined the effectiveness of a pneumatic control system to reduce or eliminate accretion of sediments within an active barge berth. Sold under the trade name Air Guard, this system was installed at a pier berth on the Kill Van Kull in Bayonne, New Jersey. Owned and operated by IMTT-Bayonne, the pier berth was dredged in early 1998, and the system was subsequently installed in 1999. The objective of the study was to evaluate environmental and hydrographic data between adjacent berths and to develop a cost-benefit ratio for users to apply when considering this technology for other sites. Over the course of the study period, hydrographic surveys, water quality studies, and fish surveys were performed to evaluate the effectiveness and potential environmental impacts of the system. Results indicate that Air Guard can be used to reduce dredging requirements in pier berth areas in an economically and environmentally sound manner.