BALTIMORE, MD (January 22, 2025) — Sparrows Point Container Terminal (SPCT), a subsidiary of Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA) and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) announced the findings of an independent sediment study for the North Channel segment of the Sparrows Point Channel. This announcement emphasizes SPCT’s commitment to transparency, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.
The North Channel sediment study examined 13 Dredging Units (DUs), encompassing a total volume of 2.55 million cubic yards (Mcy). Utilizing vibracoring and sonic drilling to depths of -52 feet, the study sampled sediment at 52 locations in the north segment of the channel. The sampling and testing program was performed following a Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) that was approved by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) prior to the initiation of the study.
The study identified the physical and chemical properties of the dredged material. Chemical results were evaluated based on the MDE Innovative Reuse Categories for dredged material. Findings from the study indicate that approximately eighty-nine (89) percent of dredged material (by volume) from both the North and South Channel segments of the Sparrows Point Channel are classified as either Category 1 or Category 2 soil and fill material. The categories are classified as the following: “Category 1” residential unrestricted use soil and fill material and “Category 2” non-residential restricted use soil and fill material. The remaining eleven (11) percent of the material was classified as “Category 3”, which is a category that will require placement and capping of the material. Based on the findings of the evaluation, the material is considered suitable for onsite or offsite upland placement.
Last year, SPCT, in collaboration with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC, conducted an extensive study to assess whether sediments in the South Channel segment of the Sparrows Point Channel were suitable for ocean placement. The results of the survey were publicly released on October 2, 2024 and indicated that 1.57M Cubic Yards of material (over one-third of the total dredged material volume required for the container terminal) meet the Section 103 Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries (MPRSA) criteria for ocean placement.
The findings of both the North and South Channel studies support the feasibility of the “balanced placement approach” plan for dredged material placement and management that SPCT is proposing. The balanced placement approach proposes placement of approximately 4.2 Mcy of sediment from deepening and widening of the Sparrows Point Channel at a combination of the four locations below.
1. Ocean Placement at Norfolk Ocean Disposal Site (up to 1.57M Cubic Yards)
2. Coal Pier Channel – onsite placement within a newly constructed dredged material containment facility (DMCF) at the Coal Pier Channel Basin on the northwest side of Coke Point at Tradepoint Atlantic (up to 750,000 Cubic Yards)
3. High Head Industrial Basin – Onsite upland placement within a newly constructed DMCF at Tradepoint Atlantic (up to 1.25M Cubic Yards)
4. Placement at an existing MPA DMCF (Masonville and/or Cox Creek) (up to 1.25M Cubic Yards)
“The results of these comprehensive studies represent significant milestones for the Sparrows Point Container Terminal Project and provide an agency approved, scientifically based approach for the characterization and management of the dredged material from the proposed Sparrows Point Channel improvements.” said Pete Haid, Senior Vice President of Environmental Compliance at Tradepoint Atlantic. “We are optimistic that these results align with our proposed placement plan, and we remain fully committed to conducting this project in the most community-conscious, transparent, and environmentally responsible way possible.”
These results affirm that the North and South Channel dredged materials can be safely dredged, placed, and managed at a combination of onsite and offsite locations.
About Sparrows Point Container Terminal
Sparrows Point Container Terminal is a proposed 330-acre redevelopment project within Sparrows Point, Maryland consisting of 168 acres for a new container terminal and intermodal yard, with an additional 162 acres for support facilities to enhance operations of the terminal. This joint venture between Tradepoint Atlantic and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) represents a major growth opportunity for the State of Maryland and the Baltimore region. The planned state of the art container terminal will allow Baltimore to evolve from a regional port into a true hub to cover all of the East Coast and through the Midwest.
For more information visit www.spctmd.com and www.tradepointatlantic.com.
