Members of the Project Team presented at the May 10, 2023, the Bayou Chico Association meeting. The presentation was intended to provide information on the standard conceptual approach used to develop large-scale sediment remediation projects and provide insight on how this standard approach is being applied by the team to the Bayou Chico Project.
Escambia County hosted the first public meeting for the Bayou Chico Contaminated Sediment Remediation Project at 5:30 p.m. on August 8, 2022. The meeting was held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled Marine Advisory Committee meeting at the Escambia County Central Office Complex, located at 3363 W. Park Place. The intent of the meeting was to share the results of data collected to day, outline the proposed next steps, and solicit public input on the proposed process. Written comments may be submitted via email to BayouChicoTeam@myescambia.com by close of business Friday, September 2, 2022. Responses to written comments received by the deadline will also be posted on this page.
Bayou Chico has experienced considerable environmental degradation from 100+ years of human activity. Deposition of fine sediments during this time has resulted in a layer of "soft" organic material across much of the bottom of the bayou in a layer up to 10-feet thick. Scientific studies have documented significant levels of contamination associated with this organic layer, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pentachlorophenal (PCP), dioxins/furans and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The distribution of these contaminates, both horizontally and vertically, is as-yet unknown. Environmental regulation and recent restoration efforts have led to improved water quality within the bayou, but pollution from early industry and other sources will remain as a lasting legacy until contamination within the sediment is adequately addressed.
Remediation of contaminated sediment from Bayou Chico will act as the foundation of future environmental restoration efforts within the bayou. Improvements to benthic habitat and increased biological diversity and productivity will eventually support the restoration of historic natural habitats such as emergent marsh and oyster reefs.
This project is a multi-year, multi-phase project. Phase I will include planning, design and permitting. Planning will include physical and chemical characterization of bayou sediments and a feasibility study to evaluate different methods of remediation. Future phases will directly address remediation of contaminated bayou sediment through dredging and/or other available technologies.
Funding Source
Sponsored Division
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Pre-Design
Design
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