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Lawmakers press Corps on disposal capacity for contaminated dredged material in Great Lakes and elsewhere
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Summary
Committee members raised ongoing problems with finding long-term disposal capacity for contaminated dredged material, citing the Calumet River and Michigan City Harbor, and asked the Corps about alternative confined disposal facilities, remediation and beneficial reuse goals.
Members of the subcommittee pressed the Army Corps about where contaminated dredged material will be placed as several Great Lakes harbor projects await disposal solutions, and asked whether more innovative reuse or treatment pathways are possible.
Representative Bob Mervin and others raised Michigan City Harbor and the Calumet River disposal site as unresolved examples where a lack of capacity is delaying dredging and navigation work. "Right now, we have nowhere to put that material," the Corps acknowledged, and lawmakers urged quicker development of a viable path forward.
Lieutenant General Butch Graham said a lawsuit roadblock had been cleared in discussions with Illinois, allowing open talks about the Calumet sediment disposal site. Graham said the primary hurdle remains location and local acceptance: "Where is the material gonna go?" he asked, noting location and capacity as central constraints.
Members urged the Corps to explore alternative confined disposal facilities (CDFs) or cross-jurisdictional options; the Corps said nearby CDFs in Indiana were already claimed. Representative Kaptur and others pushed for a more science-driven, cross-agency approach to contaminated sediment, including reuse and treatment possibilities; she suggested convening research labs and environmental agencies to pursue higher-value uses rather than relying solely on CDFs.
The Corps reiterated its commitment to protecting communities and continuing open discussions with state partners to identify disposal solutions, and said the district would update congressional offices as options develop. Members also highlighted a beneficial-use target for dredge material: Representative Simpson asked about a 70% beneficial-use goal by 2030 and Graham said he supported the target.
The exchange underscored competing priorities: protecting communities from legacy pollution, keeping navigation channels open for commerce, and finding technically and politically feasible disposal or reuse paths. Members asked the Corps to keep congressional offices informed and to coordinate with EPA and state agencies to develop longer-term, scalable solutions.
