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RESERVE – A sustaining member of the Western Dredging Association for over nine years, DSC Dredge LLC has consecutively sponsored the Western Dredging Association (WEDA) Best Paper Award at its annual Dredging Summit & Expo.

WEDA is a non-profit technical association devoted to the exchange of knowledge in fields related to dredging, navigation, marine engineering and construction. After two years of COVID, the 2022 conference returned to in-person with 780 attendees and 140+ exhibitors at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Houston in this past July. Always with the theme “Why Dredging is Good” and a $1,000 award, the selection committee awarded representative James Beaver the 2022 winner at this year’s Dredging Summit & Expo. The paper entitled “Managing Debris for Environmental Dredging Projects”, was authored by five industry experts, including three EA employees:

• James Beaver, P.E., EA senior engineer
• Matthew Bowman, P.E., CCM, CMQ/OE, EA vice president and chief, Construction Management
• Michael Ciarlo, EA senior scientist and project manager
• Michael Palermo, Ph.D., independent consulting engineer
• Donald Hayes, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, former professor and U.S. Army engineer research and development center engineer

At WEDA’s Dredging Summit and Expo 22 held in Houston, Texas, Beaver both presented and represented the five authors in accepting the “Why Dredging is Good” Award. The paper provided a review of debris considerations for the planning, design and implementation of environmental dredging projects, and an even more comprehensive resource on debris. The overall objective was to summarize what is understood from available information, as well as provide a common basis for identification and evaluation of debris issues for environmental dredging projects. The paper provided definitions, classifications, potential environmental and operational impacts, characterization tools and methods, removal equipment and strategies, approaches for time and cost estimating, and gave options for management of removed debris. The full paper can be accessed and downloaded here.

DSC representatives Bob Wetta and Charlie Johnson both attended the 2022 WEDA Dredging Summit & Expo in Houston, Texas.  Wetta said, “This year’s paper selection aligns with WEDA’s goals of promoting the exchange of dredging knowledge and emphasizing the importance of developing solutions related to the protection and enhancement of the marine environment.”

He continued, “DSC Dredge is proud to continually support WEDA and the outstanding work and research it generates, such as this paper written by Beaver and his colleagues”.

Since receiving the award, DSC Dredge is touched to know that the authors unanimously agreed to donate the $1,000 prize money to Water For People, a global organization dedicated to facilitating long-term access to clean water and sanitation services. “It is selfless acts like these that make us at DSC truly proud to be part of WEDA knowing that its supporters truly care about the environment and humanity needs as a whole,” added Bob.

The next WEDA Dredging Summit and Expo will be held at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, July 17–20, 2023.