for boats and ships. This dredged material is normally disposed of at sea after an application to the Department of Environment (DOE) for a licence. Ports and harbours continually carry out dredging operations to make sure that navigational channels are wide enough and deep enough for boats and ships. This dredged material is normally disposed of at sea after an application to the Department of Environment (DOE) for a licence.
Following consultations with the Department of Environment a licence may be granted to dispose of the dredged material at a designated sea disposal site. As part of the assessment, the dredged material is chemically analysed to ensure that the marine environment is not harmed by the deposited material. If levels of contaminants, such as Tributyltin (TBT), are too high a licence will not be granted.
Dredging operations in Belfast LoughIf the analysis shows that the material is not contaminated a licence will be granted. The licence will stipulate the type and quantity of dredged material to be deposited at a specific designated site.
The licence will normally be valid for a year and will contain conditions that the licensee must comply with. Once a licence has been issued, inspection and enforcement visits are carried out to make sure conditions outlined under the licence are being met. Similar licence compliance monitoring is carried out for construction licences.