405. 
capital investment, and especially the need for favorable market conditions. The 
only concept with apparent potential for at least regional application that was field- 
tested as part of the DMRP was the use of conventional disposal sites for the mari- 
culture of shrimp. This was proven technically feasible and has caught the attention 
of some private entrepreneurs who feel the potential market outweighs the risk. In 
this and similar concepts, the advantages is that a landowner is more likely to fa- 
vorably consider the use of his land as a disposal site if he can derive some benefit 
from it rather than relegate it solely to a form of waste disposal. In mariculture, the 
disposal site forms the required impoundment and the organic-rich dredged material 
is a periodically renewed source of food for the organisms. 
Opportunities for the productive use of dredged material increase appreciably as 
one moves inland from navigable waterways. As a consequence, a study considered 
multiple aspects of modes of long-distance transport of dredged material and pro- 
duced a method to use in determining the feasibility and cost of various transport 
systems for individual projects. If dredged material can be moved economically over 
distances of tens of miles, some of the disposal opportunities that emerge include 
improvement of agricultural soils, use of dredged material in solid waste manage- 
ment, the filling of abandoned pits and quarries, and strip mine reclamation. Re- 
ports were prepared on multiple aspects of each of these possibilities, documenting 
requirements and discussing case histories as well as setting forth specific concepts 
options. 
As would be expected, concerns over the effects of using chemically contaminated 
materials dominate the list of relevant considerations; however, so far these have 
not proven to be limiting. One should never lose sight of the fact that much dredged 
material is not contaminated, nor should one overlook the real dangers of placing 
saline dredged material in freshwater areas. 
Considering productive uses of dredged material, the obvious value of the land 
created when a disposal site reaches capacity was not overlooked. Most disposal 
sites filled with fine-grained materials from maintenance dredging are not suitable 
for industrial or commercial development from a foundation engineering point of 
view, but they can be ideally suited for recreational development. While it is not the 
present policy of the Corps to expand its role in recreation to include navigation 
projects, there is a need for recreational facilities in this context and many non-Fed- 
eral groups are interested. One study pointed out the issues related to such use of 
disposal sites, including funding availability, maintenance responsibility, and guar- 
antees of public land use. Another analyzed case histories in an attempt to find out 
why certain productive land uses have succeeded and others have failed. These in- 
clude but are not limited to recreational uses. Other studies evaluated laws and reg- 
ulations at all levels impacting on land uses and determined the land values and 
associated benefits created by disposal sites. The end products are guidelines on how 
the Corps or other groups can achieve or promote the productive subsequent uses of 
disposal sites both for the inherent benefit of doing so and the probability of being 
able to acquire new sites more easily. 
In summary, the DMRP contributed considerable new information that is being 
and can be used in all aspects of dredging project design and implementation, in- 
cluding project planning, engineering design, environmental impact assessment, 
project scheduling and operations, and permit evaluation. In other instances, it only 
affirmed what had been previously held by many, but it has done so in such a way 
as to reduce remaining doubt and enhance more widespread acceptance. In both 
cases, the result has been greatly increased opportunity for economically necessary 
waterways and harbors maintenance and development to proceed in harmony with 
appropriate levels of environmental protection and even enhancement in some 
cases. 
Mr. Breaux. Colonel Haar, you make a statement and you cover 
I think quite adequately some of your concerns with the key draft 
that is before the committee, that has not yet been introduced, but 
it is a working draft that Congressman D’Amours has put together 
with others, and I get the impression that if you had your druthers 
you would rather continue operating under the present legislation. 
Mr. Haar. We think some changes are also needed in the pres- 
ent legislation, Mr. Chairman, and we would like to recommend 
those, and I think our statement takes that into consideration also. 
