New Jersey is famous for the beaches along its 127-mile ocean coastline, but the state is also home to the third-largest port complex in the United States and more than 3,700 miles of waterways used for commerce and recreation. Millions of cubic yards of dredged sediment are taken from the region’s rivers, canals, and waterways each year.

The abundance of dredge material in New Jersey is a space problem, a health concern, and an economic drain. This massive amount of material is generally useless, and sadly, much of it is contaminated or even toxic. SSML is delving deep into these issues, doing research and projects that deal with dredge material management, sediment decontamination, and soil engineering with a particular focus on investigating beneficial upland use of dredge sediments.