The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is seeking expressions of interest (EOIs) for a dredging and sediment management project through PPP within the Great Lakes region.

The deadline for submitting EOIs has been extended to 26 March 2015.

USACE has the responsibility to operate and maintain 140 federally authorized harbors and channels on the Great Lakes. In addition, USACE operates 20 confined disposal facilities. USACE is seeking responses to ascertain interest and feasibility of exploring a host of solutions to the following three challenges:

• Dredging maintains navigation channels, harbors and ports that are critical to the economic and cultural viability of communities within the Great Lakes region; however, there is a growing backlog of maintenance dredging within the Great Lakes region.

• Dredged material is generally treated as a waste product; which may be used as a valuable resource with many potential benefits.

• USACE is currently responsible for the operation of 20 Confined Disposal Facilities (CDFs) in the Great Lakes region. CDFs' capacities are steadily decreasing and will eventually become unusable as an alternative for disposal of dredged material. The cost to create new CDFs for disposal of dredged material is high. Extending the operational life of the existing system and facilities could potentially be more cost effective, and filled CDFs may also have potential uses.

Great Lakes harbors and channels support the country as the 4th largest economic zone in North America. Maritime transportation infrastructure in the scope of this project includes federally authorized, high use, commercial harbors as well as low use, commercial and recreational harbors; which provide the foundation for billions of dollars of revenue regionally. Industry, manufacturers, shippers and consumers need reliable and well maintained waterways on the Great Lakes.