Ohio Healthy Lake Erie Funds will support expansion of sediment facility, the board also awarded the contract for capital improvements to sediment facility Cleveland, Ohio - The Board of Directors of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority met today and approved acceptance of a $1 million Ohio Healthy Lake Erie Fund (OHLEF) grant. The Board also approved use of those funds for capital improvements at the Confined Disposal Facility (“CDF”) 12 that will increase Port efforts to maximize its useful lifespan and provide a viable alternative to open lake dumping of Cuyahoga River dredge sediment. In 2015, the Port began implementing its “Plan B” for extending the useful life of CDF 12. The plan consists of using water flow to sort and then vertically stacking sediment onsite, enabling “harvest” of the useful and non-harmful material. These efforts and other Port innovations will result in decades of additional space at the CDF to store sediment that can’t be safely used, while keeping it out of the open waters of Lake Erie. During initial operation in 2015, Plan B processed 62,000 cubic yards of sediment that will be put to use in construction projects. The goal this year is to raise that figure threefold to 205,000 cubic yards. To pay for additional infrastructure to meet this goal, the Port sought and was awarded the OHLEF funds, which promote innovative initiatives to reduce sediments and nutrients from entering Lake Erie. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) administers the grant. The Board also awarded a contract to Mark Hayes Construction, Inc. to make the necessary capital improvements to the sediment management facility. We greatly appreciate the ongoing support of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources through this important grant,” said Will Friedman, Port President and CEO. “The Port will continue its efforts as a dedicated steward of both the health of our water, wildlife, and economy. Our work on CDF 12 will keep Cleveland Harbor open for business and Lake Erie safe from contamination.”