Yesterday, March 16th, the first meeting of the Consultative Committee to monitor the Allocation Plan for Dredged Immersion was held, with the objective of establishing new immersion points for uncontaminated dredges on the Portuguese mainland coast. The Advisory Committee includes representatives from all CCDRs, ICNF, APA, DGAM, IH, IPMA and is chaired by DGPM.

In spite of the fact that the Maritime Space Planning Situation Plan (PSOEM), in force, already includes places for the immersion of dredgers, this Allocation Plan, whose elaboration is the responsibility of DGRM, results from a work of great technical rigor, carried out between Directorate-General and the Portuguese Environment Agency, which will make it possible to coordinate the immersion actions of uncontaminated dredges, coming from dredging of port areas, with the need to reinforce the transit of sediments on the continental coast to minimize the effects of coastal erosion.

The Allocation Plan establishes 14 new dredged immersion points and corrects several other points along the Portuguese mainland coast, in the so-called coastal drift. It will be subject to public consultation for later approval in a Resolution of the Council of Ministers, still during the current year.

This instrument will also be a fundamental part of complying with the Water Law and will make a very important contribution to combating coastal erosion.