PLANS to use dredged material from Girvan Harbour to shore up erosion at the town’s golf course have been shelved after toxic metals were discovered in the harbour sediment.
An Ayrshire Roads Alliance report to the Ayrshire Shared Services Committee stated: “Sediment sampling from Girvan Harbour was recently carried out.
“The outcome of the laboratory testing showed high levels of Nickel, Dibutyltin and organic matter.
“This being the case the sediment from Girvan Harbour is not suitable for beach replenishment and will not be used at Girvan Golf Course.”
The use of dredged material had been suggested as a short term measure to address erosion at the golf course.
The management plan had stated: “Dredging of the harbour at Girvan should continue. Using the dredged material to nourish nearby beaches to the north should be considered as an alternative to offshore disposal.”
The medium to long term plan had acknowledged the need to upgrade the coastal defences at the location.
Girvan Councillor Alec Clark said: “Do we know where the source of the deposits are emanating from. It seems strange. It would have been good to use this to help the sea defences.”
Kevin Braidwood, Head of Ayrshire Roads Alliance, said: “The deposits of nickel and other materials is down to anti-fouling paint applied to vessels down the years.
“It erodes off the base of the vessel and falls to the bottom of the harbour. It is within the silt lifted out as part of dredging process.
“These are controlled materials and that is why we have to go through the process of getting a licence so that we are able to dump the material.
“We used to dump that material it in the north channel, but we now have to take it to a controlled dump.
“It won’t delay the dredging process. It is just a process we have to go through and analyse what is on the bed of the harbour. ”
