Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company
Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2022
Gulf of Maine dredged-material misdump
The EPA alleged that material dredged for the Portsmouth Harbor Federal Navigation Project was disposed of outside the authorized site near the Isles of Shoals. A 2023 settlement required a $92,500 penalty and mitigation projects estimated at more than $100,000.
2016
Bay Long oil spill
A company-operated marsh excavator crossed a pipeline during restoration work in Bay Long, Louisiana, releasing approximately 5,300 gallons of crude oil and oiling about 200 birds. Great Lakes pleaded guilty to a Clean Water Act violation and was ordered in 2022 to pay a $1 million fine.
1992
Chicago Flood tunnel breach
Piling work associated with the Kinzie Street Bridge damaged an unused service tunnel beneath the Chicago River, contributing to the flooding of downtown building basements. Litigation initially treated the company as liable, but later proceedings considered the city's prior knowledge and tunnel maintenance. The U.S. Supreme Court's 1995 decision applied admiralty law and limited the company's liability.