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Spotlight Marcel Hermans
Oregon. Hermans and other WEDA members have
seen many changes since then, and for this port
professional and WEDA activist, some of the notable
ones have been in markets, the sizes and types of
equipment, and projects.
Signs of the times
Another sign of the times is environmental dredging.
More specifically the related “technology, requirements
and what to do with contaminated sediment”
Hermans said.
In this context, there are perceptions about
dredging that give rise to very strong opinions. No
surprise there, yet Hermans is encouraged by the
multipronged approaches being implemented today,
namely dredging projects with mutually benefi cial
environmental and economic components. “In order
to do it well, you have to integrate those aspects,” he
said, “If you need dredging, people want to have a say
in what happens with the dredged material, with the
particular emphasis today on benefi cial use.” There is
even more to it, in Hermans’ view. “You need to put
out word about such projects, to make it clear to the
public the good things you are doing.”
It’s a dynamic time for the industry and
for WEDA. We want to be there for the
entire industry
Hermans encounters environmental dredging
projects, and perceptions of them, on a regular basis in
his role as engineering project manager at Port of
Portland, where “we notice that on environmental
issues, labour, the local community, the region, the
state, and the business community may all have
somewhat diff erent views”.
How such projects are approached, approved, and
perceived can also diff er across borders, or from region
to region within borders, as WEDA’s international
members know.
And in terms of the local, national, and international
business community, there are similarities as well as
diff erent points of view on environmental works.
Hermans said that at Port of Portland, “We are not just
cognisant of local environmental issues and regulations,
but also global concerns about climate change.”
Driving change
Looking at the industry as a whole, Herman noted that
this year’s event would speak to strategic drivers.
“Competitive forces drive new technologies and
innovations in the dredging industry, as such forces do
in so many industries,” he pointed out. One prime
example of that is this year’s short course on slurry
transport. Hermans explained, “There’s certainly a
competitive advantage if you develop technology that
enables you to pump farther than others. In such cases,
you are able to work well with various requirements.”
Presenting fi ndings and fresh ideas in terms of
innovation and the bottom line are among the most
notable things “in the mix at WEDA conferences”, he
said. “There’s always much attention on papers that
focus on technological developments in the dredging
fi eld. That’s always interesting.”
As for where WEDA is today, Hermans noted a
diverse mix of organisations and expertise among
members – a mix refl ected in the range of talent on
the board of directors. Likewise, there are the summit
and expo’s attendees, consisting of “a whole mix of
owners, governments, contractors, consultants”, and,
in academia, a multidisciplinary component of
engineers and biologists.
As for Hermans’ WEDA service – he has been on the
national board for the past eight years – his term as
chairman and president will expire in 2019, marking
10 years of service. He said that as chairman and
president he “did not have an aggressive agenda, but I
defi nitely want to continue focusing and working
with my other officers to make sure WEDA runs
smoothly, that we have the right tools and means, and
that the organisation keeps demonstrating its
professionalism inside and out. I defi nitely have a
focus on that.”
Hermans feels it is important for the association
“to build on and out, and search for directions in
which we want to take WEDA. For example, WEDA is
obviously very strong in the USA. However, the entire
Western Hemisphere is our area, and we really want
to make sure that we do the best we can to represent
the whole hemisphere.
“We want to be there for the entire industry. That is
one of the reasons we are in Vancouver for our summit
and expo.”
He believes it is important that one or more chapter
conferences take place south of the United States each
year, noting that he was hopeful for such an event in
Brazil in 2018, building upon recent conferences in
Panama and Mexico. It’s all part of a key goal: to keep
WEDA chapters energised.
The proactive WEDA programme continues, with
upcoming conferences convening later this year: the
Eastern Chapter in Providence, Rhode Island on 10–12
October; the Pacifi c Chapter Conference scheduled for
25–27 Octobe in Portland, Oregon; and the Gulf Coast
Chapter’s meeting on 7–9 November in Mobile, Alabama.
“It’s a dynamic time for the industry and for
WEDA,” hermans said, “and there is a whole lot of
work ahead of us, too. There are certainly interesting
opportunities, challenges, and many reasons to be and
stay involved in WEDA and in dredging in general.”
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6 | 26-29 June 2017 Fairplay.IHS.com