Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation reported today that it has been engaged as a subcontractor to Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Group (“Shaw”) to provide dredging services relating to the construction of sand berms off the Louisiana coast. Shaw has been retained by the State of Louisiana to construct the berms. The sand berms are intended to act as a barrier to reduce the amount of oil reaching the State’s fragile coastal wetlands and marshes as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The berm construction process involves dredging the sand and delivering it to a designated berm location.

On June 14, 2010, Great Lakes’ cutter suction dredge, the California, began pumping sand at the Chandeleur Islands for delivery to berm construction locations. On June 15, 2010, Shaw requested Great Lakes to mobilize its cutter suctions dredges Texas and Alaska, its hopper dredge Liberty Island and other ancillary equipment to work on the creation of these berms. Additionally, Great Lakes has submitted proposals to Shaw for an additional three dredges and ancillary support equipment to be used in the berm construction project. Should Great Lakes proposals be accepted, the total scope of work contracted to Great Lakes could range from four to seven dredges and other ancillary equipment. BP has committed $360 million to the State of Louisiana for this project.