The Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was granted permission to obtain sand fill from the east end of Hampton Basin Hampton Roads, Virginia for the expansion of their waterfront facilities. A clamshell dredge operated from February to July 1974 and removed a total of 597,055 cu yds of material before breaking down. In August 1974 a hydraulic dredge took over the operation and by February 1975 had removed 899,386 cu yds for total removal of 1,495,410 cu yds.
In order to assess the environmental effects of this project a program of sampling benthic organisms was undertaken from February 1974 to January 1976