The present invention provides a method of remediating sediments through the use of coal-, plant-, or wood-derived carbon sorbents (i.e., black carbon). The strategy employs the addition to sediments of coal- and plant- or wood-derived carbon sorbents, so-called black carbon particles like activated carbon, char, charcoal, coal, and coke. These black carbon materials sorb hydrophobic organic compound contaminants strongly, thereby reducing environmental exposure and human health risk to such contaminants. By sorbing the contaminants from sediments, this approach reduces environmental exposure and allows sediments to be disposed of as non-hazardous material. This is a cost-effective and efficient remediation technology for contaminated sediment management that can significantly reduce expenditures and other problems with conventional approaches for dredging and remediating contaminated sediments.