Contaminated soil remediation

Chemical fixation is a soil remediation process used to treat hydrocarbon contaminated soil and/or metal contaminated soil. This process involves stabilizing contaminated material by mixing it with other earthen material, and then treating the blended material with certain chemical additives to formulate a particular material. This treatment binds the petroleum contaminants and prevents leaching. Chemcial fixation is best used for light to medium hydrocarbon contamination and/or contaminated soil impacted by metals.

Thermal desorption is an environmental remediation technology that is used to treat material with a broad range of hydrocarbon contamination. This process involves heating soil in a rotating dryer to remove or separate the contaminants from the soil. This process is often referred to as “low temp” thermal desorption to differentiate it from high temperature incineration. This method is primarily used to treat soil with high levels of contaminants, such as MGP soil, by heating it in a rotating dryer to destroy contaminants. Thermal treatment can be conducted at fixed facilities or at a Remediation Site with a portable unit. For large quantities, typically over 30,000 tons, onsite thermal treatment may be the most cost-effective solution.

Several factors need to be evaluated to determine what type and size thermal treatment unit is ideal for each project including the property layout and location, available utilities, quantity of material to be treated, material characteristics and timeframe for treatment. Pricing is an important consideration in the decision-making process for an onsite thermal unit when determining if onsite thermal treatment is a viable option.

Bioremediation is a treatment process that provides a cost effective and environmentally conscious recycling solution for non-hazardous contaminated soils. Through a process called bioaugmentation, microorganisms are introduced into the contaminated environment as a granular product, with a proper nutrient mix to stimulate and foster their growth while breaking down the contaminants in the soil.

The process degrades organic contaminants, such as petroleum hydrocarbons, in the soil by the application of cultured microorganisms selected for their ability to metabolize the petroleum products.

Soil that is lightly contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons is inoculated with engineered bacteria and nutrients that combine to completely break down soil contaminants in 7 to 14 days. Bioremediation is typically used on soil with lower levels of contaminants. The resulting treated soil is recycled as fill material or landfill capping or cover.

Physical treatment of soil includes special sizing and segregation processes to remove unsuitable materials from incoming soils. The resulting soils generate an engineered material suitable for beneficial reuse as fill material or landfill capping or cover.