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Remediation of Foundry Waste and Stream Sediments
MARCOR quickly responded to an oil release that contaminated soil and a nearby creek.
Project Details
- Client: NY Corporation
- Contaminants: Lead, Copper
- Regulatory Agency: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Related Services
Job Description
The New York property, site of a former foundry, which had operated in the 1940s and 1950s, was contaminated with lead and copper. The heavy metals were leaching into groundwater and had tainted an adjacent streambed.
A corporation contracted MARCOR to excavate and solidify approximately 2,200 tons of hazardous foundry waste and 100 tons of stream sediment. Pretreated wastes and sediments contained lead to 3,740 mg/kg and copper to 236 mg/kg. The action level for PPE upgrade was one mg/m3. By solidifying the contaminated soil on site and using it as backfill, MARCOR saved the client more than half the cost of landfilling the soil as hazardous waste as well as the cost of backfill replacement. Speed and efficiency enabled MARCOR to clean up the site and restore it to its original appearance in about one month. Work was performed under NYSDEC consent order and supervision.
MARCOR's pugmill mixing unit solidified waste and sediment on site by adding a mixture of 20% Portland cement and 15% water, while three mini-ram monitors provided continuous monitoring of dust levels. The process effected a chemical reaction between the soil and the cement to bind the heavy metal contaminants at the molecular level and render them non-leachable. To verify the results, TCLP lead samples were collected from each 25-cubic-yard batch of processed waste. All sample results indicated TCLP lead concentrations of less than 0.025 mg/l.
Excavation areas were backfilled with the treated, solidified waste, and the site was restored to its original condition. The former foundry was judged to meet all state and federal contamination level requirements by NYSDEC, and the backfilled area has since been paved for use as a parking lot.
For additional information, call MARCOR's corporate headquarters at 1-800-547-0128 or send email to info@marcor.com.
