United States Environmental Protection Agency Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory Cincinnati, OH 45268 Research and Development EPA/600/S2-90/054 Mar. 1991 4? EPA Project Summary Workshop on Innovative Technologies for Treatment of Contaminated Sediments June 13-14, 1990 Summary Report Roxanne Breines Sukol and Gregory D. McNelly The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Risk Reduction Engi- neering Laboratory (RREL) developed and organized this workshop at the re- quest of the EPA Office of Water Regu- lations and Standards (OWRS). Its two- fold purpose was 1) to provide interested individuals and organizations with cur- rent information on innovative treatment technologies for contaminated sedi- ments, and 2) to provide RREL staff with an opportunity to increase their under- standing of the problemsassociated with the management of contaminated sedi- ments treatment at various locations throughout the United States. The workshop was organized into six sessions related to policy and technol- ogy development. "Setting the Scene" included presentations by representa- tives from RREL, OWRS, EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), Environment Canada, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). The suc- ceeding four sessions were entitled "Dredged Materials Removal, Pretreat- ment, and Disposal," "Extraction Tech- nologies," "Biological/Chemical Treat- ment Technologies," and "Other Tech- nologies of Interest." The final session, an open discussion, provided an op- portunity for attendees to raise ques- tions, to provide input, and to exchange ideas This Project Summary was developed by EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, to announce key points of interest in the workshop, which is fully documented in a separate workshop summary report of the same title (see Project Report ordering infor- mation at back). Introduction The scope of the contaminated sedi- ments problem encompasses ecological damage, potential human health risks, and high cleanup costs. A total of 362 toxic chemicals have been identified in the bot- tom sediment of the Great Lakes. Fish and birds exhibit tangible effects of this pollution in disease, tumors, and deformities, but adequate health and ecological risks have not been quantified. It is estimated that remediation of Great Lakes sediments could cost $10 billion. It would entail treatment of 40 million cubic yards of material at costs ranging from $1 0 to $1 500 per cubic yard. The Workshop on Innovative Technolo- gies for Treatment of Contaminated Sedi- ments was held in Cincinnati, OH, on June 13-14, 1990. The intent of this workshop was to provide interested individuals and organizations with current information on innovative treatment technologies and to give the RREL staff an opportunity to in- crease their understanding of the problems associated with the management of con- taminated sediments treatment at various locations throughout the United States. Scope of the Workshop Individual presentations were made by representatives of the major contributing organizations, i.e., RREL, OWRS, GLNPO, Environment Canada, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Panel discussions were scheduled at regular intervals throughout the workshopto encourage afree exchange Printed on Recycled Paper ------- of ideas and to maximize the opportunities to obtain additional useful information (see Photographs 1 and 2). An open discussion was held during the last workshop session so that attendees and workshop organizers could share their thoughts on approaches for treating contaminated sediments. Table 1 lists the subjects and technologies cov- ered in the workshop presentations. Workshop Highlights "Setting the Scene"panelists addressed concerns about a lack of sufficient infor- mation, data, and goals for remediation technologies. They noted the wide diversity of site-specific conditions and the need to focus on treatment options for bioaccumu- lative compounds. "Dredged Materials Removal, Pretreat- ment, and Disposal" panelists noted that operator experience is directly related to successful dredging and acknowledged the difficulty of controlling contaminant volatil- ization. They discussed permitting and monitoring of confined disposal facilities (CDFs). "Extraction Technologies" panelists an- swered specific questions about the tech- nologies they presented. These included the Low Energy Extraction Process (LEEP), a countercurrent process developed spe- cifically for treating sediments; the Basic Extraction Sludge Treatment (BEST) pro- cess, for which treatability studies are needed to determine the level of fines that can be handled; and the CF Systems Sol- vent Extraction Process. They discussed the inadequacy of analytical methods for evaluating new technologies, and concluded that whereas existing analytical methods may be sufficient for regulatory purposes, they are insufficient for research and de- velopment. "Biological/Chemical Treatment Tech- nologies" panelists acknowledged that mi- croorganisms acclimate less easily in the field than in the laboratory. In the field, surfactants are being used to increase contact between microbes, which are found in the aqueous soil fraction, and the con- taminants found in the organic soil fraction. Panelists agreed that a bioslurry reactor was an excellent option for treating sedi- ment slurries with high oil concentrations and a maximum of 15 to 20 percent solids, but that soil tillage would be more useful for sediments with highersolidsconcentrations. Members of the "Other Technologies of Interest" panel answered questions about the technologies they presented. Low-tem- perature thermal treatment technology is expected to compete with incineration be- cause of its anticipated low cost and absence of byproduct formation (e.g., dioxins and furans). The absence of long-term moni- toring data for solidification/stabilization is a source of uncertainty in consideration of its use for treatment of various organic com- pounds. Investigators continue to work on solving a corrosion problem associated with wet air oxidation. An ultraviolet radiation/ ozonation technology, which may be of particular interest for treating contaminated sediments, will be demonstrated in fall 1990. Questions submitted for the open dis- cussion covered future plans to conduct treatability studies, the treatment and man- agement of residuals, the development of Photo 1. Panel Discussion I —"Setting the Scene." ------- Table 1. Technologies Covered in Workshop Presentations Workshop Session Title of Presentation Setting the Scene Welcome and Challenge to Participants Overview of EPA Efforts on Contaminated Sediments The GLNPO Program and Contaminated Sediments Management The Canadian Experience with Contaminated Sediments ARCS Engineering/Technology Work Group Status SITE Program Overview Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Session Dredged Materials Removal, Pretreatment, and Disposal Dredging and Pretreatment Operations for Contaminated Sediments Material Handling Research at RREL Disposal of Dredged Material: Current Practices Research on In Situ Techniques and their Application in Confined Treatment Facilities Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Session Extraction Technologies Review of Removal, Containment, and Treatment Technologies for Remediation of Contaminated Sediments in the Great Lakes Extraction Technology Research at RREL Low Energy Solvent Extraction Process Solvent Extraction Using the BEST Process Liquid Propane Extraction Using the CF Systems Process Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Session Biological/Chemical Treatment Technologies Biodegradation of Chlorinated Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemical Treatment Research at RREL: Base Catalyzed Decomposition Biological Technologies in the SITE Program Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Session Other Technologies of Interest Low Temperature Thermal Treatment Technologies Ultraviolet/Ozonation SITE Project Solidification/Stabilization of Dredged Materials and Sediment Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Session Future Direction for Contaminated Sediments Treatment Issues Identification and Presentation Open Discussion (including legislative issues) risk assessment methodology, the deter- mination of target and action levels, im- proved understanding of the natural envi- ronment, and relative costs of sediment treatment vs. confinement. Some questions addressed communication among inter- ested parties [e.g., EPA Headquarters, RREL, Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Mines, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Enforcement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)] to prevent duplication of efforts. Representatives from OWRS presented a brief description of EPA's recent efforts regarding contaminated sediments man- agement. They announced that the Sedi- ment Oversight Technical Committee recently drafted a "Sediment Classification Methods Compendium," which describes various methods to assess the quality of sediments containing unknown concentrations of toxic compounds. Four work groups are develop- ing 14 papers that will provide the basis for an Agency-wide sediment management strategy. The Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments (ARCS) Program's Engineering Technology Work Group recently completed a technology screening report. Selected technologies profiled in the report have been chosen for bench-scale testing, which is scheduled to begin soon. This workshop, sponsored by RREL, OWRS, and GLNPO, was convened to provide a forum for exchanging this type of information. The full report was submitted in fulfill- ment of EPA Contract No. 68-03-3413, Work Assignment No. 2-66, by PEI Associates, Inc., under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. *U.S. Government Printing Office: 1993 — 750-071/60254 ------- Photo 2. Workshop attendees participate in panel discussions. Roxanne Breines Sukol and Gregory D. McNelly are with PEI Associates, Inc., Cincinnati, OH 45246. Jonathan G. Herrmann is the EPA Project Officer (see below). The complete report, entitled "Workshop on Innovative Technologies for Treatment of Contaminated Sediments, June 13-14, 1990, Summary Report" (Order No. PB91-148296/AS; Cost: $17..00, subject to change) will be available only from: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Telephone: 703-487-4650 The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at: Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Cincinnati, OH 45268 United States Environmental Protection Agency Center for Environmental Research Information Cincinnati, OH 45268 BULK RATE POSTAGE & FEES PAID EPA PERMIT NO. G-35 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 EPA/600/S2-90/054 ------- |