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
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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."
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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
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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
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