vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
HMCRI Conference
November 16-18, 1987
Superfund Innovative
Technology Evaluation
(SITE) Program
The Environmental Protection Agency has
established a technology research,
demonstration, and evaluation program to
promote the development and use of
innovative technologies to treat Superfund
and hazardous wastes. The Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act of
1986 (SARA) authorized the technology-
demonstration program through 1991 at a
level of up to $20 million per year. The
program will help provide the treatment
technologies necessary to implement new
cleanup standards that require a greater
reliance on permanent remedies at
Superfund sites. The major focus has been
the development of a demonstration
program to provide sound engineering and
cost data on selected technologies. These
data will resolve issues standing in the
way of actual full-scale application.
The demonstration program represents a
unique partnership between EPA and
technology developers. Although the early
projects involve no funding for developers,
a mutually beneficial relationship is
established for both parties. Developers are
responsible for mobilizing their units and
operating them at selected sites. These
may be Superfund sites, developer's
facilities, EPA laboratories, or private sites.
EPA is responsible for sampling, analysis.
and evaluation of test results. The
developers are provided extensive data that
validate their capabilities while EPA is able
to assess the performance, reliability, and
cost of technologies. This information will
be used directly by Regional and State
personnel responsible for the selection of
remedies and responses at Superfund
sites.
Each year EPA will solicit proposals from
developers of technologies that destroy,
immobilize, or reduce the volume of
hazardous wastes. Technologies chosen
must be at pilot or full scale, be
innovative, and offer some advantage over
existing technologies. Mobile technologies
are of particular interest. After consultation
with the developer and EPA Regional staff,
sites with wastes that will best illustrate
the capability of the technology are
chosen. At the present time, EPA is
working with 12 technologies, and several
field demonstrations are planned for this
year. In addition, EPA Regional offices will
nominate Superfund sites this fall for a
second group of 10 technologies that have
been accepted into the program from the
second solicitation.
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SITE Program Participants
Developer
Technology
First Solicitation, RFP SITE 001
American Combustion, Inc. Pyretron™ Oxygen
Norcross, GA Burner
DETOX Industries, Inc.
Sugarland, TX
Hazcon, Inc.
Katy, TX
Haztech/EPA Region 4
Atlanta, GA
International Waste
Technologies
Wichita, KS
Ogden Environmental
Services
San Diego, CA
Pyrolysis Systems, Inc./
New York State
Resources Conservation
Company
Bellevue, WA
Shirco Infrared
Systems, Inc.
Dallas, TX
Terra Vac, Inc.
Dorado, PR
Westinghouse Electric
Corporation
Madison, PA
Westinghouse Electric
Corporation
Madison, PA
Second Solicitation, RFP SITE
Air Products and
Chemicals, Inc.
Allentown, PA
Battelle Pacific
Northwest Laboratory
Richland, WA
CF Systems Corporation
Cambridge, MA
Chemfix Technologies, Inc.
Metairie, LA
MoTec, Inc.
Mt. Juliet, TN
Retech, Inc.
Ukiah, CA
Sanitech, Inc.
Twinsburg, OH
Solidtech, Inc.
Houston, TX
Waste Chem Corporation
Paramus, NJ
Zimpro Environmental
Control Systems
Rothschild, WI
Biological
Degradation
Solidification/
Stabilization
Shirco Infrared
Thermal Destruction
In-Situ
Stabilization
Circulating
Fluidized Bed
Combustor
Plasma Arc
Solvent Extraction
Infrared Thermal
Destruction
In-Situ Vacuum
Extraction
Pyroplasma System
Electric Pyrolyzer
002
Fluid Bed
Biological Systems
In-Situ
Vitrification
Solvent
Extraction
Chemical Fixation/
Stabilization
Liquid/Solid
Contact Digestion
Plasma Heat
Ion Exchange
Solidification
Volume Reduction/
Solidification
Powdered Activated
Carbon/Biological
Developer Contact
Mark Zwecker
404-662-8156
Thomas Dardas
714-240-0892
Ray Funderburk
713-391-1085
Fred" Stroud (Reg. 4)
404-347-3931
Jeff Newton
316-269-2660
Harold Diot
619-455-2383
Nicholas Kolak
(NY State)
518-457-0414
Paul McGough
206-828-2455
Mark deLormier
214-630-7511
James Malot
809-723-9171
Carrie Penman
412-722-5709
William Reed
412-722-5303
Robert Freudenberg
203-358-3200
James Hansen
509-376-5063
John M. Moses
617-492-1631
C. Paul Lo
504-831-3600
John Bogart
615-754-9626
R.C. Eschenback
707-462-6522
Sidney Nelson
216-425-2354
David Stang
713-778-1800
Hans Theyer
Ajit Chowdbury
715-359-7211
EPA Contact
Laurel Staley
513-569-7881
Ronald Lewis
513-569-7856
Paul dePercin
513-569-7797
Howard Wall
513-569-7691
Mary Stinson
201-321-6683
Joseph McSorley
919-541-2920
C. C. Lee
513-569-7520
Edward Bates
513-569-7774
Howard Wall
513-569-7691
Mary Stinson
201-321-6683
C. C. Lee
513-569-7520
Ivars Licis
513-569-7718
Richard Griffiths
201-321-6629
Jonathan Herrmann
513-569-7839
Stephen James
513-569-7877
Edwin Barth
513-569-7669
Eugene Harris
513-569-7862
Laurel Staley
513-569-7881
Richard Traver
201-321-6677
Walter Grube
513-569-7798
Edwin Barth
513-569-7669
John Martin
513-569-7758
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Two SITE Demonstrations Completed
The first innovative technology site demonstration
was completed at the Peak Oil Superfimd site in
Brandon, Florida. This demonstration took place
during a removal operation by EPA Region IV. The
Region had contracted with Haztech, Inc. of
Atlanta, Georgia, to incinerate approximately 6,000
cubic yards of waste oil sludge contaminated with
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead. The site
was ranked on the National Priorities List primarily
due to the contamination of ground water by PCBs.
In November 1986, Haztech began setting up a
mobile thermal.destruction system developed by
Shirco Infrared Systems, Inc. This process uses
rows of electrically powered silicon carbide rods to
bring the waste to combustion temperatures.
Remaining combustibles are destroyed in an
afterburner. The full-scale, four-component system
can process 100 to 250 tons of waste per day,
depending on the waste characteristics. The first
component, the primary furnace, is lined with
layers of lightweight ceramic fiber blanket
insulation. The furnace generates temperatures up
to 1,850°F by using infrared radiant heat provided
by horizontal rows of silicon carbide rods (located
above the conveyor belt). Waste moves through the
primary furnace on a woven wire mesh belt. The
second component, an infrared or gas-fired
secondary combustion chamber, is capable of
reaching temperatures up to 2,300°F. The secondary
chamber destroys gaseous volatiles from the
primary furnace. The third component consists of
an emissions control system that removes
particulates in a venturi scrubber. Acid vapors are
neutralized in a packed tower scrubber, and an
induced draft blower draws cleaned gases from the
scrubber into the exhaust stack. The fourth
component consists of a process management and
monitoring control center.
In early 1987, the SITE Program and the Regional
office agreed to monitor a portion of the cleanup
and evaluate the performance and reliability of this
thermal system in destroying PCB-contaminated
waste.
In February, SITE contractors began preparing a
demonstration plan that included the test plan and
Hazlech's Setup at Peak Oil Siiperfund Site
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f.
a quality assurance plan. The main components of
the demonstration were to evaluate the reliability of
the unit in destroying PCBs, and to validate the
manufacturer's claim that lead compounds could be
converted from a soluble to an insoluble form by
the Shirco process. In addition to the standard trial
burn tests, the demonstration would attempt to
establish a material balance for the unit, identify
products of incomplete combustion (PICs), and
assess reliability and operational factors.
Haztech encountered delays in starting the cleanup
because of problems with waste feed, stack
emissions, and ash handling. As a result, they had
to repair and modify the unit. By June the unit
was processing approximately 100 tons of waste per
day and was ready for performance testing.
The on-site testing of the infrared system took
place from July 31 to August 6. EPA SITE staff and
contractors were present to observe and collect
data. During the week, the SITE project team
conducted a trial burn (three 8-hour runs), and
performed extensive sampling including solid waste
feed, stack gas, furnace ash, scrubber liquid
effluent, scrubber water influent, scrubber effluent
solids, and ambient air. All operating conditions
during the test runs were documented. A quality
assurance/quality control (QA/QC) audit team from
EPA's Office of Research and Development
participated by performing a sampling audit. All
analytical samples have been sent to laboratories
for analyses and the QA/QC team will perform an
audit of these laboratories. The SITE project team
will continue to follow the performance of the unit
until the removal action is completed.
A draft technical report on the demonstration is
scheduled to be completed in December 1987 for
internal EPA review. In addition to the sampling
data described above, the report will document the
entire mechanical operating history of the system
and the problems encountered in operating this
type of full-scale system. This documentation
should be particularly useful to other users of
innovative technologies. A final report on this
project is scheduled for the spring of 1988.
A second demonstration was conducted during
October 13-16, 1987, of a solidification/stabilization
process developed by Hazcon, Inc. of Katy, Texas.
This process blends contaminated soil or sludge
with cement, pozzolans, and a proprietary
ingredient called Chloranan, which aids in the
solidification of organics. The Chloranan neutralizes
the inhibiting effect that organic contaminants
normally have on the crystallization of pozzolanic
materials.
The Douglassville Disposal Superfund site located
in Union Township, Berks County, near
Douglassville, Pennsylvania, was the demonstration
site for the Hazcon technology. The 50-acre site is
an abandoned oil recovery facility on the floodplain
of the Schuylkill River. The site includes two large
lagoons once filled with waste oil sludges and
subsequently drained and backfilled with soil, an
oily filter cake disposal area, an oil drum storage
area, and an area where waste oil sludge was land
farmed into the soil. More than 250,000 cubic yards
of soil may be contaminated with a wide variety of
constituents including volatile organics, PCBs, and
lead.
Hazcon's Truck-Mounted Solidification/Stabilization System
EPA chose the Douglassville site because of the
technology's relevance to the remedial analysis of
the site. The developer requested a site containing
oily wastes, and the site also provided an
opportunity to demonstrate fixation of both high
concentration organic and metal-bearing wastes.
Soil samples from six different plant areas were
processed to test the process capability on diverse
feedstocks.
The major objectives of the demonstration were to
determine the following:
• Ability of the technology to immobilize the site
contaminants
• Effectiveness of the technology at various levels
of organics in the soil over the range 2-35% oil
and grease
• Performance and reliability of information on the
process system
• Long-term stability and integrity of the solidified
contaminated soil
• Costs of applying the technology to Superfund
sites
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For the demonstration, Hazcon provided their
Mobile Field Blending Unit along with cement and
water supply trucks. The mobile unit consisted of
soil and cement holding bins, a Chloranan feed
tank, and a blending auger to mix all the
components. Water was added as necessary. The
resultant slurry was extruded into molds to harden.
While the soil was being processed and cured, the
excavation hole was enlarged, a nonporous plastic
liner was placed to cover the bottom and sides, and
a 12-inch layer of clean fill was deposited on top of
the liner. The solidified blocks were returned to the
excavation hole and the entire excavation area was
back-filled with clean soil. In addition to the
samples taken for evaluation, samples from the
solidified blocks and the surrounding soil will be
taken periodically to monitor the solidified block
integrity over a 5-year time span.
Two main criteria are being used to evaluate the
effectiveness of the Hazcon process for
immobilizing the contaminants in the soil. The
mobility of the contaminants will be monitored,
including both the leachability of the contaminants
and oil and grease before and after treatment, and
the relative permeability of the treated and
untreated soil. The second criteria is the integrity of
the solidified soil mass. This will be determined by
measuring the unconfined compressive strength of
the soil mass and characterizing both the macro
properties of the soil mass and the microstructure
changes.
EPA will distribute the final reports on both
demonstrations to the Regional Superfund and
State hazardous waste offices. The reports will be
available to other interested parties through ORD's
Center for Environmental Research Information
(CERI) in Cincinnati, Ohio D
Upcoming Demonstrations
Planned for Fall and Winter, 1987-88
EPA has four additional demonstrations planned
this fall and winter. Some of these projects were
accepted into the program during the first
solicitation in 1986, while several were planned for
testing by EPA Regional offices, or the Office of
Research and Development (ORD), in conjunction
with a Superfund or private cleanup.
Pyretron™ Gas Train With Burners Firing. EPA's Combustion
Research Facility
American Combustion Inc., of Norcross, Georgia,
has developed an oxygen-air-fuel burner, the
Pyretron™, that can be fitted on a conventional
rotary kiln. The use of oxygen in the burner allows
a higher burning temperature (up to 4,500°F as
compared to a maximum of 2,400°F in a
conventional burner) without the addition of excess
air. Using less air is advantageous because the
nitrogen in air takes away heat, puts a greater load
on the air pollution control equipment, and
requires a longer retention time in the combustor
before the waste is fully incinerated. The higher
temperatures also ensure more complete
incineration of the wastes, thereby increasing the
destruction removal efficiencies and reducing the
volume of stack gases. The rate of waste through
the incinerator is also increased, reducing the unit
costs.
The Pyretron™ burner is a proprietary design that
employs advanced fuel injection and mixing
concepts to provide faster ignition and thorough
burning of wastes. Burner operation is computer
controlled to automatically adjust the amount of
oxygen according to sudden changes in the heating
value of the wastes.
This technology will be demonstrated at EPA's
Combustion Research Facility (CRF) at Jefferson,
Arkansas. The research rotary kiln at the CRF has
been modified to accept the oxygen burner.
Contaminated soil from the Stringfellow Acid Pit
site in California is scheduled to be burned during
the demonstration. The Stringfellow site is a 17-acre
remedial site in a California canyon that was used
as a dump for industrial wastes from World War II
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to the early 1980's. The site contains soil
contaminated with waste acids containing organics
and metals—a common occurrence at Superfund
sites. This 5-week demonstration will provide data
on the destruction of organics in the soil.
Approximately 5,000 pounds of contaminated soil
will be treated.
Shirco Infrared Systems of Dallas, Texas has a
process that uses rows of electrically powered
silicon carbide rods to bring the waste to
combustion temperatures and then destroys any
remaining combustibles in an afterburner. The full-
scale, four-component system can process from 100
to 250 tons of waste a day, depending on the waste
characteristics. The first component, the primary
furnace, is lined with layers of lightweight ceramic
fiber blanket insulation and generates temperatures
up to 1,850°F. Waste moves through the furnace on
a woven wire mesh belt. While the ash from the
combustion process is deposited into a receptacle,
the exhaust gases pass through a secondary
processing chamber where temperatures can reach
2,300°F. The third component consists of an
emissions control system where the remaining
gases are cooled and cleaned in a scrubber. The
fourth component, a processing center, controls
and monitors the operation.
Culauviy—Shirco's Full-Scale Infrared Thermal Destruction Unit
A portable pilot (one ton per day) Shirco unit is
being evaluated at the Rose Township-Demode
Road Superfund site in Michigan. The Rose
Township site is a 20-acre site that contained buried
drums of various solvents and paint sludges. The
drums were removed in 1980, but the remaining
contaminated soil contains high concentrations of
organics, PCBs, and metals, principally lead. One
objective of the project will be to determine
whether the treatment will fuse the lead in the
waste to the ash, thus reducing the potential for
lead leaching out of the ash over time, and the
potential for lead emissions in the stack gas. The
unit will operate at the site for approximately 2
weeks and will treat about 10 cubic yards of
contaminated soil.
Schematic—Terra Vac, Inc.'s In-Situ Vacuum Extraction Process
An in-situ vacuum extraction process developed by
Terra Vac, Inc., of Dorado, Puerto Rico, will be
used to extract volatile contaminants from soils at a
Massachusetts site. The process consists of
installing subsurface wells—as deep as 300 feet—
and introducing a negative pressure gradient
through the use of vacuum pumps. The resulting
air-streams that come from the wells are then
extracted and pulled through a separator device
and activated carbon for adsorption of the volatile
compounds before the vapor is discharged to the
atmosphere. The process has been applied to a
wide range of volatile compounds, as well as
organic and chlorinated solvents.
The site for this demonstration is the Groveland
Wells Superfund site in Groveland, Massachusetts.
This site includes two municipal wells and the
surface water and ground water that supply them.
A machine plant on the site is one of three
potential sources of soil and ground-water
contamination from surface and subsurface disposal
of solvents and cutting oils. An area of 2 acres
containing 2,000 to 3,000 cubic yards of soil is
contaminated with volatile organic compounds;
principally trichloroethylene, with lesser
concentrates of 1, 2-trans-dichloroethylene, and
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7
tetrachloroethylene. Most of the contamination
occurs above the water table and beneath the
manufacturing facility and a concrete slab that is
being used as a storage platform. EPA is
considering some type of in-situ process, rather
than excavation of the soil because of space
constraints, the proximity of local residents to the
site, and health and safety considerations.
International Waste Technologies (IWT), in
conjunction with General Electric, Inc. (GE), will
demonstrate a system that treats waste without
excavation. Using Japanese equipment, IWT can
drill and blend waste material in place with its
patented bonding agent. The process ties up, or
bonds, organic and inorganic compounds, creating
"macromolecules" that are highly resistant to acids
and other deteriorating factors. The waste
eventually forms a solid, crystalline, inorganic
polymer in the shape of a vertical column. These
vertical columns are produced with a method
Process Schematic—International Waste Technologies' In-Situ
Stabilization/Solidification Process
developed by the Japan National Railways and
Sanwa Kizai Co., LTD. The method consists of
installing two liquid paths in the rod of an earth
auger. The two liquids are supplied under low
pressure by the grout pumps and are mixed with
the soil for instantaneous consolidation.
A demonstration of this in-situ stabilization process
is planned at a GE site in Hialeah, Florida;
however, a date has not yet been scheduled. About
7,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated soil will be
treated.
As these demonstrations are completed, EPA will
analyze the data and will submit preliminary
results to the technology developer and the EPA
Superfund site manager. A demonstration report
will be available approximately 4 to 6 months after
the demonstration is completed. These reports will
be distributed to Federal and State hazardous waste
cleanup offices and will also be available through
ORD's Center for Environmental Research
Information and the EPA library's Hazardous Waste
Collection D
Status of Remaining Technologies
Selected in 1986
The remaining six technologies selected in 1986 are
not scheduled for demonstration this year because
either a site has not been selected, the technology
is not at full scale, or permitting requirements have
slowed the process down.
The Basic Extraction Sludge Technology (B.E.S.T.™)
was developed by Resources Conservation Co.,
Bellevue, Washington to dewater and deoil
contaminated sludges and soils. A chemical plant-
like process uses differences in chemical miscibility
at different temperatures to break waste down into
three distinct fractions: (1) dischargable water,
(2) reusable oil and organics, and (3) dry, oil-free
solids. The transportable unit treats solid particles
no larger than 1/4 of an inch.
The B.E.S.T. system was used as part of an EPA
removal action at a Savannah, Georgia site. The
developer collected sampling and performance data
that ORD is evaluating. If the results show the unit
is able to operate at full scale, a demonstration will
be conducted, once a suitable site is selected.
DETOX Industries, Inc., of Sugarland, Texas has a
process for the biological degradation of targeted
organic contaminants in a water/sludge/soil matrix
through the application of proprietary, naturally
occurring, and non-pathogenic organisms. The
process involves the accelerated growth of these
microorganisms and innoculation into the waste
matrix. The result is a systematic biodegradation of
the contaminants over a relatively short time,
usually 2-4 months.
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EPA Region VI is coordinating with the State of
Texas to explore treatment technologies that may
permanently clean up a Texas Superfund site.
Biodegradation is a possible alternative. Therefore,
a SITE demonstration with DETOX has been
proposed for this site. Following a public notice
and comment period, this demonstration is
planned for winter 1987-88.
Westinghouse Electric Corporation had two thermal
technologies selected for demonstration in 1986.
The transportable electric pyrolyzer unit destroys
waste without oxidation. This demonstration-scale
unit transfers large amounts of energy to waste
materials, causing dissociation of the molecules into
component atoms. Temperatures can reach 3,250°F
(1,790°C). Halogens, metals, and other impurities
are trapped within a molten bath. As the melt is
removed from the unit, inorganic materials remain
in the vitrified residue, which should be leach
resistant. The unit is designed to treat solids up to
4 inches in diameter.
Westinghouse also has a transportable plasma arc
unit that can treat 3 gallons per minute of
pumpable waste. This technology uses an electric
arc to produce a plasma at temperatures from
9,000°F to 36,000°F (5,000°C-15,000CC) that breaks
down chemicals in waste to their atomic state in an
oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The chemicals then
reform into hydrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen
chloride, nitrogen, particulate carbon, and carbon
dioxide.
Currently, Westinghouse has both units at its
Pennsylvania facility undergoing development
testing. Once these units are ready for
demonstration, EPA will select a Superfund site.
A smaller plasma arc unit (1 gallon per minute)
was designed by Pyrolysis Systems, Inc. This unit,
owned by the State of New York, is intended to
treat dioxin-contaminated sludge from the Love
Canal site. EPA accepted this technology into the
SITE program in 1986 and has been assisting New
York's Department of Environmental Conservation
in documenting Federal and State permit
requirements. Once these permits are approved,
the demonstration can take place.
Ogden Environmental Services (formerly G.A.
Technologies) has developed a circulating fluidized
bed combustor. This combustor operates at a higher
velocity airflow, and produces a much higher
combustion efficiency than a conventional fluidized
bed. High turbulence in the combustor allows the
process to destroy a wide variety of waste materials
at temperatures below 1,560''F (850°C). The unit
employs simultaneous limestone injection that
captures the acid gases and eliminates the need for
a scrubber. The unit can recover heat as steam,
electricity, hot water, or hot air.
EPA and the State of California plan to use this
combubtor at Ogden's facility near San Diego,
California, to run treatability tests on several
Superfund wastes. EPA will evaluate these tests
under the SITE program. The EPA Regional Office
issued a Research, Development, and
Demonstration permit to Ogden in March 1987 to
operate the combustor at its facility. The California
Department of Health Services recently issued a
State hazardous waste facility operating permit.
Currently, the City of San Diego is evaluating the
EPA and State permits prior to issuing their local
use permit D
Ten New Technologies Accepted Under
the 1987 SITE Solicitation
In September, 1987 EPA infonned 10 technology
developers of their acceptance into the SITE
demonstration program. These developers had submitted
proposals in response to a second solicitation, RFP SITE
002, advertised in the Commerce Business Daily in
January, 1987. While the SITE 001 proposals consisted
mainly of various thermal processes, the 10 technologies
selected in 1987 were primarily biological and
solidification/stabilization processes.
TECHNOLOGIES ACCEPTED UNDER
SITE 002 SOLICITATION
Solidification/Stabilization
Soliditech, Inc. of Houston, TX. This solidification
and stabilization method uses the vendor's
proprietary reagent, URRICHEM™, to chemically
and physically immobilize hazardous constituents
contained in slurries. Reagents that are
microblended, or thoroughly dispersed throughout
the waste, microencapsulate hazardous compounds
by crosslinking organic and inorganic particles,
coating large particles, and sealing small pores and
spaces. This sealing process significantly reduces
leaching potential.
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Chcmfix Technologies, Inc. of Mclairie, LA.
CHEMFIX™ is a proprietary process that stnbilix.es
high-molecular-weight organic and inorganic
constituents in waste slurries. The CHEMFIX
process uses soluble silicates, silicate setting agents,
and additives to crosslink with waste components
to produce a stable, solid matrix.
Waste Chew Corporation of Parannis, NJ. This mobile
volume reduction and solidification system is
designed to decontaminate and solidify liquids,
sludges, and soils. A fluidized waste stream and
asphalt are mixed in a heated tank. The waste-
asphalt mixture is discharged into drums where it
solidifies. Organics that volatilize are treated via
ozonation and carbon absorption.
Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory of Richland, WA.
In-situ vitrification (ISV) thermally destroys organic
constituents and converts contaminated soil or
sludge into a chemically inert, stable glass and
crystalline product. With the help of a
graphite/glass starter path, electrodes inserted into
the ground heat the surrounding soil to 2,000°C,
which is sufficient to melt the soils. A hood placed
over the processing area confines any combustion
gases, and draws them into an off-gas treatment
system.
Biological
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. of Alkntown, PA
(formerly Dorr-Oliver). This biotreatment technique
is a mobile fixed-film, fluidized bed used to treat
aqueous waste containing hazardous organic
substances. Pure oxygen is fed predissolved and
totally consumed in the process, limiting air
stripping of volatile organics. The bed can be either
inert media or activated carbon, the latter absorbs
organics and facilitates treatment of more
concentrated wastes. Absorbed compounds that
degrade more slowly are eventually converted
biologically.
Zhnpro Environmental Control Systems of Rothschild,
VV7. This process combines biological treatment,
powdered activated carbon treatment (PACT™), and
wet air oxidation. In the PACT process, powdered
activated carbon is added to the aeration basin to
allow treatment of more concentrated aqueous
waste. Wet air oxidation will further treat the
effluent using elevated temperature and pressure to
oxidize remaining organics.
MoTcc, Inc. of Ml. Juliet, TN. This portable method
is a high energy form of organic waste
biodegradation known ns Liquid Solids Contact
Digestion (LSCD), applicable to sludges or soils
contaminated with organic compounds. Organics in
the waste are solubilized by water and emulsificrs.
The waste undergoes aerobic biological treatment in
a batch digester, and is transferred to a polishing
cell for final treatment.
Thermal
Rctcch, Inc. of Ukiah, CA. This technology, still in
the developmental stage, uses a centrifugal reactor
with plasma heat to decompose organics in a
mixed solid and liquid feed. The solid components
are melted and cast or granulated for disposal. The
volatile compounds are vaporized and decomposed
in an afterburner also heated by plasma heat. Off-
gases are also treated conventionally.
Extraction
C.F. Systems Corporation of Cambridge, MA. This
solvent extraction technology uses liquified gases
near their critical conditions as solvents to remove
organic constituents from sludges, solids, or liquid
wastes. The proposed solvents allow high rates of
extraction compared with other solvent extraction
processes. The system also uses vapor
recompression and conventional distillation to
recycle the solvents and concentrate the organic
constituents.
Ion Exchange
Sanitech, Inc. of Tivinsburg, OH. This technology
uses ion-exchange-like materials to selectively
remove toxic heavy metals from contaminated
ground water or surface water. Chemical
compounds can be produced that selectively
remove one or more metals. Aqueous waste passes
through a filter bed made up of the coated
compounds attached to an inert carrier. Acid
treatment of the bed recovers the captured metal
ions and regenerates the bed material D
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The Emerging Technologies Program—
A New Component of
EPA's SITE Program
On September 17, EPA published a notice of
availability of Request for Proposals in the
Commerce Business Daily for promising
bench/laboratory-scale treatment technologies.
Called the Emerging Technologies Program (ETP),
this portion of the SITE program will foster the
further development of technologies that are not
yet ready for full-scale demonstration. The goal is
to. ensure that a steady stream of more permanent,
cost-effective technologies will be ready to be
demonstrated in the field, thereby increasing the
number of viable alternatives available for use in
Superfund cleanups. The ETP will deal with
innovative technologies for recycling, separation,
detoxification, destruction, and stabilization of
hazardous chemical wastes. These emerging
technologies will include, but not be limited to,
chemical, biological, thermal, physical,
stabilization/solidification, etc.
Definition of Terms
Alternative (CERCLA/RCRA) Anything Other
Technology Than Land Disposal
Existing Technologies In Common Use
Technology Today (proven and available)
Innovative Becoming Available, But Not In
Technology Common Use (not yet proven)
Emerging Technologies That May Appear
Technology Over Long Term (more R&D
testing needed)
Development Process for Alternative Technologies
The ETP will provide 2-year funding, through
competitive cooperative agreements, to technology
developers that take promising bench/laboratory-
scale technologies to the pilot scale. The ETP will
make up to $150,000 per year, for a maximum of
5300,000 over two years, available to any individual
technology developer. In order to obtain second
year funding, significant progress must be made
during the first year.
The solicitation invites technology developers to
submit preproposals that provide the following
information: (1) a technical description of the
technology, (2) a brief description of the proposed
project, (3) a summary of data results showing
success of the technology or process, (4) estimated
resources needed by the developer (funding), (5)
value of- technology to the Superfund program, (6)
description of company and expertise of personnel,
and (7) sampling and analysis and quality
assurance/quality control capability and experience.
These preproposals shall not be longer than 10
pages. .
EPA will review all preproposals based on technical
and cost sharing considerations. Thus, technically
acceptable preproposals with a higher portion of
developer cost sharing will receive a higher
ranking. Those firms with the highest ranking
preproposals will be notified in writing by EPA and
asked to submit full proposals to EPA. Guidelines
for preparing preproposals, and the evaluation
criteria, are available in the RFP. The RFPs will be
mailed out between November 1-15, 1987.
Requests for RFP SITE-EO1 must be made in
writing to:
Mr. William Frietsch
USEPA/HWERL
26 W. Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
The preproposal due date is December 15, 1987.
Measurement and Monitoring
Technologies Program
Another ongoing component of the SITE Program
is the development and demonstration of new and
innovative measurement and monitoring
technologies that will be applicable to Superfund
site characterization.
There are four important roles for monitoring and
measurement technologies at Superfund sites:
(1) to assess the extent of contamination at a site,
(2) to supply data and information to determine
impacts to human health and the environment,
(3) to supply data to select the appropriate remedial
action, and (4) to monitor the success or
effectiveness of the selected remedy. With the
enactment of SARA, EPA has been supplied with a
mechanism specifically aimed at supporting
monitoring needs at Superfund sites.
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The Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
in Las Vegas, Nevada (EMSL-LV) has been
supporting the development of improved
measurement and monitoring techniques in
conjunction with the SITE Program with a focus on
two areas: immunoassays for toxic substances and
fiber optic sensing for in-situ analysis at Superfund
sites.
The Las Vegas laboratory's research in
immunoassays for toxic substances actually began
prior to the enactment of SARA in 1986. The initial
interest of laboratory researchers was in the use of
biomarkers in exposure and risk assessment. The
application of immunoassays to environmental
monitoring is still in the developmental stage and
has received considerable support from the SITE
Program in FY 1987. During the first year of the
SITE Program, the Las Vegas laboratory has
initiated efforts in the following areas:
• Participation in the development and evaluation
of a monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay
for pentachlorophenol.
• Submission of two requests for information to
the Commerce Business Daily. One requested
information concerning general advancements in
immunoassay technology and biomarkers. A
number of innovative approaches were brought
forward from the commercial sector and the lab
will function as a catalyst to encourage the
interaction necessary to advance the field,
particularly for field screening applications. The
second request was specifically directed toward
advanced analytical methods for benzene,
ethylbenzene, toluene, and phenol. As a result of
that solicitation, a cooperative agreement is being
negotiated with Westinghouse to develop
monoclonal antibody assays for these chemicals.
• Initiation of an interagency agreement with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop
monoclonal antibodies and immunoassays of
mutual interest for monitoring programs.
• Negotiation of an interagency agreement with the
California Department of Food and Agriculture
for EPA to develop sample preparation
techniques for environmental matrices that will
be compatible with immunoassays. If approved,
activities will begin by mid-FY 1988.
• Negotiation of cooperative agreements with the
University of California, Berkeley and Davis
campuses, to develop monoclonal antibodies and
immunoassays for selected compounds of interest
to Superfund for which the commercial sector
has shown little interest.
The Las Vegas laboratory embarked on a program
in 1982 to determine the feasibility of using fiber
optic sensing to monitor ground water. The
program led to the development of lightweight
portable instrumentation, a sensor for organic
chloride detection, a sensor for pH and, most
importantly, an abundant interest in, and new
ideas foT, other fiber optic based chemical sensors.
In FY 1987, the monitoring program applied SITE
resources to its fiber optic sensor program. The
fiber optic chemical sensor for chloroform (the
primary trihalomethane component), under
development for about three years, has been
significantly improved over the last 6 months. The
latest modifications and calibration studies have
permitted measurement of chloroform
concentrations in soil gases above contaminated
ground water with confidence that the sensor
response was linear between 2 and 12 ng/ml. The
reproducibility at 6 ng/ml in the field was ± 10%
which exceeded that of the portable gas
chromatograph being used for verification in the
field. In addition, the sensor results were obtained
in only 10 to 20% of the time required for the
chrornatographic results. The latest modifications
have resulted in a more sensitive and rugged
sensor that can be reliably loaded with sensing
reagent in about 10 seconds. However, the sensor is
presently limited to making measurements in the
gas phase.
In FY 1988, the Las Vegas laboratory plans to
continue its work in immunoassays and fiber
optics. The FY 1988 immunoassay projects include
the following:
• Evaluation of monoclonal antibody-based
immunoassays for benzene, ethylbenzene,
toluene, and phenol
• Continuation of the evaluation of the
immunoassay for pentachlorophenol initiated in
FY 1987
• Depending on the results of the above
evaluation, demonstration of the
pentachlorophenol immunoassay at a Superfund
site
• Compilation of a list of EPA priority compounds
for potential immunoassay applications
• Investigation of currently available standard
delivery systems to determine potential use for
Agency monitoring activities
In FY 1988, the Las Vegas laboratory plans to
continue developing fiber optic sensors for aqueous
phase measurements in order to extend its
application to in-situ ground-water monitoring.
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With adequate improvements in sensitivity, other
potential applications for the chloroform sensor
would be for monitoring trihalomethanes in
drinking water. Other FY 1988 goals include the
development of several compound specific sensors,
such as gasoline, aviation gasoline, and
trichlorethylene by commercial concerns.
The laboratory intends to integrate its immunoassay
techniques with the ongoing fiber optics research.
Applying these tools jointly in Superfund site
assessment will serve as a means to cross check
and validate data generated by each method.
For more information on this program, contact Eric
Koglin, U.S. EPA, Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory, P.O. Box 93478, Las Vegas, NV,
89193-3478 (702-798-2432).
EPA issued its third annual notice of
availability of Request for Proposals for SITE
demonstrations in the Commerce Business
Daily on October 16. The RFPs will be issued
on January 15, 1988, with a closing date of
March 1, 1988. Technologies selected for
demonstration must be at commercial scale—
sufficient size to generate valid operation and
cost data. To obtain a copy of the RFP SITE
003, write to:
Mr. William Frietsch
USEPA/HWERL
26 W. Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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