Introduction

Bioremediation has been successfully used on two South Jersey projects, one involving a petroleum products terminal, and another involving concrete products manufacturing facility.  In addition to significant cost savings, use of bioremediation allowed for fast response, which was a critical element on both projects.  Both projects were implemented by RT Environmental Services, a King of Prussia, PA environmental services firm.

Atlas Building Systems

Atlas Building Systems was a former concrete products manufacturing facility, in Voorhees, New Jersey.  As required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the facility was in the process of upgrading its stormwater management system, to include the construction of two large stormwater basins, in the rear of the facility.  The facility manufactured large scale concrete components, including such items as bridge beams, large wall sections, and prefabricated floor slabs.  Due to the large size of the manufactured items, the facility had a large yard area, which could not be vegetated, and needed to remain with a sand surface, so that the manufactured items could be allowed to cure, and shipped in the future.

Due to business considerations, the company announced a significant scaling back of operations, which would result in job loss for most of the employees at the facility.  The next day, a valve was found to be open on an oil tank, in the manufacturing area, and several thousands of gallons of oil traveled through the storm drainage system, and was present a product layer in the lagoons.  The release was immediately reported, and Clean Harbors, Inc., was retained to begin product recovery operations. 

Because it was obvious that impacted soil was present around the edge of the surface impoundments  and near the inlet pipe discharge area, bioremediation options began to be evaluated.  In addition, even though the free product was being removed from the surface of the stormwater in the basins, there was concern that dissolved constituents could exceed applicable discharge limits.  Stormwater discharge, once it leaves the facility, travels only several hundreds of feet through ditches and swales, and then flows into the Sturbridge Lakes system, considered to be a sensitive area with recreational uses.  

As soon as free product removal was substantially complete, samples were obtained, which showed elevated concentrations of several number two fuel oil parameters, well in excess of applicable discharge limits.  Concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons were as high as 20-40 mg/l,  in excess of maximum discharge concentrations of 1 mg/l.  Further, the size and the scale of the facility meant that it was imperative to proceed with remediation prior to the next rainfall event, as the volumes of stormwater produced at the facility and managed in the lagoons, would be too large to pump or berm.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection case manager was contacted, and a representative of the Camden County Health Department was assigned to work with RT, due to the time sensitive nature of the project.  Two tasks were deemed to be of critical importance:

• Excavate the impacted soils present in a “ring” around the edge of each basin, and, as well as the impacted soil areas below the inlet discharge pipe.

• Once that work was successfully completed, bioremediate by direct mixing of cultures and nutrients, the remaining impacted stormwater in the basins.

As excavation and field test kit equipment was mobilized to the site, technical review of the proposed bioremediation approach began.  It was decided that the most time sensitive approach would be to place the impacted soils on a tarp, and cover them, as bioremediation would need to occur using a landfarming technique, over a several week period.  Twenty to thirty cubic yards of impacted soil were excavated.

Direct mixing of cultures and nutrients into the stormwater then commenced.  Due to the size of the basins, there was concern that mixing would not occur, so both pumps, and a small boat were used, to assure adequate distribution of the bioremediation agents, over an hour or two.  As rain was forecasted to occur, at this point, as soon as the next day, it was critical to confirm via a certified laboratory, that concentrations had fallen to below applicable discharge criteria.  Although the field test kits were extremely helpful in determining the extent of soils to be remediated, and demonstrating the effectiveness of the treatment as it occurred, only certified laboratory tests are official.  A lab within ten miles of the project site agreed to accept samples late in the day, and run them into evening hours, and all applicable discharge criteria meet. 

Although there had been significant concentrations of several BTEX constituents in stormwater, all such constituents were now non-detect, and the TPH concentration was less than the 1 mg/l discharge criteria in the stormwater in both surface impoundments.  With immediate time sensitive goals meet, everyone breathed a sigh relief that the approximately 225,000 gallons of impacted stormwater was successfully treated on site, prior to the next rainfall event, when discharge of impacted stormwater would have been virtually unavoidable.

The following week, attention turned to the remediation of the impacted soils.  Following approval the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection case manager, a landfarming area on plastic was setup, and bioremediation agents were thoroughly mixed with soils, in a designated area.  Successful treatment of the impacted soils, to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Soil Remediation Criteria was completed within three weeks. 

Compared to conventional approaches, either involving temporary activated carbon treatment of the stormwater, or, conventional excavation removal and backfill of impacted soils, use of the bioremediation approach for both had estimated projects savings of $24,000.  RT, in discussing options with plant management, had recommended bioremediation, by explaining to the concrete products company that the technology was first understood and documented as a natural process, during cleanup of the Prudhoe Bay Alaskan oil spill.  The process could now be stimulated, and would be perfect for a project such as this.   

Although management was initially skeptical, when the bioremediation vendor was willing to offer a guarantee of no payment unless applicable criteria were achieved, the decision was easy.  William Holub, General Manager of the facility commented:

• “When the spill occurred, it was hard to believe what you were saying could actually be done.  I’m still amazed at how well that all worked.”

Mr. Holub has traveled worldwide, and has a wealth of technical managerial experience in cement/concrete products operations.  RT’s demonstration to him that the technology was sound and cost effective, and satisfying DEP  is a testament as to why bioremediation should receive early consideration on all similar petroleum release projects.

Woodruff Energy

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has a pro-active program involving non-point source controls, which, in the case of large petroleum facilities, requires secondary containment around large tanks, to make the containment area impervious.  Woodruff Energy approached RT Environmental, about the best option for upgrading of its secondary containment area, at its facility, in Bridgeton, NJ.  The site, immediately adjacent to the Cohansey River, is a petroleum distribution facility going back to the very earliest parts of the 20^th century.  Woodruff Oil purchased the terminal from a major oil company, in 1959.  1.6 million gallons of aboveground petroleum storage capacity is present at the site.

Unexpected findings during the tank secondary containment upgrading project caused the need for emergency reporting to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, when a long abandoned buried municipal waste water treatment plant was found beneath a former product transfer pumping station being demolished as part of the project.  Following the initial finding of floating oil product in old treatment pits, and because of concern that the waste water treatment system was still connected to the Cohansey River caused a temporary shut-down in the secondary containment upgrading project.

Upon finding that the buried wastewater treatment plant, immediate contacts were made with the City of Bridgeton as well as the Cumberland County Utilities Authority.  It was identified that a municipal sewage treatment system has operated on the site from 1883 until 1927, and investigation work began immediately to determine the size and extent of the buried wastewater treatment tanks at the site.  DEP expressed concern that product, or dissolved product, might be migrating to the River, through unknown pipes or, the former wastewater discharge system.  Drawings showed a long discharge pipe to the middle of the river. 

County utility officials were instrumental in completing an immediate record search an RT worked closely with Lynne Mitchell of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Southern Field Office, as well as Tim Maguire, senior DEP hydrogelogist  We began to conduct an immediate multi-phase investigation to:

• Use data logging techniques to determine whether or not the wastewater vaults were hydraulically connected to the aquifer, or river which is tidal, and verify groundwater flow directions.
     

• Expeditiously determine the extent of impacted soils at the facility, as some areas of product saturated soils were found in the vicinity of the wastewater vaults, and some floating product was found in the vicinity of the oil pumping station.
     

• Large test trenches were also excavated horizontally parallel to the river to determine and confirm that no pipelines existed which could convey product impacted groundwater to the River.
     

• Influent and effluent pipes to and from the wastewater treatment vaults, as well as other pipes, including product and old, small diameter terra cotta pipes encountered during the excavation were all drained and properly grouted, so that there is no potential for further migration to the nearby River.

The New Jersey DEP considers the Cohansey River to be in need of environmental protection, because of presence of shell fish beds, in the lower part of the River, in the Delaware estuary.

The entire project was conducted expeditiously, using a team approach.  RT and DEP shared investigation approaches and findings on a daily basis, following a DEP visit to the site by senior officials from the Southern Field Office.  With winter approaching, and the lining project shut down the key concerns were:

• Completing the investigation project such that secondary containment lining could still be installed before cold weather arrived (HDPE selected for secondary containment cannot be installed in low temperature conditions).
     

• As the previous secondary containment earthen berms had to be opened for the entire project, all parties felt it important to proceed with the work expeditiously, so that the secondary containment could be put back in place.
     

• All expressed a desire to work closely together using a high degree of careful technical focus to reach common understandings on the specific goals and need for each investigation and remedial step, and to work quickly towards a solution.

The Project turned into a model of cooperation meeting with full intent and spirit of the New Jersey ISRA/Brownfields law.  Although many people are under the impression that the Brownfields Law only applies to contaminated, abandoned urban sites.  ISRA revisions also in the law actually allow DEP to adopt flexible and appropriate standards, for petroleum release sites using a risk based corrective action process.  RT worked closely together with DEP to use appropriate standards as localized areas around the waste water treatments vaults were investigated, taking into account that the area would be capped by the secondary containment liner.  Also taken into the account were the investigation results, the site setting, and migration potential.

Once it was demonstrated that all potential migration pathways of concern to the river had been located and successfully closed, Class II soil standards were found to be applicable and remedial needs were focused on two particular “hot spot areas”, which were expeditiously remediated by excavation and removal of soil.  Soil was shipped to a regional bioremediation facility for treatment.  Engineering and investigation findings, as well as lab results, and key technical findings were forwarded to DEP by fax on a daily basis and investigation and remediation of the entire tank farm/wastewater treatment area was completed in a short three weeks.

At the availability of a local bioremediation option was very important to the overall project, from both a cost and schedule standpoint.  The project involving the secondary containment installation only suffered minimal delay, because of the availability of the local bioremediation option.  Trucks that were used to haul the petroleum impacted soils from the site were used to haul already clean bioremediated soils back to the site, eliminating double handling, maximizing remedial project productivity. 

The extra remedial portion of the project, to include the free product removal, and excavations/removal/replacement of the petroleum impacted soils had a total cost of $54,000.  Savings on the project, attributed to the DEP’s use of flexible standards, as well as the use of bioremediation, totaled approximately $37,000, arrived at by comparing with  the next most cost effective option. 

Mr. Robert Woodruff, Sr., President of Woodruff Energy, commented that:

“the level of cooperation was remarkable, in that daily investigation and remediation work could be planned and implemented with DEP oversight so as to be both focused and efficient.  We thought that the costs for dealing with the treatment plant problem could have been much higher.”

In all, more than 300 tons of soil were bioremediated, The project was a model of cooperation and provides the assurance that Woodruff’s main tank farm facility has been through the investigation and remediation process so that areas under the liner system, are no longer of environmental concern.  Woodruff Energy is one of New Jersey’s ISRA/ Brownfields success stories, wherein fresh technical approaces including bioremediation and a high level of cooperation prove that environmental work can proceed quickly, efficiently, and professionally

Conclusion

RT Environmental Services has been implementing bioremediation, on a wide variety of projects, since 1993.  Although bioremediation is not applicable to every type of potential petroleum release project, where it is technically appropriate and can be applied, the advantages can bring to a project are substantial.  These include:

• Minimizing waste.

• Being able to respond to a release quickly, where surface water is involved.

• Having the opportunity for cost savings.

• Minimize project delays.

• Avoiding backfill costs.

Due to these attributes, RT recommends bioremediation receive first consideration, when deciding how to deal with petroleum releases.  Knowing how and when to implement the technology can lead to a high degree of project success, even when there is a big bump in the road.

Top