1 - Introduction

Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) has contracted with Parsons under Contract No. F41624-01-D-8544, ENRAC Task Order (TO) 0009 for remedial actions at AOC-55.  The remedial action includes removal of contaminated media from areas surrounding the landfill at AOC-55.  Activities to be conducted as part of the remedial actions are described in the Environmental Cleanup Plan for Area of Concern 55 Remedial Activities (CDRL A005), Parsons, January 2003.

2 - Purpose

The AOC-55 remedial activities include soil sifting operations.  The purpose of these Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is to provide the minimum procedures and safety and health requirements applicable to the conduct of mechanical soil sifting operations.  This SOP defines relevant terms and provides instructions for soil sifting operations to be conducted at AOC-55.  This SOP shall serve as a reference for contractors and subcontractors performing work at CSSA and ensure that consistent procedures are used for work to be performed during the AOC-55 remedial actions under TO 0009.  Additional work plans include a sampling and analysis plan and comprehensive safety plan generated to incorporate construction and UXO avoidance activities for all on-site personnel, including Parsons personnel, subcontractors and CSSA workers.  Additional information is located in the TO 0009 Work Plan Addendum for AOC-55 Remedial Actions (Volume 1-1 of the Environmental Encyclopedia). 

3 - Scope

The scope of work (SOW) under TO 0009 includes the removal actions at AOC-55.  Contaminated soils will be excavated, stabilized (if necessary), and disposed off-site.  Scrap metal and UXO will be removed through use of a sifter.  All personnel performing sifting operations utilizing mechanical means shall conform to this SOP.  This SOP is not a stand-alone document and all personnel shall become familiar with the associated workplans referenced above related to this operation.

4 - Regulations

5 - Responsibilities

Program Manager.  Responsible for ensuring availability of resources to safely and effectively implement this SOP.

Project Manager.  The PM is responsible for providing the necessary resources to complete the project in a safe and timely manner.  He/she coordinates with the UXO Safety Officer and UXO Field Team Leader to ensure that all safety precautions are being taken and that work plan procedures are being followed.

Field Team Leader.  The Field Team Leader will ensure that soil sifting operations are conducted in accordance with this SOP. 

UXO Safety Officer.  Ensures that all mechanical sifting operations are conducted in a safe manner, in accordance with the site specific work plan, this SOP, and all applicable regulatory guidance.

UXO Technician II.  Provides UXO support and shall be familiar with the equipment being utilized.  Shall perform tasks to include a visual search/survey of the area(s) of operation.  Inspects soil being loaded into the sifter and the spoils taken out of the sifter. 

Operator.  Will be qualified and fully trained on the equipment being utilized.  Shall operate the equipment as directed.  Shall perform daily inspections and maintenance functions as required by the operator’s manual(s).  Shall perform other duties as needed or directed.

6 - Approach

Waste disposal and sifting operations at AOC-55 will focus on areas identified during initial investigations conducted at the site.    Soil media and waste material will be excavated and placed at appropriate locations within AOC-55.  The waste material, as much as possible, will be located on level terrain which is easily accessible by heavy equipment. The excavated material will be sampled for lead for disposal.

Samples will be collected from the bottom of the excavation to determine if all of the contaminated material has been removed as specified in the TO 0009 Data Quality Objectives (DQO).  Overexcavation and stockpiling will continue until COC metals concentrations reach background levels.

Once the sifter and conveyor belt assembly are mobilized to the site, the stockpiled soil will be loaded onto the conveyor belt, which will feed the soils into the sifter.  The sifter will be equipped with a screen capable of removing all debris greater than 2 inch in diameter.  A rotating assembly on top of the sifter will break the clayey soil up before it is sifted.  To verify that this material is not contaminated, composite samples of the sifted soils will be collected at a frequency of one per 1000 yd³ and will be analyzed for COCs.  Soil will be collected from the output of the sifter and composited for each sample.  Laboratory analysis will identify what, if any, additional work on the redistributed soils is necessary, in accordance with the established DQO’s.

7 - Operations

There will be a minimum of two UXO Tech II’s on site during intrusive sifting operations.  The UXO Techs will conduct an overall visual survey of the area prior to starting operations.  During sifting operations, one of the UXO Techs will have control over the “kill switch” of the mechanical sifter.  

Soils and waste materials will be placed on a conveyor belt which feeds into a sifter.  The sifter will remove all debris and rocks greater than 2 inch in diameter.  This size screen will ensure removal of the smallest UXO items (75 millimeter projectiles) found at the site. 

If an UXO item is located during the sifting operation, all operations will cease, equipment will be shut down, and standard UXO procedures as set forth in the applicable work plans and the SSHP will be observed.  The two UXO Techs will identify the item independently.  If the item is deemed live or suspected live, the UXOSO will be notified, and appropriate action taken, prior to commencement of operations.

The location of the sifting operation, and equipment location will be on a site specific basis.  This will be subject to approval by the UXOSO. 

The waste materials and the soil matrix will be removed from the trench(es) at each of the sites and stockpiled within the site boundary for sifting operations.  Trenches at AOC 55 were identified during previous investigations via geophysical surveys. 

8 - Sample Analysis

Soil samples for chemical analysis will be collected from sifted soils at a frequency of one sample per 1000 yd³.  Samples will be analyzed for potential COCs.  Soils which are below background levels, identified through lab analysis, will be replaced within the areas that they were taken from.  Soils which are above established background levels will be left on the surface for disposal.

Analytical techniques will follow procedures described in Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SW-846 and the HQ AFCEE QAPP (AFCEE, 1996).  Sample methodology and quality control procedures are further described in the Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) for Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) Closures at Camp Stanley Storage Activity (CSSA) (Environmental Encyclopedia Volume 1-4, Field Sampling and Analysis Plan tab and QAPP tab) for Area of Concern (AOC) 55

9 - Equipment

Equipment listings and specifications will be added as an attachment/addendum as site specific and operational needs dictate.

10 - Safety

All appropriate UXO precautions will be observed during sifting operations.  These precautions will be observed even in areas where UXO removals have previously been performed.  The precautions listed below are general in nature, and applicable equipment and operational publications will be reviewed periodically.

11 - Personnel Protective Equipment

Level D PPE will be required during Mechanical sifting operations.  Clothing will include, but not be limited to:

12 - QC and QA

The screening of the excavated material will produce two piles of earth:

Spoils          Finds

A UXO Tech will visually inspect each pile before it is returned to the excavation or sent for off-post disposal.  The results of the QC/QA inspection will determine the effectiveness of the sifting operation.

13 - Summary

This SOP will be used by Parsons personnel, and it’s subcontractors, to ensure that the requirements for mechanical sifting operations are conducted in a safe, efficient, and productive manner.  The UXOSO will make changes to this SOP as safety and operational necessity dictate.

14 - Project Team Organization

The names of principal personnel associated with this project are listed below.

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