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Groundwater Investigation and Associated Source Characterization
Table 6.3-1 - Preliminary Screening of Remediation Technologies for SWMU O-1 Contaminated Soils
| General Response Action | Remedial Technology | Process Options | Description | Screening Comments | Effectiveness | Implementability | Cost | Retain for Further Consideration |
| No action | None | None | Leave soil as is. No monitoring or investigation. | Contamination is not mitigated. Does not comply with EPA directives. | Not effective. | NA | None | No |
| Institutional Control | Deed Restrictions | None | All deeds for property within contaminated area would include restrictions on use. Notification of contamination to the State of Texas. | Contamination is not mitigated. Does not comply with EPA directives. Regulatory personnel will be needed for implementation. | Not effective. | Easily implemented. | Low | No |
| Continued Monitoring | Natural Attenuation | VOC contamination will naturally degrade given enough time. Monitoring allows for tracking of VOC contaminant mitigation. Usually combined with deed restrictions. | Intermediate decomposition products may be more toxic than original contaminants. | Moderately effective in gauging VOC mitigation and natural attenuation. Not effective for metals contamination. | Easily implemented; long-term maintenance. | Low | No | |
| Source Containment | Capping | Low permeability caps and/or liners | Source sites capped with low permeability clays, geomembrane, asphalt or a combination to prevent surface water infiltration and creation of leachate. | Requires long-term monitoring. | Generally effective in limiting further waste migration. Does not abate contamination caused by waste below the water table. | Easily implemented. | Moderate | No |
| Source Removal | Excavation | None | Removal of contaminated soil would require excavation and transporting to a RCRA disposal facility. | Soils may require treatment to meet land disposal restriction requirements. | Most effective source and hot spot control. Not effective in removing landfill requirements. | Easily implemented. | High | No |
| Ex-Situ Treatment | Physical and Chemical Treatment | Soil Washing | Removal of volatile organic compounds and metals using washing agents and water for mass transfer. | Requires additional waste disposal for contaminated water and fines. | Has proven effective for removal of contaminants in certain conditions. | Easily implemented. | Moderate | Yes |
| Low temperature thermal desorption | Uses steam to volatilize VOCs. May be able to recover VOC as product. | Steam stripping would require extensive pilot scale testing. Does not address metals contamination. | Has proven very effective for removal of volatile organics. | Readily available | Moderate to high | No | ||
| High temperature thermal desorption | Uses hot air, typically around 400-650 degrees F, to desorb VOC from soils. | May require off-gas treatment in the form of a thermal oxidizer. Does not address metal contamination. | has proven very effective for removal of VOCs. | Readily available | High | No | ||
| Soil vapor extraction | Removal of volatile organic compounds using advective air flow for vapor phased compounds. | May not affect DNAPL's within limestone matrix. Does not address metals. | Has been proven effective for removal of contaminants under certain conditions. | Easily implemented. | Low | Yes | ||
| In Situ Treatment | Biological Treatment | Biodegradation/ biorestoration | Biological modification r destruction of contaminants. Nutrients may be injected to enhance native micro-organisms to biodegrade contamination. | Chlorinated solvents not easily degraded, may have toxic intermediate breakdown products. Dispersion of nutrients difficult in soil. | Can be effective. Difficult to evaluate performance. | Proper evaluation and design required for implementation. | Moderate | No |
| Phytoremediation | Use of plants to leach toxic heavy metals from soil. | Requires extensive time and sampling data to determine the effectiveness. | May be effective for near surface soils. | Unknown | Low | Yes | ||
| Chemical/physical Treatment | Vitrification | Uses heat or direct current to oxidize organics and melt remaining contaminants into a non-leachable glass/soil matrix. | May clog soils and hinder other remedial technologies | Moderately effective. | Readily available | Moderate | No | |
| Electrokinetics | uses direct electrical current in the soil to transport soil water and dissolved ions to one of the electrodes. | May require disposal of contaminated water generated. | New or emerging technology. | Unknown | Unknown | Yes |