Reclamation and groundwater remediation at a hydrocarbon site in Alaska
- Unocal, Brea, CA (United States)
- Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)
- Marathon Oil, Tyler, TX (United States)
As part of a joint hydrocarbon cleanup project between Unocal and Marathon, we have initiated the use of constructed wetlands for restoration of the 40-acre Poppy Lane gravel pit located near Kenai, Alaska. Gravel excavated from this site was used to construct roads and drilling pads in the 1960`-70`s. During this period it was also used as a refuse dump for waste from the Kenai gas field and from local residents. The bulk wastes were removed and pockets of oily sand were removed, treated and returned to a stockpile on the site. This left the site with residual pockets of hydrocarbon-impacted sand (<1000 TPH) plus traces of hydrocarbon contamination in the uppermost shallow groundwater flowing through the outwash gravels. The final part of the cleanup will be land restoration and bioremediation of the final traces of hydrocarbons, which are predominantly diesel-range. High resolution gas chromatography analysis indicated that common plants already growing on the site (willow, cottonwood, and alder) did not concentrate diesel-range petroleum hydrocarbons in their foliage when growing in soils containing these contaminants. As part of the planned restoration and shallow groundwater remediation, two 1/3 acre test plots were constructed to promote in-situ biodegradation processes. In spring 1995, the first test, a tree root-barrier plot, was planted with dormant cuttings of four native wetland tree and shrub species, which were planted to depths up to five feet. Alder and elderberry did not succeed under any conditions, nor did any species planted in standing water. For cottonwood and willow species, approximately one half of each rooted and survived. When the water table dropped the second year, the willow cuttings rooted deeper in the vadose zone, while cottonwood did not. As a result of these findings, a tree root-barrier wetland is not considered to be a viable option for groundwater treatment at Poppy Lane.
- OSTI ID:
- 569923
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-971116-; TRN: 98:000778-0020
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1997 petroleum hydrocarbons and organic chemicals in ground water: prevention, detection, and remediation conference, Houston, TX (United States), 12-14 Nov 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 1997 petroleum hydrocarbons & organic chemicals in ground water: Prevention, detection, and remediation; PB: 811 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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