Evaluation of an air drilling cuttings containment system
Drilling at hazardous waste sites for environmental remediation or monitoring requires containment of all drilling fluids and cuttings to protect personnel and the environment. At many sites, air drilling techniques have advantages over other drilling methods, requiring effective filtering and containment of the return air/cuttings stream. A study of. current containment methods indicated improvements could be made in the filtering of radionuclides and volatile organic compounds, and in equipment like alarms, instrumentation or pressure safety features. Sandia National Laboratories, Dept. 61 11 Environmental Drilling Projects Group, initiated this work to address these concerns. A look at the industry showed that asbestos abatement equipment could be adapted for containment and filtration of air drilling returns. An industry manufacturer was selected to build a prototype machine. The machine was leased and put through a six-month testing and evaluation period at Sandia National Laboratories. Various materials were vacuumed and filtered with the machine during this time. In addition, it was used in an actual air drive drilling operation. Results of these tests indicate that the vacuum/filter unit will meet or exceed our drilling requirements. This vacuum/filter unit could be employed at a hazardous waste site or any site where drilling operations require cuttings and air containment.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 10146744
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--94-0214; ON: DE94011003; BR: GB0103012
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Health and safety plan: Soil vapor-extraction treatability investigation, Site S within Operable Unit D, McClellan Air Force Base. Draft final report
S. 2083: a bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency to set standards for identification and abatement of hazardous asbestos. Introduced in the Senate of the United States, Ninety-Ninth Congress, Second Session, February 20, 1986