Subsurface cutoff walls still valuable in site remediation role
- Eckenfelder Inc., Mahwah, NJ (United States)
- Eckenfelder Inc., Mahwah, NJ (United States). Waste Management Div.
In this age of RCRA, SARA and clean closures, many people have called into question the continuing value of subsurface cutoff walls as a remediation tool. Critics say cutoff walls are a containment rather than a treatment technology, and that they are ineffective, because even the most well-built leak. They are substantially correct. Subsurface cutoff walls are a containment technology, and they do leak to some degree. Why then do cutoff walls continue to be an integral part of many Superfund and other remediation efforts The need for cutoff walls stems from the limited capabilities of available soil and waste treatment technologies, especially when considering the complexity and size of many contaminated sites. Permanent disposal rarely is feasible at: large landfills; sites containing dense, non-aqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs); and large industrial complexes. Over the last eight or nine years, DNAPL chemicals have come to be recognized as perhaps the most intractable problem of subsurface site remediation. This class of chemicals, also referred to as sinkers, primarily includes chlorinated solvents, such as trichloroethylene (TCE), methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene and PCBs. DNAPL chemicals entering the subsurface tend to sink vertically through groundwater systems.
- OSTI ID:
- 5571270
- Journal Information:
- Hazmat World; (United States), Journal Name: Hazmat World; (United States) Vol. 6:2; ISSN HMWOED; ISSN 0898-5685
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAINMENT
CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
GROUND WATER
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAWS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION LAWS
REMEDIAL ACTION
RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
US SUPERFUND
WATER
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL