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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNCD980602163_19920708_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_PCB Landfill Project Report-OCRI I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I PCB Landfill Project Report July 8, 1992 By: Randy McElveen I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Introduction & Summary Evacuation Alternatives TABLE OF CONTENTS PRELIMINARY INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS WELL INSTALLATION PROCEDURES (Alternative #2) Well Construction Liner Replacement PCB Contaminated Soil Cuttings Quality Control Health & Safety Considerations EVACUATION PROCEDURES Pumps & Holding Tanks System Start-up DISPOSAL SYSTEMS Holding tanks Containment Area Activated Carbon Filter DISPOSAL SEQUENCE PAGE NUMBER 1 2 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 • I I I I I -<;·::::fl~}!'~~~--, ~;~;·\ti··~~ 1 . :' .. ·~ ~ . ~. . . ~ fJ$t 1~A•:•~; '~~,,~·(~~~ State of North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources Division of Solid Waste Management P.O. Box 27687 · Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7687 James G. Martin, Governor 1 William W. Cobey, Jr., Secretary July 6, 1992 William L. Meyer Director I I I I I I I I I RE: Alternatives and Procedures for Evacuating Rainfall from the Warren County PCB Waste Disposal Facility Located in Warren County, N.C. Project Number Gentlemen: On June 15, 1991 the N.C. Department of Administration informed the DEHNR that the responsibility of technical assistance for management of the landfill was transferred to the Division of Solid Waste Management. On June 25, 1991 the PCB landfill was inspected and water level monitoring within the 6" PVC Leachate Collection Pipe, located within the landfill was performed by the Division of Solid Waste Management Personnel. It was noted that a water level of 14.17 feet existed within the landfill at this time. Monitoring of the water level within the landfill continued for approximately 1 year with fluctuation in the water level ranging from 14.17 to 12.92 feet (l'-3") from the top of the leachate collection ptpe. Pumping of the existing leachate collection system was performed by Division of Solid Waste I Management personnel in August of 1991. It was determined that the current generator powered pumping system (Bladder pump) will evacuate 120 gallons of water per cycle with a I recharge rate of 2 hours 45 minutes. The effluent water from the landfill was sampled and tested for PCB concentration and resulted in no detectable levels at this time. I I I 1 An Equal Opportunity Affinnatlve Action Employer I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Based on the pumping and recovery rate of the landfill water it was estimated that it would take 10 to 12 weeks to pump down 1 foot of head on the landfill water. The existing landfill design, construction, groundwater and landfill water level history was evaluated to help determine the source of the existing landfill water. The results of this evaluation is included in the appendix to this report for your reference. In summary, the presence of the water within the landfill appears to be the remaining rainwater and dust retardant water that existed at the close-out of the landfill in 1983. Pumping of the leachate collection system began shortly after close-out of the landfill on March 7, 1983. This pumping process was performed as a final condition to the contract in order to remove the remaining rainwater that accumulated during the operational phase of the project. Pumping of the leachate collection system was completed on June 1, 1983. It is expected that the slow recovery rate of the water level in the leachate collection system indicated to the contractor that the evacuation was complete. However, based on the site evaluation and analysis performed by the Division of Solid Waste Management, it appears that approximately I to 1.5 million gallons of additional rainwater remains within the landfill. Based on the slow recovery rate previously encountered in the landfill leachate collection system, it appears that an additional evacuation and treatment system may take 1 to greater than 5 years to complete at a recovery rate of 1 to 3 GPM. This time frame may be more precisely determined after the Evacuation System is installed and in operation for several months . The following alternatives are recommended for the evacuation of the remaining groundwater form the landfill; 1. Use existing (1 V : 3H) sloped leachate collection pipe system with a special submersible pump system designed or modified to operate in the sloped pipe system to remove the water from the landfill. A sample-storage parallel tank system must be constructed in order to meet the Regulatory requirements for testing and disposal of the water 2 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 2. Design a boring through the top layer of the landfill and the PCB contaminated soils to a depth just above the upper liner and construct a vertical extraction well with a sample-storage parallel tank system to remove the water from the landfill. 3. Seek EPA approval to leave the water in landfill as long as the lower leachate collection system remains dry. Alternative #1 is the most economical and practicable alternative if evacuation of the landfill is imperative. Therefore, it is recommended that Alternative #1 be initially utilized to remove the water from the landfill. Alternative #1 will also eliminate penetration of the top liner membrane, minimizing exposure to PCB's. If alternative #3 is not a viable alternative and uncertainties about rainwater infiltration and leakage of the landfill liner systems exists after completing alternative #1 or if alternative #1 is not effective for evacuation of the landfill water, then alternative #2 should be reconsidered and initiated. Alternative #2 will include soil classification and delineation and water level data within the landfill during the well installation process. Testing of the recovered soil samples may also be performed at this time in order to evaluate the stability or half life progress of the PCB's over time. Alternatives #1 & 2 both require a minimum of 2 or 3 holding tanks and a activated carbon filter system in order to test and treat any effluent having PCB concentrations greater than 1.0 part per trillion (or detection limits 1.0 ppb) which meets the EPA drinking water standards at this time. PRELIMINARY INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS The following 2 steps are required prior to initiation of Alternatives 1 & 2; -Set-up permanent electricity on site -Establish Known USGS bench mark elevations on site 3 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I WELL INSTALLATION PROCEDURES Alternative # 2 The soil boring for the well installation should be performed with a truck or ATV mounted auger drilling rig, which utilizes continuous flight augers to advance the bore-hole. Drilling fluid should not be used in this process. Split-spoon samples should be obtained by means of the split-barrel sampling procedure in general accordance with ASTM specification D-1586 at 5 foot intervals starting at 25 feet below the landfill surface and on a continuous basis from 33.5 feet to 39.0 feet or to the termination depth below the existing landfill surface. The soil boring should extend into the N.C. DOT 2s sand filter blanket approximately nine (9) inches and should not penetrate the underlying lower clay liner more than three (3) inches. This is a critical aspect of the work. WELL CONSTRUCTION The vertical well should be placed near the bottom of the nine (9) inch sand blanket. Extreme Care should be taken during drilling and well installation not to penetrate the impermeable clay liner. A sand pack must then be placed around the well to a minimum of 12 inches above the screened section of the well. The sand pack should be graded to match the 0.010 inch screen slot. the remaining annular space around the well standpipe may be back-filled with the containerized PCB contaminated soils or an approved borrow material to a depth of approximately 6 feet below the landfill surface. The remaining 6 feet of annular space should be grouted to the 10 mil top liner. (The Warren County landfill is a licensed PCB landfill and the water within the landfill is perched on the five (5) foot clay liner and 30 mil PVC liner which is located approximately 9 feet above the existing true ground water elevation in this area. Therefore, it is recommended that the well construction procedures given in this report be used as an alternative to the State Well Construction Standards. This will minimize the costs associated with transport and incineration of the PCB contaminated Auger Cuttings). For details of well construction see the well installation diagram in the 4 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I appendix. All well construction materials should be on site at the beginning of drilling operations and well construction should be performed in a timely manner with no delays between drilling and well installation other than overnight if required. LINER REPLACEMENT After the grout hardens the topsoil and cover layer should be removed to expose approximately 6 feet square of the 10 mil PVC liner surface (approx. 2 feet deep). The liner surface should be thoroughly cleaned and dried prior to patching with a similar 10 mil liner material having an overlap of 16 inches in all directions. The liner patch should be certified by a representative of the liner supplier prior to back-filling with 1 foot of bridging material and 1 foot of topsoil. After the 10 mil liner patch is approved the bridging or cover material and topsoil may be replaced in 6 inch lifts to the top of the landfill surface. Each six (6) inch lift should be compacted with a small vibratory compactor or whacker in general accordance with ASTM D-698 standard proctor method. A flush mounted protective metal cover should then be installed at the surface and set in concrete. For details of the liner replacement and the flush mounted protective cover, see the liner repair detail and well construction diagrams included in the appendix. PCB CONTAMINATED SOIL CUTTINGS All soil cuttings should be stored in 50 gallon drums with markings in accordance with 40 CFR 761.45 for transport to an EPA approved chemical waste landfill or incineration facility or replaced as back-fill in the annular space around the well at the subject PCB landfill. Storage of PCB contaminated cuttings in covered fifty (50) gallon drums will also eliminate transport of PCB contaminated soil particles by rain and airborne dust. These containers should be on site prior to the start of drilling operations. QUALITY CONTROL A quality control (QC) professional familiar with well construction procedures and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Management laws shall be provided by the state or a consulting 5 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I .I I I I I I firm on-site during all operations to provide and assure conformance with the details of the plans and specifications. Such assurance shall be furnished to the Regional Administrator at the completion of the project with associated well construction records and affidavits for the PVC liner patch certification and the transport and disposal facilities for the PCB contaminated soil cuttings. HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS Due to the uncertainties of long term effects of human exposure to low levels of PCB's, all drilling and QC personnel present during drilling operations, are required to wear protective clothing (fYVEK coveralls, rubber gloves and rubber boots) and respirators. All work involving exposure to PCB contaminated soil must be performed in general conformance with OSHA 3021 and 1910.34 and 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1910.34. EVACUATION PROCEDURES PUMPS AND HOLDING TANKS Alternatives 1 and 2 will utilize pumping of the landfill leachate collection system to remove rainwater and dust suppression water that accumulated or was utilized during the operational phase of excavation, transport and back-filling of the landfill with the PCB contaminated soils. If alternative #1 is used the submersible pump for the project should be placed in a sand screen filter with rubber torque arresters around the screen to buffer start-up oscillation. The pump will then be lowered initially to a depth of approximately six (6) feet from the bottom (lower at 2 foot intervals to the bottom or as required) of the six (6) inch diameter PVC leachate collection pipe (3 HORIZ. to 1 VERT. slope). The landfill water will then be pumped into the primary holding tank. When the primary storage tank is full, the system must be designed to automatically switch over to the secondary tank in order to maintain 24 hour continuous pumping operations. However, a 6 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I back-up system designed to shut off all electrical power to the pump should be installed. This shutdown of the system should be initiated in the case where both tanks are full or for pumping system blockage or failure. Use (Myres) 2 inch submersible pump with variable pumping capacity of 1 to 9 gallons per minute (GPM) or an equivalent pump with similar variable pumping capacity. The pump must also be resistant to scour from sand and sediment in the ground water. The Pump may need to be submerged in sediment as the landfill is evacuated and the pump is required to be lowered to the bottom of the collection pipe and sump pit. SYSTEM START-UP A private contractor should be hired to initially set-up the most efficient pumping rate and disposal-storage sequence for the landfill water evacuation system. This work should be monitored and assisted on site by a quality control professional with the state Division of Solid Waste Management, who is familiar with the requirements of the system. This quality control professional will also be responsible for setting-up the sampling and testing of the water in the appropriate standby tank with a private laboratory on a weekly or bi-weekly basis or as often as the pumping and recovery rate will allow. Proper disposal of the water after testing should also be controlled or performed at this level. The private contractor responsible for system start-up will also be required to be on call for periodic maintenance and adjustment of the system as required. DISPOSAL SYSTEMS HOLDING TANKS Two (2) 10000 gallon water storage tanks will be utilized to store, sample and filter water pumped from the leachate collection system prior to disposal. The tank system will consist of two (2) 10000 gallon carbon steel above ground storage tanks with a minimum of two (2) bottom drain fittings (2" or larger) and 2 top fill 7 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I connections (2" or larger). A small bottom nozzle with a control valve for obtaining laboratory test samples should also be installed on each tank. The primary and secondary tanks will operate in parallel so that pumping operations may be performed on a continuous basis and testing of water in alternate tanks may be performed systematically (weekly or bi- weekly) depending on the landfill water recovery rate (3 gallons per minute max.). Carbon filter units may be utilized to remove PCB contaminants from the landfill water after extraction and testing if required. A third 10000 gallon tank may be utilized as required to store filtrate from the activated carbon filters for retesting prior to disposal. The third tank is optional based on the NPDES Permitting requirements for the pre-filter and carbon filter treatment and release process. CONTAINMENT AREA The two (2) 10000 gallon above ground storage tanks are to be installed on tank piers and saddles within a 30 ft. X 30 ft. concrete slab with rebar on 12 inch centers (If three (3) tanks are required, the concrete slab must be constructed as a 30 ft. X 45 ft. containment structure). A Four (4) feet high concrete block wall with rebar and cored with 2000 PSI concrete will be used around the perimeter of the slab with water tight caulking for containment. A six (6) foot high 9 gauge chain link fence with three (3) strand barb wire top and three (3) foot personnel gate is required for security. Six (6) cast-in-place concrete above ground tank piers for tank saddles must also be installed. Fine grading of the site, forming and placement of the base stone will be included in this phase of the work. ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER Temporary Carbon Filter Diaphragms must be available on site at the start of pumping and storage of the landfill water. The carbon filter units should be capable of filtering low level PCB contaminated water at a sufficient rate to allow the most efficient testing and disposal schedule for contaminated landfill water (10 to 50 gallons per minute). Due to the turbidity 8 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I of the landfill water during pumping, a pre-filter system should also be utilized to remove silt and sand prior to the carbon filter cycle. Filtering units must be sent to a chemical landfill or incineration facility for disposal and replaced with new systems after approx. 3 to 12 months of filtering time (100,000 to 1000,000 gallons filtering). DISPOSAL SEQUENCE Pump landfill water into primary holding tank . The primary holding tank must be designed to automatically switch over to a secondary tank in parallel with the primary tank when the primary tank is full. A schedule for testing of PCB concentration in the extracted landfill water will be predetermined and initiated. After testing the water, it will either be released to the existing on site sediment pond and natural water course, or treated by gravity flow or pumping into a sand and carbon filter system and then stored in a third carbon steel holding tank for retesting or released into the on site sediment pond and natural water course, depending on the NPDES permit requirements. If retesting is required the water will be released or refiltered depending on the final test results. An alternative to utilizing a third storage tank would be to filter a small volume of the contaminated water which may be easily contained for sampling and retesting purposes. (Most Carbon Filter Diaphragms have sample ports for testing prior to final release of filtrate.) For details see the disposal sequence flow chart in the appendix. 9 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I APPENDIX A APPENDIX B APPENDIX C APPENDIX D · APPENDIX INDEX WELL INSTALLATION DIAGRAM DISPOSAL SEQUENCE FLOW CHART WARREN COUNTY PCB WASTE DISPOSAL SITE EVALUATION COST ANALYSIS ALTERNATIVE #2 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I -WELL INSTALLATION DtAG-~AM WITH LINER RE.PAIR OE."'f"Pt \\.... - LE..G-E.ND: j+ /' xiii · °tOP.SOIL PVC. RISER~ SCREI="(: $CH. 40 SCR~N SLOT: Q,01O" "-' f.L. >< 10 rv\\L · PVC LINE..R I ' 80Trbl1 L.INE:.R \ I I ( I 1/ I ! I I I I ' I ,, I ~ ---,--· ( 'I ,, I I I ,, 1, l I & \ \I BRIOO-ING- rzz21 <=.LA"< LINE.R I I/, .' , 1 ~ 'I PcE> coNTAM\ NATE.D 50\L ' I I I I I • ( I I . I l / ( I ( I I I i I ' G-RADE-1) sN-lt> PAc-~ 1 . ' l i I i 1 i 15 PVC \sc::REEN (o.~10'' SLoTJ 1 I I ' ) I 1 / I I ,. , I I I I I 11· I I ·1 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I _ REFJbTER_ TEst I V)I I ~I I i I ----'1------0 ! I : I r-_y _ l PRIMI\R'( TANK I RELEASE.! I Tb NATURA L DRAINAGE I I . DISPosAL, ! I I I i , I I l SEQVEI\/C.E I 3R!) I I TA.NI< I OPTION I L: __ J I i i , l FLOW'. CHART·-: - I j 0 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I July 6, 1992 WARREN COUNTY PCB WASTE DISPOSAL SITE EVALUATION SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Based on a visual inspection of the PCB Landfill and a thorough review of the Plans and Specifications and the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and in consideration of the perimeter groundwater and surface water testing history and the water level history within the upper and lower leachate collection pipes, their is no reason to suspect that the top or bottom liner systems have failed to maintain the PCB contaminated soils in a secure water tight condition at this time. The water level within the landfill has fluctuated up and down from 14.17 to 12.92 feet (l '- 3"). The first and one of the last water levels noted within the upper landfill leachate collection pipe were within one tenth of a foot. These inconsistencies in the water levels noted within the landfill could be due to human limitations in the process of taking measurements or the result of thermal expansion of the landfill due to seasonal changes in temperature. Surface wetness noted around the landfill are all located within natural drainage swales as noted on the original topographic plan of the site. The steep slope and shallow 10 mil top liner of the landfill surface will increase rainwater runoff volume and velocity resulting in greater surface wetness around the base of the landfill, which is the present condition of the landfill. Groundwater testing of the existing landfill perimeter wells and surface water testing of the wet areas around the landfill have no indication of PCB contamination throughout testing history. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Landfill water or leachate has not been detected within the lower 2s sand leachate collection system throughout the history of monitoring. This 2s sand lower leachate collection system is located around the entire landfill, therefore any leachate passing through the lower liner system would be detected in the sump pit through the lower leachate collection pipe. The final (EIS) for the Warren county PCB Landfill dated 11-13-80, states under 'section D soil removal', that the first step in removal of the contaminated soil from the shoulder of the roadways was: 'the contaminated area will be thoroughly wetted down with water, if necessary, in order to control dust during the removal and disposal operations.' Therefore, if the PCB contaminated soils were saturated or partially saturated at the time of excavation and disposal, over a million gallons of pore water may have been placed within the landfill during the disposal phase as void water within the contaminated soils. A final report prepared by the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management branch, dated September 1983, on 'post-operational ' activities indicate that 5,000 gallons of water were removed and treated in the sites treatment works by June 1, 1983. Other reports on file with the division of Solid Waste Management indicate that construction was delayed while installing the 5 feet thick lower clay liner due to heavy rainfall. In summary, the presence of the water within the landfill appears to be the remaining rainwater and dust retardant water that existed at the close-out of the landfill in 1983. Pumping of the leachate collection system began shortly after close-out of the landfill on March 7, 1983. This pumping process was performed as a final condition to the contract in order to remove the remaining rainwater that accumulated during the operational phase of the project. Pumping of the leachate collection system was completed on June 1, 1983. It is expected that the slow recovery rate of the water level in the leachate collection system indicated to the contractor that the evacuation was complete. However, based on the site evaluation and analysis performed by the Division of Solid Waste Management, it appears that approximately 1 to 1.5 million gallons of additional rainwater remains within the landfill. Based on the slow recovery rate previously encountered in the landfill leachate 2 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I collection system, it appears that an additional evacuation and treatment system may take l to greater than 5 years to complete at a recovery rate of l to 3 GPM. This time frame may be more precisely determined after the Evacuation System is installed and in operation for several months . 3 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I July 6, 1992 COST ANALYSIS ALTERNATIVE #2 WARREN COUNTY PCB LANDFILL WATER EXTRACTION 1. Electrical Power 2. Site Survey 3. Drilling & Well Installation 4. Soil Cuttings -Testing & Disposal 5. Liner Repair & Certification 6. Three (3) Tank Storage System with Saddles & Primer Paint (10,000 Gallon Tanks) 7. Concrete Containment Area (2 or 3 tank system) 8. NPDES Permit 9. Quality Control Person for System Set-up & Follow-up First Year only (Division of Solid Waste Management) (26 weeks) 10. Pump 11. Wiring, Piping & Pump Installation for Automate Pumping System (Including stand-by for periodic maintenance & adjustment or pump replacement, 1 day per month, first year only) 12. Engineering, Drafting & Project Management for Pump Automate System 13. Division of Solid Waste Management personnel (under Quality Control Supervisor) Responsible for testing, Evaluation & Release of clean or treated extracted landfill water (13 to 26 weeks/yr) 14. Sand & Carbon Filter Diaphragm 15. Incidentals & Miscellaneous additional costs $ 22,600.00 $ 2,000.00 $ 4,100.00 $ 2,000.00 to 12,000.00 $ 1,500.00 $ 12,400.00 to 19,000.00 $ 12,000.00 to 16,000.00 $ 400.00 $ 26,000.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 7,000.00 to 9,000.00 $ 4,000.00 to 6,000.00 $ 8,062.00 to 16,123.00 $16,000.00 $11,906.00 to 15,172.00 I I I I TOTAL COST FOR INSTALLATION & OPERATION FIRST YEAR $ 130,968.00 to 166,895.00 I THE FOLLOWING ARE ANNUAL OR PERIODIC COST FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I -Quality Control after first year to Monitor & Control System Operations, Testing, & Disposal of extracted landfill water & Contract additional work as required (10 to 20 weeks/yr) -Subcontract Chemical Laboratory to Sample & Test Extracted Landfill Water on weekly or bi-weekly basis (PCB, PH, CONDUCTIVITY) -Division of Solid Waste Management personnel (under Quality Control Supervisor) Responsible for testing review, Evaluation & Release of clean or treated extracted landfill water (13 to 26 weeks/yr) -Additional Sand & Carbon Filter Diaphragms -Disposal of contaminated sand & Carbon Filter Diaphragm -NPDES Permit, Annual Monitoring Fee -Contractor stand-by for periodic maintenance & adjustment of automate pumping system (1 day per month) $ 10,000.00 to 20,000.00 $ 16,400.00 to 32,800.00 $ 8,062.00 to 16,123.00 $ 0.00 to 16,000.00 $ o.oo to 17,000.00 $ 300.00 to 1,125.00 $ 2000.00 -Incidentals & Miscellaneous additional costs $ 3,676.00 to 10,505,00 TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS AFTER FIRST YEAR UNTIL EVACUATION IS COMPLETE $ 40,438.00 to 115.553.00 NOTE: Portions of the work listed above may be performed by the Division of Solid Waste Management or other state Departments in order to minimize contractor costs. The coordination and implementation of the inter-departmental work should be performed in the planning stage. 2