Objective:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse has documented 58 federal sites with known perchlorate releases as of April 29, 2004. These sites include a combination of Air Force, Navy, Army, Department of Energy, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration sites. Of these sites, 51 are Department of Defense (DoD) sites. The office also listed 40 private sites, many of which are owned or operated by military contractors, with known releases. Groundwater contamination exists at all of these sites with perchlorate concentrations as high as 3,700 milligrams per liter. Perchlorate in vadose-zone soil exists at many of these sites and can serve as an ongoing source of groundwater contamination. Twenty of the 51 DoD sites are listed as having soil contamination. This project will demonstrate and validate that perchlorate in the vadose zone can be cost-effectively bioremediated in situ by injecting gaseous electron donors into soil.

Technology Description:

CDM has invented and developed an in situ bioremediation technology for treatment of perchlorate in vadose-zone soil (patent pending) called Gaseous Electron Donor Injection Technology (GEDIT). This technology involves injection of gaseous electron donors into the soil and subsequent anaerobic, biological reduction of perchlorate. This project will demonstrate and validate GEDIT at a site that has vadose-zone soil contaminated with perchlorate. A guidance document will be prepared following completion of the study. While GEDIT is an innovative approach to vadose-zone treatment of perchlorate involving the use of gaseous rather than liquid electron donors, the technology is based on bioventing - an existing and proven technology.

Expected Benefits:

This project will benefit DoD by demonstrating and validating a potentially cost-effective technology for the in situ remediation of perchlorate sources in vadose-zone soil. Currently, the only method available for treatment of perchlorate in vadose-zone soil is excavation followed by either ex situ bioremediation or landfill disposal. Estimated savings per site are $6.6 million over excavation/disposal and $2.6 million over excavation/ex situ bioremediation. Based on a conservative estimate of 20 sites being applicable, the estimated total savings range from $50 to $130 million. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2008)

Principal Investigator:
Dr. Patrick Evans
Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc.
P.O. Box 3885
11811 N.E. 1st Street, Suite 201
Bellevue, WA 98005
Telephone: (425) 453-8383
Fax: (425) 646-9523
E-mail: evanspj@cdm.com

DoD Liaison:
Mr. Bryan Harre
Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center
1100 23rd Avenue, Code 413
Port Hueneme, CA 93043
Telephone: (805) 982-1795
Fax: (805) 982-4304
E-mail: bryan.harre@navy.mil