This report presents cost and performance data for the application of on-site incineration at the Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services Superfund Site (Bridgeport site) in Logan Township, New Jersey. A rotary kiln incinerator operated at the Bridgeport site from December 1991 through January 1996 as part of a remedial action.
Beginning in the 1960s and continuing through 1981, an on-site lagoon was used for disposal of wastes from waste oil reprocessing operations conducted on site. Lagoon sediment was contaminated with PCBs at concentrations greater than 500 mg/kg, as well as VOCs and metals.
Because responsible parties could not be identified quickly enough to adequately address threats to human health and the environment posed by the site, EPA initiated remedial actions at the site. In 1984, EPA signed a Record of Decision (ROD) specifying on-site incineration as the selected remedy for the sludge, sediment, soil, debris, and lagoon oil at the Bridgeport site. Performance standards for the incineration included a destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of 99.9999% for PCBs and 99.99% for VOCs [2].
Remedial actions were managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) under the oversight of EPA Region II. The material to be incinerated was excavated from the lagoon, and screened and mixed before incineration. The material was then conveyed into a rotary kiln by a screw auger.
The incineration system also included a secondary combustion chamber (SCC) to provide further destruction of any VOCs and PCBs. Kiln ash was quenched in a water bath. Wastewater from the incinerator was treated in an on-site wastewater treatment system and discharged to a nearby creek.
Exhaust gas from the kiln was directed to an air pollution control system (APCS). The APCS consisted of a cyclone separator for removal of larger particulates; a waste heat recovery boiler to reduce the temperature of the SCC exit gas; a venturi quench to further cool the gas stream, start the gas absorption process, and remove some of the entrained solids; a packed tower for additional scrubbing; and an educator scrubber for removal of acid fumes. Dust removed by the cyclone separator was discharged to the kiln ash quench.
During its 50 months of operation, the incinerator processed over 172,000 tons of sediment, sludge, debris, oil, and soils. Treatment performance and emissions data collected during this remedial action indicated that all performance standards and emissions requirements were achieved.
Detailed cost information was not available for on-site incineration at the Bridgeport site. The actual cost for remediation at the site was approximately $187 million. This figure includes costs associated with treatment of lagoon water and removal of the tank farm.
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