This report presents cost and performance data for the application of on-site incineration at the Sikes Disposal Pits Superfund site in Crosby, Texas. A rotary kiln incinerator was operated from February 1992 through June 1994 as part of a remedial action. Contaminants of concern at the site were organic and phenolic compounds including naphthalene, chlorobenzene, creosote, toluene, xylene, halides, dichloroethane, and vinyl chloride.
The Sikes Disposal Pits site was used for the disposal of drums and bulk wastes from 1961 through 1967. During this period, an estimated 1,500 fifty-five gallon drums and an undetermined amount of bulk waste was disposed of at the site. During the remedial investigation, soil concentrations were measured as high as 58 mg/kg for naphthalene, 2.3 mg/kg for chlorobenzene, 5 mg/kg for toluene, 20 mg/kg for dichloroethane, and 1 mg/kg for vinyl chloride.
In June 1982, EPA signed a cooperative agreement with the Texas Water Commission (TWC), currently the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), to oversee response actions at the site. A Record of Decision (ROD) signed in 1986 established a destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of 99.99% for organic contaminants.
EPA and TWC conducted remedial activities including the operation of a rotary kiln incinerator to dispose of the contaminated soil. The incineration system used at Sikes Disposal Pits was comprised of a solid waste feed system; a countercurrent, controlled-air, rotary kiln; two secondary combustion chambers (SCCs); two wet gas cleaning systems (GCSs); and a treated materials handling system.
In order to prepare the feedstock, soil excavated at the site was mixed with lime if its moisture content was above a prescribed level, and drums were shredded to reduce their size to an acceptable size for the incinerator. Prepared material was fed to the incinerator by an enclosed conveyor.
Resulting ash from the incinerator was removed and quenched with water while off-gas was drawn into one of the two parallel SCCs. The SCCs were down-fired steel shells that provided further combustion of contaminants in the off-gases. The incinerator and both SCC's were fueled by natural gas.
Treated gas was then drawn into the GCS, which consisted of a quench section for cooling, and a venturi scrubber and a two-stage Hydro-Sonic® scrubber for removal of particulate matter. The GCS cooled the gas from the SCC and controlled particulate and acid gas emissions. Ash and dust collected from the incinerator and GCS were sampled and analyzed to determine whether they were in compliance with on-site land disposal requirements, at which time they were landfilled on site.
During the 28 months of operation, the incinerator processed approximately 496,000 tons of contaminated soil and debris and the on-site water treatment system treated 350 million gallons of contaminated groundwater and stormwater. Treatment performance and emissions data collected during incinerator operation indicated that all performance standards and emissions requirements were achieved.
The actual total cost for remediation using the incineration system was approximately $115,000,000. This amount consisted of approximately $20,000,000 in capital costs and $95,000,000 in operating costs.
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