Reducing Costs and Time to Site Closeout through DNAPL Removal
Daniel Briller, P.E., Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.
Abstract:
Dense, non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) are one of the greatest ongoing challenges to achieving site closeout at sites and facilities with groundwater contamination. DNAPLs such as chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and certain semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are often persistent (i.e., resistant to natural attenuation mechanisms, such as biodegradation) and thus can continue to release contaminants into the groundwater for many years. This prevents site closeout because target cleanup objectives at monitoring wells cannot be achieved, and often compels facilities to operate containment measures (e.g., barrier walls, pump-and-treat systems) for the long term, at considerable expense. Another important problem at former federal facilities is the long-term responsibility placed on the U.S. government, even after the property has been successfully transferred to private or local government control.
The overall goal of this presentation is to begin to provide site managers and decision-makers with tools to evaluate various approaches, based not only on the technologies’ qualitative potential, but also on the expected tangible time and cost savings. This information will also naturally have application to the long-term budgeting process for site remediation. The specific objectives of this presentation are to:
• Identify and provide an overview of DNAPL removal technologies with the potential to provide significant reduction in time and cost to closeout
• Develop and test a preliminary strategy for objectively assessing these technologies and comparing the relative time reduction and cost reduction benefits, using available case history information and life cycle costing techniques
• Identify and understand the effects of present uncertainties (e.g., the fact that many sites using these technologies are either in the pilot testing stage or early in the full-scale implementation phase, and few have proceeded completely through closeout)
• Suggest how the above uncertainties might be addressed, using sensitivity analysis or similar techniques.
Bio:
Dan Briller is an Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton and has over 16 years of experience in the environmental engineering field. He is presently Booz Allen’s Regional Project Manager for the EPA’s RCRA Enforcement, Permitting, and Assistance (REPA) contract in Region 5. In this role, he advises EPA Region 5 corrective action managers on numerous site investigations and corrective measures under the RCRA program, including remediation of dense, non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). Dan holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University, a Master’s in Energy Resources from the University of Pittsburgh, and is a registered professional engineer in Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin.