SOIL WASHING OF RADIOACTIVE SOILS - MAYWOOD SITE FUSRAP PROJECT
ART Engineering, LLC
Contaminants: Uranium, Thorium, Radium
ART was contracted to perform a demonstration project involving soil washing/soil separation treatment of radioactive soil from Maywood Interim Storage Site (MISS), New Jersey. Remedial action at the Maywood site is performed as part of the FUSRAP (Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program) managed by the US ARMY Corps of Engineers. The demonstration project was performed at the Envirocare facility in Clive, Utah and involved treatment of 1,000 tons of radioactive soil contaminated with radionuclides: Uranium, Thorium and Radium. SoilS were loaded from the MISS and shipped to the Envirocare facility.
ART mobilized the pilot plant to the Envirocare site from its Ashtabula, Ohio project site. A temporary pad was constructed to hold the plant. The plant components were prepared outside the radiologically controlled area, and then moved into the work area. The plant was then erected on the pad, utility connections were made and testing was completed. Operating plans and a sampling and analysis plan were prepared to support the work. Soil exceeding the treatment standards was pre-screened at 2” using a portable screen. Material >2” was staged for analysis as clean material, and material <2” was staged for introduction into the treatment plant.
The treatment plant for this project consisted of a feed hopper, a double-decked wet screen, sump and pump arrangements for water management, hydrocyclones, density separation, liquid/solids separation units, and dewatering equipment. The plant was operated by ART personnel with direct support from Envirocare. The project goal of a volume reduction of more than 80% based upon the physical separation of uranium, radium, and thorium was achieved. The following results were attained:
|
|
Feed Soil (pCi/g) |
Sand (pCi/g) |
Oversize (pCi/g) |
Fines Filter Cake (Residue) (pCi/g) |
Treatment Goal (pCi/g) |
|
Ra-226 |
1.5 |
0.6 |
0.5 |
4.7 |
- |
|
Th-232 |
15.1 |
4.1 |
3.6 |
49.1 |
- |
|
Total Activity |
16.7 |
4.7 |
4.1 |
53.8 |
5.0 |
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