AEL led the environmental cleanup of a 20-hectare industrial site along the St. Lawrence Seaway, a former bulk fuel storage facility which exhibited a considerable amount of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contamination, both in terms of total area contaminated and concentration of contaminants. The property was sold on the condition that the site was to be remediated to the appropriate standards. AEL was involved in the project from start to finish, carrying out the initial Phase One  and Phase Two Environmental Site Assessments, selection of a cost-effective Remediation Action Plan (RAP), and implementation of an innovative remediation plan.

Historically used for storing and transferring diesel, kerosene, and bunker C oil, the site featured eleven massive above-ground storage tanks—each holding over 1 million U.S. gallons, connected to each other and to the loading dock by a network of above-and below-ground pipes connecting the site’s northern tank farm to the loading dock at the south. Years of leaks and spills from aging infrastructure led to widespread PHC contamination in both soil and groundwater and was present as pure product in many areas.

Developing a Cost-Effective Environmental Remedial Plan

The goal of this project was to help the client remediate the site as per the sale agreement using the most cost-effective methods. With over 10 hectares impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), off-site disposal was quickly ruled out due to high costs, estimated at more than $7.5 million.

Instead, AEL proposed an on-site bioremediation strategy to treat the soil by excavating it and constructing it into long, narrow windrows called “biopiles”. Biopiles get their name from the treatment process that goes on within them, which accelerates natural biodegradation of contaminants to treat the soil. Biopiles are sprayed with a mixture of bacteria, surfactants, and enzymes that rapidly break down contaminants, thereby treating the soil and restoring it to its previous healthy state.

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