Services Case Studies

Regenesis Remediation Services (RRS™) Successfully Completes Large-Scale Soil Treatment using RegenOx™ with Direct-Injection/Soil Mixing

Site Location:  Hollywood, CA

Problem:  Site redevelopment impeded by chlorinated solvent contamination, perchloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) in site soils.

Solution:  Treat site soils to acceptable regulatory levels using RegenOx™ – accomplish it safely, quickly and cost-effectively

Responsible Party:  Technicolor Studios

Regensis Remediation Services Customer (RRS™): Diamante

RRS Role: Provided management and technical oversight for application of the RegenOx product including application design, dosing, delivery method evaluation and selection (injection followed by soil mixing) and performance monitoring.

Outcome: Site soils were effectively treated with RegenOx at the two-acre site using both direct-push and soil mixing applications. Early in-field application results indicated that the direct-push approach for applying RegenOx was not sufficiently efficient. Soil mixing was evaluated and implemented as a more efficient method for maximizing contact between RegenOx and contaminated soils. The majority of the soil (74%) was treated and contaminant concentrations were reduced from levels ranging up to 140 ppb to less than 20 ppb with a single application. Additional applications in recalcitrant sections achieved concentration reductions to less than 20 ppb in 100% of the remaining treatment grids. Soil mixing of RegenOx was able to achieve the target cleanup goals for nearly 18,000 yd3 of soil within 30 days for an all in cost of about $34/yd3 which includes the cost of RegenOx, in-situ mixer, and support equipment. The appropriate and efficient application of RegenOx under direct supervision of Regenesis Remediation Services in-field service unit was a key element in the rapid and successful treatment of soil at the site and thus allowing the pending real estate transaction to be completed without delays.

100% Payout on a Pay-For-Performance Contract to Remediate a Hexavalent Chromium Plume using Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC®)

Site Location:  Grand Rapids, MI

Problem:  Hexavalent chromium plume over 1000 feet long emanating from an active plating facility in a surficial sand aquifer was under a school and residential neighborhood situated immediately downgradient. The plume was initially identified by yellow water in a storm sewer.

Solution:  Restore aerobic sand aquifer using HRC to reduce dissolved phase hexavalent chrome plume to a stable, immobile trivalent chromium precipitate.

Parties:  Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Earth Tech, Envirologic, and Regenesis

Regenesis Role:  Evaluate site data and design remedial strategy using HRC. Offer pay for performance contract, application oversight and technical support throughout the project life cycle.

Outcome:  Maximum contract performance goals of 90% hexavalent chromium reduction in the most contaminated well, MW-17s, were exceeded within 5 months post HRC application. At 128 days this well showed a 92% reduction with chromate reducing from 40 mg/L at the baseline to 2.96 mg/L. MW-17s hexavalent chromium concentrations continued their reduction to 1.6 ppm by day 379 post-HRC injection for a 96% drop. Hexavalent chromium concentrations showed similar reductions in the next two most contaminated wells, MW-25 and MW-24, within the first 128 days. A 99.8% reduction was observed in MW-25 with concentrations reducing from 27 mg/L to 0.064 mg/L. MW-24 showed a 100% hexavalent chrome reduction going from 1.1,g/L to below the detection limit of 0.005mg/L.

The rapid effects HRC exhibited by creating conditions to facilitate the reduction of the hexavalent chromium to its’ stable insoluble trivalent state resulted in surpassing the 13 month remediation goals in about 4 months. HRC’s extended release profile gave it the longevity to remediate ongoing infiltration of hexavalent chromium into this aquifer for greater than the 379 day monitoring period conducted under this contract. Regenesis’ technical support provided data evaluation and report writing services throughout the project.

Client Quote:

"This objective was accomplished within 128 days of completing the HRC injection, demonstrating that HRC is a viable, cost effective, remedial alternative for groundwater at this site." – from Battelle paper 2003, lead author David Wierzbicki, MDEQ, second author David Bohan, Envirologic.

URS Deploys Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC®) at USAFB in Wyoming

Site Location:   Warren AFB, WY

Problem:   Chlorinated solvents required treatment in fine-grained subsurface conditions. Regenesis Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC®) was selected by URS to accelerate the biological degradation of the chlorinated contaminants (TCE, DCE and VC). Due to the fine-grained aquifer conditions a specialized subsurface fracturing/injection approach was used to deliver the HRC material. A total of 60, 270 gallon totes of HRC were delivered to the site, however unseasonably cold weather during the shipment and application phase posed an unusual challenge for URS project engineers. This challenge revolved around how to keep the large quantities of the HRC material sufficiently heated during the injection/fracturing process. Although Regenesis provided site specific recommendations on how to best accomplish the heating process, the large quantity containers of HRC material required a more hands on approach.

Solution:   Regenesis worked with URS engineers to identify those specific materials handling problems that were causing application delays and in-efficiencies. Upon identification of those problems Regenesis engineers and scientists specified and tested the heating process and in-container mixing equipment using simulated field conditions and then on-site. The results validated equipment specifications and allowed on-site Regenesis staff to seamlessly integrate this equipment into the on-going field application program without disruption. The improvements in material handling sufficiently allowed URS to complete the application within the allotted time and budget constraints.

Also in the earlier stages of this project Regenesis provided detailed technical support to URS project engineers by collaborating with URS staff to determine optimal dosing through pilot testing. Regenesis deployed hydrologists and engineers on-site to assist with HRC fracturing operations through all phases of work. Full-scale support included materials handling and application process guidance.

Parties:   USAF, URS and Regenesis Remediation Services (RRS), FRX

RRS Role:

Pre-Installation

  • Treatability Studies – Western Research Institute On Site Application Assistance
  • Evaluation of Hydraulic/Pneumatic Fracturing Process Evaluation related to HRC
  • Evaluation of project pre-installation heating methods
  • Implementation of the specification and methods provided on homogenizing the containers of HRC material prior to installation.
    — This included scoping testing installation and performance monitoring of the pre-installation mixing equipment

Outcome:  The hydraulic fracturing at FE Warren was need to "prop" fractures with sand so that HRC or other materials could be injected again without remobilizing the expensive fracturing equipment. Bench tests prior to HRC application indicated that injection of an electron donor (i.e., HRC) into fractures would be inadequate to clean the site without injection of live cultures of remediation bacteria. Geochemistry data collected from early 2007 indicate that the HRC fractures are providing an excellent feed of HRC to the aquifer and anaerobic reducing conditions optimal for reductive dechlorination have been established. In fact, anaerobic reducing conditions created from HRC fractures are so favorable that natural bacteria are increasing and future bioagumentaiton activities likely will be scaled back from "plume wide" treatment to isolated “source” treatment only. HRC longevity is surpassing our best estimates and reducing conditions created by HRC are anticipated to extend as much as two years. This prediction is based in part from groundwater data at an HRC pilot test site at FE warren that was installed in Spring of 2005 and continues to operate.

Client Quote:   "By the way, Regenesis Technical Services really helped by coming out to the job site in not so nice weather. I know they really put in some effort to make things work for the project. It was much appreciated." Belinda Butler-Veytia, URS Project Manager

Large-Scale Chromium Treatment using MRC® Successfully Replaces Pump and Treat System at USEPA Site

Site Location:  Odessa, TX

Problem:  A pump and treat system for chromium from an industrial plating facility operated from 1990 to 2003 when pumping ceased on parts of the site. To provide final chromium treatment to achieve the 100 mg/L target of total unfiltered chromium in the absence of an active system.

Solution:   Metals Remediation Compound (MRC®) an injectable controlled release compound was chosen to immobilize dissolved chromium, including hexavalent chromium, due to its ability to provide a rapid, effective and low-cost solution.

Parties:   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Shaw Environment & Infrastructure (Shaw), and Regenesis Remediation Services (RRS™)

Regenesis Role:  Provided design and on-site management for the implementation of the initial pilot program. After success of the short pilot program, worked with all partied involved to develop a full-scale MRC treatment system to replace the pump and treat. Regenesis designed a multi-barrier treatment system including both on-site and off-site locations to treat and control the remaining chromium plume. Oversight was provided for construction of the 22-well system and training for field crews on preparing and applying the MRC material. This was accomplished in less than 4 four months before the USEPA turned the site responsibility over to the TCEQ. Review of data, reporting, and design adjustments on the MRC treatment were provided since the shut down of the pump and treat system.

Outcome:   Initial results of the use of MRC at the site showed rapid reduction of Chromium VI and significant reduction of total chromium in two off-site pilot wells within 42 days. These initial results and other data from the on-site pilot were deemed sufficient enough to begin planning for a full-scale system. Within five months of the full-scale MRC treatment system implementation the pump and treat system which was used to control a plume covering approximately 350,000 square feet was completely shut down. This resulted in a net saving of $183,000 in the first year. Due to intermittent pumping in the months following implementation of the full-scale MRC system and before the pumping wells were turned off some temporary fluctuations in chrome to non-compliance conditions were observed. During the two years since the pumping stopped some additional spot treatments using MRC have been made to bolster the program in areas where few wells were available for application due to access issues on neighboring properties. A number of wells in the monitoring system will soon be abandoned since they have been in compliance for an acceptable period. After the two years of no pumping only two wells have samples not in compliance with the 0.1 mg/L total chromium target; a downgradient well at the toe of the plume is 9 ug/L over and one well in the plant area that has been intermittently impacted by sources above the groundwater table. Final spot treatments to bring these into compliance are being worked out with Shaw and the TCEQ.

Successful Enhanced Reductive Dechlorination Project Completed in Difficult to Treat Fractured Bedrock and Dense Overburden

Site Location:   Oconee County, South Carolina

Problem:   High level trichloroethene (TCE) contamination in fractured crystalline bedrock and tight, weathered soils

Solution:   Demonstrate effectiveness of enhanced anaerobic bioremediation approach using Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC®) to reduce contaminant levels in difficult geologic setting.

Parties:   Schlumberger, Rogers & Callcott Engineers, and Regenesis

Regenesis Role:   Provided technical design, cost, and detailed product injection support oversight for the application of HRC, including: design, dosing, delivery method evaluation and selection, (injection via wells in bedrock and overburden) and performance monitoring.

Outcome:   Both the overburden and bedrock aquifers were effectively treated with HRC injected via dedicated injection wells. Anaerobic conditions were established 2 months after the HRC application and TCE concentrations decreased by 1000x in less than 6 months. TCE concentrations in bedrock were reduced quickly and remained <100 ug/L for more than 3 years. The sharp increases in DCE seen within 9 months post-injection were followed by a 99% reduction to below Federal MCLs. Total organic acids (TOA) were detected for 36 months in saprolite and for more than 50 months in bedrock. Ethene in both test areas demonstrated complete reductive dechlorination despite a continuing influx of TCE into the test areas during the pilot test.