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Acid Tar Lagoon Remediation

DEC solidification plant

Ertvelde Belgium

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At the Environment & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee on the 25 June 2008, following the Environment Agency presentation on the Part IIA investigation of the acid tar lagoon at Llwyneinion -

Members requested information from officers on progress regarding remediation options for this type of site

Background

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E&RSC 25 June 2008

It was reported that research had already commenced to find out

how similar investigations in other countries were undertaken. Meetings with companies who had previously expressed an interest in remediating the site were due to take place and a number of companies had stated that they had cost effective technology to deal with acid tar

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During 2008 Officers met with 3 local companies none of which were able to propose realistic solutions

In December 2008 Officers met with Guy Pomphrey of DEC who gave a presentation of his companies work on a site in Ertvelde, Brussels. This remediation project was featured in a CL:AIRE bulletin on acid tar lagoons dated January 2008

Background

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DEC Environmental contractors are part of DEME who have international expertise in dredging and land reclamation, civil and marine engineering, project development and environmental protection activities

Officers and members were invited to visit the site during the final stages of remediation in advance of landfill capping operations 2009

DEME - DEC

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Aims and Objectives of Site Visit

To Evaluate:

• Scale, feasibility and cost of the process operations

• Health and safety management of the clean up operation

• Impact of on-site operations

- odour, noise, air quality

• Operators compliance history with the Environmental regulator

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Itinerary Visit to Tar Lagoon, Brussels 8 January 2009

• 10.20 Manchester AP for Flight 2174 Brussels

• 12.40 Arrive in Brussels to be met by representatives DEC

• 1300 Visit Tar lagoon site, Ertvelde, Reime

• 1600 Visit Environmental Regulator

• 18.30 Brussels Airport

• 20.40 Flight 2183 Manchester Airport

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Overview of site prior to remediation

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Overview of the site during remediation

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Arrival at DEC site offices

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Processing plant to right of photo

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Entering processing plant

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Final landform being compacted prior to capping

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Processing plant viewed from landfill

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Evaluation of the on site impact

• Location

• Noise

• Odour

• Boundary Permit controls and monitoring

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The next steps

• Further investigation and evaluation of the feasibility of the DEC process including cost benefit analysis

• Evaluation of two other acid tar remediation processes

• Progress Report to E&RSC May 2009