Site 1 LNAPL Free-Product Recovery

NAWS China Lake February 15, 2005

Michael Cornell Navy RPM

Project Location

NAWS China Lake

Site Location

Site 1 History

• Site 1 (Armitage Field Former Fuel Farm) is located approximately 3 miles north of the City of Ridgecrest.

• The area is approximately 450 by 400 ft, and is bordered by a parking lot to the north, undeveloped land to the south and east, and base facilities (Airfield and Hangars) to the west.

• The Fuel Farm was constructed in 1945, with four 50,000-gal reinforced concrete underground storage tanks (USTs).

• Two 100,000-gal USTs were installed in 1957, and a 4,000-gal steel UST for waste oil was installed in 1959.

• The tanks were used to store various fuels, including jet propellant (JP)-3, JP-4, JP-5, and aviation gasoline (avgas), until the conclusion of operations in 1997.

• Previous investigators have reported that used oil, tank condensate, excess fuel, and off-specification fuels were discharged to the ground surface or to dry wells at the fuel farm, as recently as 1982.

Site 1 Previous Activities

• Past disposal practices and potentially leaking tanks/pipes resulted in free product contamination on the groundwater table underlying Site 1.

• All of the USTs and their associated piping, transfer and fill stations, and dry wells have been removed and closed. Sampling duringexcavation activities indicated significant hydrocarbon contamination.

• A free product recovery system was operated on three extraction wells from 1986-1988.

• The Navy pilot-tested several free product recovery technologies from 1995 to 1999, with vacuum-enhanced skimming producing the best results.

• The current vacuum-enhanced skimming system was installed in 2000, and includes 11 soil vapor extraction/free product recovery wells, a soil vapor extraction system with a thermal oxidizer, an air compressor, pneumatic submersible pumps, and associated piping and storage tanks.

Former Fuel Farm

LNAPL Concentrations

BTEX Concentrations

LNAPL Removal

• SVE System - Designed to extract soil vapor in subsurface and destroy hydrocarbons by combustion at very high temperatures – SVE system consists of 250 cfm Paragon Thermal Oxidizer –

(Government owned) – 5 hp blower applies vacuum to 11 SVE wells – Thermal Oxidizer burns hydrocarbons of extracted soil vapor with

99% destruction efficiency (~ 1500 F) – System runs on electricity and natural gas

• Free Product - Xitech submersible pumps (product only) remove LNAPL free-product from same 11 SVE wells – Waste removed under hazardous waste manifests as flammable

liquid waste code D001 (Flammable) and D018 (hazardous) within 90 days

– Mobile Product Recovery System – 4,000 gal Baker tank

Extraction Wells

Site 1 Vapor Extraction System

Site 1 Free Product Recovery Wellhead

• The Site 1 extraction wells are equipped for both soil vapor extraction and free product recovery.

• The 2-inch diameter hose is connected to the SVE manifold, and applies a vacuum to the well casing.

• The smaller tubes are related to the free product recovery system, with one applying air pressure to the diaphragm pump, the second acting as an exhaust line, and the third connecting the pump discharge to the free product recovery manifold.

Magnum Spill Buster

• The pump and sensor automatically place the pumptip in the free product layer, andturn off the pump when theproduct layer reaches aminimum thickness.

• The pump is electric, and does not require a compressed airsupply.

Mobile Product Recovery System

TPH Mass Removed

• Free-product –

- 22,620 gal from July 2000 through July 2002

- 5,556 gal from April through October 2003

- 4,565 gal from November 2003 through October 2004, including 665 gal collected withthe Magnum pump from August – October, 2004

• Vapor phase –

- 95,379 lbs TPH mass removed (14,026 gal)

Site 1 Hydrocarbon Recovery

0

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-0

3

Jul-0

3

Aug-03

Sep-03

Oct-03

Nov-03

Dec-03

Jan-0

4

Feb-04

Mar-04

Apr-04

May-04

Jun-0

4

Jul-0

4

Aug-04

Sep-04

Oct-04

(April 2003 – October 2004

Mass Removed with SVE System and Free Product Recovery System at Site 1

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Mas

s R

emov

edlb

s

SVE System Vapor Phase

Free Product Recovery System Free Phase

Site 1 Free Product Recovery July-October, 2004

Free Product Removal at Site 1

0 200 400 600 800

1000 1200 1400 1600 1800

i

gallo

ns

Magnum Pump Free Product Removed

Fr t Pump Free Product Removed

Jul-04 Aug-04 Sep-04 Oct-04

Date

Thermal Oxidizer Destruction Efficiency

Challenges

• Radius of Influence key

• Recovered Fuels - Waste or Recycle • APCD Coordination • Mixed soil types affect recovery – variable silts with sands

• Mixed Plumes • LNAPL Volume estimation • Power Supply • System Maintenance/Parts failures • System Expansion • Exit Criteria

Questions ?

• Questions ??

• Contact Info ­– Email: michael.j.cornell@navy.mil – Phone: (619) 532-4208

Thank You !!