Gavin Grant (Toronto) and Grant Scholes (Guelph) will present at the Remediation Technologies Symposium (RemTech) 2017 at Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada on October 11-13, 2017. Gavin and Grant will represent Savron, a division of Geosyntec.

Gavin Grant's presentation is entitled "In Situ Smoldering Combustion (STAR) for the Treatment of Contaminated Soils: Challenges Encountered & Lessons Learned In Providing a New Remediation Technology to the Industry." His co-authors were David Major and Grant Scholes, Savron.

Grant Schole's presentation is entitled "STARx (Ex Situ Smouldering) for the Treatment of Contaminated Soils and Liquid Organic Wastes – From Prototype to Full Scale Application."His co-authors were Gavin P. Grant, David Major, and Cody Murray from Savron; and Gabriel P. Sabadell and Dave Thomas from Chevron.  

The Remediation Technologies Symposium 2017(RemTech 2017) is a remediation technology transfer event for environmental professionals, encompassing the latest innovations in soil and groundwater remediation. The three-day technical program will consist of more than 70 platform presentations grouped into sessions chaired by leaders in environmental remediation research and application. Additional workshops are also planned. The program will be developed from abstracts collected from across North America. In addition to a detailed technical program, RemTech 2017 will include networking sessions, keynote speakers, a welcoming reception, and a commercial exhibition area.

Some areas and case studies being covered in the presentations will include:

In Situ Treatment Methods, Ex-Situ Treatment Methods, Biological Treatment, Non-Biological Treatment, Thermal Desorption, Encapsulation, Natural Attenuation, Multi-Phase Extraction, Solar Detoxification, Electrochemical Remediation, Pre-Treatment Considerations, Phytoremediation, Environmental Management, Hydrocarbon and Salt Contamination, Stabilization and Containment, Commercial Situations, Membrane Technology, and Unique and Challenging Locations.

RemTech is hosted by the Environmental Services Association of Alberta (ESAA). Established in 1987, ESAA is one of Canada's leading business associations with over 250 member companies. Dedicated to building a strong environmental industry, ESAA is an industry association with a business approach in providing programs that lead to its members' corporate success.

Abstracts

Presentation: In Situ Smoldering Combustion (STAR) for the Treatment of Contaminated Soils: Challenges Encountered & Lessons Learned In Providing a New Remediation Technology to the Industry
Presenter: Gavin Grant, Savron
Session: Lessons Learned (Beatty)
Moderator: Eric Van Gaalen
Date: October 13, 2017
Time: 8:45 – 9:15 a.m.

STAR (in situ) is an innovative remediation technology based on the principles of smoldering combustion where the contaminants are the source of fuel. The process is self-sustaining following a short duration, low energy input 'ignition event'. The energy released from the reacting contaminants is used to propagate the combustion front through the contaminated soils, provided that a sufficient flux of air is supplied. This presentation presents background information on the technology and case studies highlighting lessons learned for successful implementation.

The first case study involved the STAR treatment of two contaminated horizons (DNAPL and LNAPL) in a fine sand unit at a former Gasworks Site in northern Michigan. Self-sustaining smoldering combustion was achieved in both the LNAPL and DNAPL zones resulting in a Radius of Influence (ROI) of approximately 8 feet with an average propagation rate of approximately one foot per day. However, air flow fluctuations during the first test lead to premature quenching of the combustion reaction, demonstrating the importance of a steady air supply on the smoldering combustion process. The second case study involved the first in-situ field application of a surrogate fuel (emulsified vegetable oil [EVO]) to support combustion of high volatility compounds including Gasoline Range Organic (GRO) and Diesel Range Organic (DRO) compounds at a former refinery in Michigan. Successful injection and combustion of EVO resulted in a more robust smoldering reaction, with an increased ROI as compared to the "standard" STAR test. The third case study involved the STAR treatment of Navy Special Fuel Oil (NSFO) within a former tank farm area in Virginia. The field test demonstrated that the smoldering reaction successfully treated contaminated soil located both above and below a discontinuous clay layer. The final case study involved the full-scale STAR treatment of a former manufacturing facility in New Jersey. Approximately 1500 surficial fill ignition points and 500 deep sand ignition points and two treatment systems (air distribution and vapor collection / treatment system) are being used to remediate an approximately 14-acre footprint of contaminated soils.

Data demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology will be presented for each site, including a discussion of technology applicability and limitations.

Presentation: STARx (Ex Situ Smouldering) for the Treatment of Contaminated Soils and Liquid Organic Wastes – From Prototype to Full Scale Application
Presenter: Grant Scholes, Savron
Session: Technology (Beatty)
Moderator: Stacy Thygesen
Date: October 12, 2017
Time: 3:10 – 3:40 p.m.

STARx systems use smouldering combustion for the treatment of contaminated soils and liquid organic wastes. The process is self- sustaining following a short duration, low energy input 'ignition event'. The energy released from the reacting contaminants is used to pre-heat and initiate combustion of contaminants in the adjacent area. A combustion front will continue to propagate through the contaminated media, provided that a sufficient ux of air is supplied. This presentation describes the modes of application for STARx, a rigorous testing program to develop the STARx soil piles, and presents a case study of a full-scale field application of STARx for hydrocarbon- impacted sludge materials at an oil and gas facility in South East Asia.

STARx can be used for the treatment of excavated contaminated soils and organic wastes such as lagoon sludges and waste oils when the waste material is mixed with a porous media to establish the conditions required for smouldering combustion. The process can be carried out in large-scale reactors or in simple engineered soil pile systems depending on the needs of the application. Reactors suit low volume (i.e., inventory control) applications where facility footprint is limited, while soil pile systems are designed for high volume STARx applications. Through a rigorous prototype development program, a modular engineered base system was developed to enable the application of STARx via soil piles. These bases, called Hottpads, are a low profile trafficable surface containing the heat and air distribution for ignition and propagation of the smouldering reaction. The Hottpad modules can be networked together to meet the throughput requirements of the given project.

The case study presents a Hottpad STARx application to treat hydrocarbon-impacted sludge at an active oil and gas facility in South East Asia. The system, consisting of a network of six Hottpads, was designed to treat approximately 3,500 m3 of sludge material. Operation of the full scale STARx system demonstrated effective and efficient scale-up of the technology and rapid sludge destruction. The results of system operation will be presented.

More Information

Learn more about RemTech 2017 at: http://www.esaa.org/remtech/.
Learn more about ESAA at: www.esaa.org
For consultation regarding STAR or STARx, contact Gavin Grant at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Grant Scholes at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Learn more about Gavin at: https://www.geosyntec.com/people/gavin-grant
Learn more about Grant at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-scholes-5a314a134/