Sediment Decontamination for
Navigational and
Environmental Remediation
and Restoration
Case Study – Passaic River, NJ
E.A. Stern (USEPA)
K.W. Jones (DOE-BNL)
W.S. Douglas (NJDOT-OMR)
H. Feng (MSU)
N.L. CLesceri (RPI-NSF)
Passaic River Symposium
Montclair State University
9 June 2004
Challenge
• Contaminants in sediment:
– Pose an ecological and human health
risk in the river and contributes to risk
harbor-wide;
– Contribute to contaminant loading in the
harbor
– Impact dredged material and port
management
– Impact future waterfront development
opportunities
Integrated Approach
Contaminated Sediment
Management
Remediation/Restoration
Multi complex contaminants
(TCDD, PAHs, Pb, Hg, Cr)
• Materials Handling
• Environmental Precision Dredging
• Capping + Reactive CAPS
• Stabilization/Solidification + (ox)
Integrated Approach
Contaminated Sediment Management
Remediation/Restoration
• CDFs/CAD Management
– Storage
 Innovative Sediment Decontamination
Technologies
 Thermal/non-thermals
 Treatment Train/Systems Approach
• In-Situ Bioremediation
– Mudflats
Remediation / Restoration
• Treatment Train Concept vs. Units
• Beneficial Use - Resource
• Multi-Media Processing
– Steady Stream of Material
• Long-Term Self-Sustaining Enterprises
– Venture Capital
Remediation / Restoration
• Cross-Program Applications
– Superfund, Brownfields, Water,
Dredged Material Management,
Contaminated Sediments
Dredged Material
Contaminated Sediments is a
Resource
• Develop Long-term Self Sustaining
Enterprises in the Environmental
Management of Contaminated
Sediments
• Environmental Manufacturing
Sediment Decontamination
(component) Fits Into a
Matrix of Dredged Material /
Contaminated Sediment
Management, Environmental
Restoration Scenarios
Coupled with Economic Drivers for ReVitalization/Development using Beneficial
Use products Derived from Dredged
Materials for Ports and Waterways
USEPA, BNL, USACE WRDA 92,96,99
NJMR Regional Sediment
Decontamination Programs
• Demonstrate decontamination of at
least 500,000 cy/yr of dredged
materials from NY/NJ harbor with the
creation of marketable Beneficial Use
End Products
– environmental manufacturing
– treatment trains
– low/competitive costs ($29 cy)
– $20 mill/$20 mill
Technologies Tested
WRDA/NJMR Decontamination
Programs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sediment Washing
Thermo-Chemical Rotary Kiln
Plasma-Arc Vitrification
Base-Catalyzed Decomposition
Thermal Desorption
Solvent Extraction
Solidification/Stabilization with Oxidation
Fluidized Bed Reactor
Full/Commercial Scale
• BioGenesis Enterprises
– Sediment washing
• Gas Technology Institute
– Thermo-chemical rotary kiln
• Jay Cashman Inc./Upcycle Aggregates
– Rotary kiln
• Harbor Resource Environmental Group, Inc
– Solidification/stabilization/oxidation
• Westinghouse/Solena Group
– Plasma-arc vitrification (co-gen)
Sediment Decontamination
Port Development Link
• Passaic River Corridor Restoration and ReVitalization (Newark, NJ)
– Decontamination with Beneficial Use
– Pollution Prevention Strategy / CARP
• Source track-down – TMDL’s
–Port of New York & New Jersey
•Environmental, Economic, Habitat
–Port Newark Marine Terminal
3-D Sediment Visualization
6 mile Lower Passaic River
Port of NY & NJ
Pt. Elizabeth
Newark Bay
Port Newark
Environmental Dredging Decontamination Integration
• “Hot” Channels (Passaic River & Gowanus
•
•
•
•
Canal)
Off channel hot spots (outfalls and
depositional areas)
Mass Removal (hot spot)
Economic Restoration (brownfields) –
beneficial use
Environmental Restoration
Comprehensive Restoration
• Beneficial use products for local
development
– Buildings, bike paths, landscaping,
roadways, greenways
• Passaic R. Waterfront Development
– Allow Public Access
• Brownfield Reclamation and Landfill
Closure
• Wetland Restoration
Gas Technology Institute
Cement-Lock
An advanced thermo-chemical process
for decontaminating dredged
materials, contaminated sediments,
soils, and sludge's:



Sediment is transformed into constructiongrade cement that meets ASTM standards
Organic contaminants are destroyed with
DREs > 99%
Heavy metals are immobilized in the cement
matrix not exceeding TCLP limits
Gas Technology Institute
Thermal-chemical rotary kiln
2004/05
• WRDA/OMR Programs since 1995
• Bench, Pilot, Full-scale (15,000 yd3 test kiln)
• IMTT Bayonne, NJ
– 400 yd3 demo – start-up Nov. 03
– Shakedown – redesign/engineer Jan. 04
– Start-up June 21st – complete demo
• Ecomelt/Construction Grade Cement
– MSU sidewalks
• July 2005 – Passaic River demo
– DRE’s, Mass balance, beneficial use
Cement Lock Demonstration Plant
Cement Lock Demo Plant
Flue Gas
Quencher
Secondary
Combustion Chamber
Ecomelt
Generator
Ecomelt
Granulator
Interior View of Kiln – 2500 degrees F – Molten Sediment
EcoMelt
Pulverized EcoMelt
Beneficial Use
Construction Grade Cement/Concrete
Cement Lock Back End
Pollution Control Equipment
Flue Gas
Quencher
Ecomelt
Hopper
Lime
Hopper
Baghouse
Activated
Carbon Adsorber
BioGenesis Enterprises
Sediment Washing Process –
2004/05
• WRDA/OMR Programs since 1995
• Bench, Pilot, Full/Commercial Scale
• Bayshore Recycling – Keasbey, NJ
– Former Carborundum Brick
– Raritan River
• Fall 2004 – 50,000 yd3 demo
– 250,000 yd3/yr system
– Manufactured soil
• July 2005 – Passaic River demo
– DRE’s, mass balance, beneficial use
BioGenesis
Pilot-scale Demonstration
Kearny, New Jersey
Sediment Treatment
Pilot Project
Venice, Italy
Autorità Portuale di Venezia
BioGenesis
Pilot-Scale Demo
Venice, Italy Port Authority
Post Centrifuged Material – BioGenesis
Pre Manufactured Soil Production
Manufactured Soil
BioGenesis Pilot Project
Beneficial Use Products and
Markets
Potential Uses of Modified Final Product

Top Soil/Potting Soil

Compost



Finish Grading Material
for Construction
Cap or cover materials
for landfills
Restoration Material
Green Roof Sediment in Vegetative Layer
Sediment Based
Products:
Polymer/Composite
Research
BASF Corporation
SUNY Stony Brook
Brookhaven National
Laboratory
USEPA Region 2/ORD
Monotech Wall Panels
Sediment in Monocrete Shell
Polymer / Sediment
Spray Coating
Sediment / Polymer
Wall Panels
Sediment / Polymer Structural
Block
Topsoil for Landscaping
Gravel from Crushed Cobbles
Topsoil for Eco
Restoration
Sediment / Polymer
Decorative Block
Sediment / Polymer
Pavers
Sediment / Polymer
Landscaping Blocks
Sediment / Polymer
Floor Tiles
Sediment / Polymer
Belgium Block Curb
Passaic River – Innovation
• Regional Sediment Decontamination
– $42 million (Federal / State Partnership)
• 1993-Present
–
–
–
–
–
Focus on Dredged Material
Treatment Train Process
Materials Handling
Siting / Facility Infrastructure
Beneficial Use
• Dredged Material
– Contaminated Sediments (chemistry-techno.)
– Dirt is Dirt
Passaic River - Innovation
• Next Logical Step – Application to Passaic
River Sediments with Technologies Piloted
under WRDA/OMR Dcon Programs
– Full/Commercial Scale Readiness
• NJDOT-OMR (Passaic)
– (1) Dredging Technology
– (2) Sediment Decontamination Treatability
– Integration with EPA WRDA Dcon Program
Passaic River - Innovation
• Conduct Treatability Studies as part of the
RI/FS Process
– EPA GLNPO ARCS Program
– Grasse River
– Lower Fox River
• ROD Issued vs. Post ROD (data)
Pre- Engineering
Construction
One Integrated Component of a ROD
Riverine - Canal Restoration
Using Integrated Technologies
• Highest Conc. of Contaminated Sediments
• TCDD, PCBs, PAHs, Hg, Cr, Pb
– depositional areas, channels, point
sources, specific sites
• Thermal Technologies:
– GTI/Cement Lock - Rotary Kiln (cement)
– JCI/Upcycle - Rotary Kiln (LWA)
– Westinghouse/Solena - Vitrification (glass-cogeneration)
• Building - Geotechnical Materials, Pedestrian
Malls, Bicycle Paths, Roadways, tiles
Riverine - Canal Restoration
• Moderate - High Concentrations
• Non-Thermal Technologies:
– BioGenesis/Montgomery Watson Harza
• (Soil/Sediment Washing)
– Harbor Resource Environmental Group, Inc.
• Dewatering/Oxidation/Stabilization
• Topsoil (multiple grades), Structural Fill for
Brownfields, Bricks, Landfill Cover
Dcon Sternism’s (#47)
• There is NO ONE WINNER in Technologies
• There is NO SILVER BULLET
– Explore from a technology integration and
multiple beneficial use perspective
– Technology Campus
• Multiple [contaminant], cross-program
• Make an informed decision that at some time,
treatment will be a component or part of a
tool box for dredged material / contaminated
sediments management strategies