Off-site construction underway
Construction began November 3 on the Lab's first off-site groundwater cleanup system. The system will be located in the industrial park south of the Lab and the Long Island Expressway and is expected to start operating next summer. When complete, the system's seven treatment wells will remove solvents from area groundwater.
An innovative technology known as in-well air stripping will be used in this project. In-well air stripping works by mixing air with contaminated groundwater within the treatment well itself. The mixing process "strips," or removes, volatile organic compounds (solvents like carbon tetrachloride) from the water. The clean water exits the well and recirculates. The air carries the volatile organic compounds, now in gaseous form, upward within the well to the surface. The air is then sent through a carbon filter to remove the contaminants. The clean air is recycled into the well and the cycle repeats. This closed-loop system prevents any air emissions, and the contaminated water is treated within the well without ever reaching the surface.
This $3 million project is being partially funded by a $1.5 million Department of Energy Technology Deployment Initiative grant. The system is expected to operate for approximately seven to 10 years.
New staff to help with outreach
Two new employees have joined the community relations staff in the Environmental Restoration Division since the last issue of cleanupdate. They are:
- Kristin Kirk, Community Relations Coordinator (above, left)
Kristin has a background in television and film production. She will be focusing on public interactions including site tours and responses to community questions. Kristin will also assist in preparing documents relating to the BNL site cleanup.
- Christine Lafon, Community Relations Coordinator (above, right)
Christine is a recent arrival from Texas and has a background in physics and astronomy. She has also taught at Nassau Community College. Christine will be writing articles for cleanupdate as well as drafting various other documents regarding the cleanup process. She will also manage the restoration division's web page and participate in public outreach initiatives.
Latest documents
One document has been added to the BNL Administrative Record. This is the Operable Unit V Remedial Investigation/Risk Assessment Report (indexed as BNL/OU5/10.7/1-2633). This document, as well as all previous reports from BNL's Environmental Restoration Division, are available at these locations.