The Chemical Storage Facility’s Risk and Liability Assessment Case Study

Summary

The chemical storage facility is likely the source of the TCE and Benzene contamination in the area. The site geology can play a significant role in the movement of the contaminants and the potential risk to the surrounding environment and population (Guerin, 2022). The facility should be held liable for the contamination, and the remediation should be the facility’s responsibility. The facility is situated on a site with a high-water table, and the soils are highly permeable (Eklund et al., 2018). This means there is a high potential for the contaminants to move through the soils and groundwater. The local population likely uses shallow groundwater for drinking water, so there is a potential risk to human health. There is also a risk to the environment as the contaminants could easily block the waterways.

The most common way to remediate this contamination is to pump and treat the groundwater. This involves pumping the contaminated groundwater to the surface and running it through an air stripper to remove the TCE and a carbon adsorption system to remove the benzene (Matos et al., 2019). In situ remediation is another option, which involves injecting chemicals into the groundwater to break down the contaminants. This can be done using either chemical oxidation or bioremediation. Chemical oxidation involves injecting chemicals into the groundwater that will react with the contaminants to break them down. Bioremediation involves injecting bacteria into the groundwater that will eat the contaminants.

Both pumps, treatment, and in situ remediation effectively remediate TCE and benzene contamination. The best method will depend on the specific situation at the site. If you are the owner of the chemical storage facility, you may be liable for the contamination. If you are found to be the source of the contamination, you may be required to pay for the cleanup (Newell et al., 2020). If you are a property owner whose property is affected by the contamination, you may be able to sue the chemical storage facility for damages.

TCE and Benzene Chemical Storage Facility Remediation Action Plan

1. Pump and treat the groundwater to remove the TCE and benzene.
2. Install an air stripper to remove the TCE and benzene from the groundwater.
3. Use bioremediation to break down the TCE and benzene in the groundwater.
4. Use soil vapor extraction to remove the TCE and benzene from the soil.
5. Place a barrier around the chemical storage facility to prevent further groundwater contamination.
6. Monitor the groundwater regularly to ensure that the remediation action plan is effective.
7. Update the remediation action plan as necessary.

The chemical storage facility is likely the source of the TCE and benzene contamination of the groundwater. To remove the pollutants from the groundwater and stop further contamination, a remediation action plan should be implemented. Pumping and treating the groundwater is the most common method of remediation for TCE and benzene contamination (Sekar, et al., 2022). Groundwater is pumped from the contaminated area and treated to remove the contaminants which is then returned to the ground. Air strippers can also be used to remove TCE and benzene from groundwater (Michaels, 2019). An air stripper works by passing air through the contaminated water. The TCE and benzene are removed from the water and collected in the air stripper.

Bioremediation is another option for treating TCE and benzene contamination. In bioremediation, bacteria are used to break down the contaminants The bacteria are injected into the groundwater, breaking down the TCE and benzene into harmless products. Soil vapor extraction can remove TCE and benzene from the soil. In soil vapor extraction, a vacuum removes the contaminants from the soil (Pedersen et al., 2021). The contaminants are collected in a system and then treated. A barrier can be placed around the chemical storage facility to prevent further groundwater contamination (Hu et al., 2021). The barrier can be a physical barrier or a chemical barrier. Monitoring the groundwater regularly is important to ensure that the remediation action plan is effective (Tucker, 2021). The groundwater should be tested for TCE and benzene regularly. If contamination levels are not decreasing, the remediation action plan should be updated. The remediation action plan should be updated to ensure that the TCE and benzene contamination is removed from the groundwater.

Detailed Site Investigation of Chemical Storage Facility

The chemical storage facility in Northville is the likely source of a groundwater contamination plume. The plume consists of two chemicals, TCE and Benzene. The plume is moving in an eastward direction, and a south easterly direction (Zivar et al., 2021). The depth of the plume is unknown. A remediation action plan should be implemented in order to clean up the contaminated groundwater. The plan should include a method for monitoring the plume, as well as a plan for pump and treat and/or in situ chemical oxidation.

Pump and treat involves pumping contaminated groundwater to the surface and treating it with filters or chemicals to remove the contaminants. In situ chemical oxidation involves injecting chemicals into the groundwater to chemically break down the contaminants. Monitoring the plume is necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of the remediation action plan. Monitoring wells should be installed in order to track the movement of the plume (Tarkowski, 2019). Water samples should be taken from the wells on a regular basis and analyzed for the presence of TCE and Benzene. When the remediation action plan is successful, the concentration of these minerals in the groundwater will decrease over time and plume will eventually reach a point where it is no longer harmful.

The goal of a site investigation is to gather information that will be utilized to describe the kind and level of contamination at a particular location. A remediation strategy is created using this data to deal with the contamination. Installing additional monitoring wells to define the horizontal and vertical extent of the pollution and gathering soil and groundwater samples for examination are common components of a site assessment (Koohi and Rosen, 2020). The results of the investigation will be used to develop a remediation plan that is tailored to the specific conditions at the site. Remediation options include pump and treat in situ treatment, and excavation. The type of remediation selected will depend on several factors, including the type and concentration of contaminants, the depth of the contamination, and the hydraulic properties of the soil.

Excavation is typically only performed if the contamination is shallow and concentrated in a small area. Situ Treatment involves injecting chemicals or other amendments into the ground to treat the contamination. Pump and Treat involve pumping contaminated groundwater to the surface and treating it to remove the contaminants. The specific remediation approach selected will depend on the specific conditions at the site (Guelpa and Verda, 2019). However, all remediation plans should include a monitoring component to ensure that the remediation is effective and that the contaminants are not migrating off-site

A remediation plan can be developed based on the investigation results to address the contamination. Based on the information available, it is recommended that a site investigation be conducted in order to further characterize the nature and extent of the contamination (Lu et al., 2017). This should include installing additional monitoring wells and collecting soil and groundwater samples for analysis. The investigation results will be used to develop a remediation plan to address the contamination (Chen et al., 2021). The method of remediation chosen will depend on a number of variables, including the kind and quantity of contaminants, their depth, and the hydraulic characteristics of the soil. Remediation options include pump and treat, in situ treatment, and excavation.

Situ Treatment involves injecting chemicals or other amendments into the ground to treat the contamination. The method of remediation chosen will depend on a number of variables, including the kind and quantity of contaminants, their depth, and the hydraulic characteristics of the soil. The specific remediation approach selected will depend on the specific conditions at the site (Scott et al., 2020). However, all remediation plans should include a monitoring component to ensure that the remediation is effective and that the contaminants are not migrating off-site.

Pumping contaminated vapors out of the soil and treating them to remove the impurities constitutes soil vapor extraction. Bioremediation involves using bacteria to break down the contaminants in the groundwater. Pump and Treat is the most common remediation method for TCE and benzene contamination. It is effective at removing contaminants from the groundwater, but it can be expensive and time-consuming (Ossai et al., 2020). Soil vapor extraction is less common but can be more effective than pump and treat, especially if the contamination is shallow. Bioremediation is the least common remediation method, but it can be very effective if the right bacteria are in the groundwater. The best remediation method for a particular site depends on the specific circumstances, so a detailed site investigation is necessary to determine the best option.

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