This book focuses on contaminated soil disposal issues
and presents a new way of viewing contaminated soils—not
as a waste but rather as a potentially recoverable resource.
In the full spirit of the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act of 1976, the author provides working environmental
professionals with a practical and unbiased handbook for reusing and recycling contaminated soils. The urgency for this
book and approach to recycling can be understood when
one realizes that in 1960, the annual amount of solid waste
produced in the United States was
~90 million tons. By
1993, the amount was 4.5 billion tons, and there is every indication that the amount projected into the future will continue to increase.
As the author noted, contaminated soil has made up a
continually increasing amount and significant volume of
this solid waste material. This situation is exacerbated by
the physical, economic, and technical limitations associated
with the recycling technologies currently available for the
remediation of contaminated soil. It is hoped that with a better understanding of the various reuse and recycling techniques as described in this book, environmental contractors
and professionals might feel more qualified and comfortable to consider and, if appropriate, recommend, some of
these less familiar reuse technologies over a more commonly used dig and haul approach for contaminated soil.
The author has written an updated source book and road
map for working professionals, highlighting the necessary
analysis and costs of the recycling process and waste laws.
The book provides a compilation of regulatory aspects, soil
reuse, and recycling technologies. Testa discusses field, laboratory, and engineering considerations while going into
important details such as sampling strategies, hazardous
waste characterization, and leachabilities.
What is refreshing in this practical book is that the case
examples for the cold-mix asphalt processes are real world
ones that most working in the field will easily recognize:
petroleum hydrocarbon–contaminated soil from a municipality maintenance facility with underground storage takes,
polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon–contaminated soil from
a former gas manufacturing site, lead-mine scale from a
former geothermal plant, lead- and zinc-contaminated soil
from a brake shoes manufacturing plant, and finally, lead- and
hydrocarbon-contaminated soil from an automobile wrecking
site. The case examples show that even small projects might
benefit from consideration of these reuse technologies.
Although there are numerous companies that perform the
field services and provide biased literature regarding their
individual recycling processes, this book is an excellent resource for those professionals who need to understand all
the nuances associated with soil disposal and recycling. The
author describes the most important and operational details
of asphaltic emulsions and cementitious products.
The book is easy to read, containing 54 charts and figures
and 58 tables. The bibliographies at the end of each of the
12 chapters suggest additional sources for more information. The selected case histories are interesting and realistic.
For the environmental professional or landowner who has to
reduce creatively transportation and disposal costs for large
or small soil stockpiles, this book provides several well-researched alternatives to consider for reuse and recycling
of contaminated soil.
(1997). Lewis Publishers, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 288 pp. Catalog no. L1188. Hardback, $64.95.
Acknowledgments and Associated Footnotes
James A. Jacobs: FAST-TEK Engineering Support Services, Point Richmond, CA
Source
http://archives.datapages.com/data/deg/1998/005003/151_deg050151.htm