Cooking Dirt: Reclamation facilities turn contaminated soil into clean material.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: ENVIRONMENTAL

There's no doubt that cleaning up Alaska's contaminated soil is good for the environment. But perhaps what's even more interesting is that the process, and the resulting recycled materials, lessen the effects of air and water pollution and contribute to a more pristine state.

While there are many ways in which property in Alaska can become contaminated, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the most common include home heating oil tanks; commercial and industrial operations releases including fuel handling and delivery; current and former dry cleaning businesses and other processes that use harsh chemicals; current and former military bases; contaminants spilled during transportation; and releases from underground and aboveground fuel storage tanks.

While soil that contains hazardous waste must be shipped out of state for treatment, soil that is contaminated with non-hazardous petroleum products can be treated either on-site in Alaska or at specialized treatment facilities.

"No one in Alaska is certified to treat metals or PCBs or more nefarious chemicals that can be found in soils, so those materials are shipped to the Lower 48--usually to landfills in Washington or

Oregon that can accept hazardous waste," explains Kris Shippen, environmental coordinator for Alaska Soil Recycling (ASR), a division of Anchorage Sand and Gravel that has been treating petroleum-contaminated soils since the mid-1990s. "We are responsible for everything from treating soil brought in by a homeowner who spilled diesel in his backyard to contaminated soils caused by oil and gas industry operations."

Determining What the Soil Holds

When a spill occurs on land, any amount in excess of fifty-five gallons must be reported to the DEC's Prevention, Preparedness, and Response program as soon as it is realized; spills between one gallon and fifty-five gallons must be reported within 48 hours of discovery. Those in charge of facilities or operations must also keep a written record of discharge of one to ten gallons and provide that record to the department on a monthly basis. Spills may be cleaned up immediately or transferred to the Contaminated Sites Program for further review.

Once a plan is in place, individuals and companies with petroleum-contaminated soils can transport them to approved facilities that provide thermal remediation to remove the contaminant and return the soil to a usable state.

"It's important to note that the soils...