What methods are used for petroleum contaminated soil recycling?
Remediation teams recycle non-hazardous petroleum contaminated soil in several ways. This includes fuel oil soil, gasoline soil, and contaminated historic fill.

Common recycling methods include:

• Asphalt batching

• Thermal desorption

• Soil blending

• Bioremediation

Recycling often lowers Transportation and Disposal (T&D) costs. However, beneficial reuse can cost even less. Use reuse only when contaminant levels meet the facility’s acceptance limits.

See our Contaminated Soil Disposal page for more details.

Contaminated soil remediation costs can often be minimized by utilizing offsite Transportation & Disposal. The disposal options for non-hazardous contaminated soils include the following methods, listed by order of most costly to least costly: Sub-title D Landfill Disposal, Reuse as Landfill Cover, Soil Recycling, and Beneficial Re-use.

The disposal options for RCRA Hazardous contaminated soils include: Sub-title C Landfill Disposal, Incineration, Pozzalonic Treatment, Chemical Oxidation, and Bioremediation. Costs for each category will vary depending upon the contaminant type and concentration levels.

Soils are classified as RCRA Hazardous if they have been directly impacted by a listed hazardous waste, or if they exhibit one or more of the following characteristics: ignitability (flash point), corrosivity (pH)
, reactivity (cyanide/sulfide), or toxicity (TCLP).

Fuel oil contaminated soil and other petroleum contaminated soil categories are typically classified as non-hazardous, since they rarely exceed the TCLP limits, and typically do not contain listed hazardous compounds.

During the past three decades, the southern New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania corridor has become a mecca for contaminated soil related activities, where well established industry standards have evolved to include a number of non-hazardous soil disposal
categories including: Reuse as New Jersey Residential, Reuse as New Jersey Non-Residential, Reuse as New York Part 375, Reuse as Pennsylvania Clean Fill, Reuse as Pennsylvania Regulated Fill, Reuse as Landfill Cover, Recycling as ID-27, and Sub-Title D Landfill Disposal of Residual Waste.

Contaminated soil remediation costs can vary widely, and as such it is the role of the remediation company to navigate the maze of available disposal facility options, with the goal of identifying the compliant T&D options that are most cost effective, given the specifics of any project.

This requires expertise in interpreting analytical data, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the varying acceptance criteria that apply at disposal facilities located within closest proximity to the job site.

This process begins with determining soil waste classification and subsequent targeting of best-case disposal options, based upon evaluating a set of project-specific factors that include: site location, contaminants detected, contaminant concentrations, volume, geotechnical characteristics, site history, debris, gradation size, odor, and moisture content.

When managing contaminated soil disposal, the dual mission is to ensure regulatory compliance, along with achieving cost minimization – in which there exists one singular best-available comprehensive solution that can be identified for any given project.

Historic fill defined as non-indigenous material that includes soil, construction & demolition (C&D) debris, dredge spoils, incinerator residue, fly ash, or non-hazardous solid waste. This category of material disposal is prevalent throughout the northeastern United States, and may often be suitable for soil recycling or low cost reuse when meeting the acceptance criteria at the facilities.

Environmental remediation at commercial properties may be required when soil or historic fill is contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH/EPH), Toxic Metals, PCB’s, Solvents, Herbicides, Pesticides, Coal Tar, Industrial Chemicals, Asbestos, Ash and Debris.

Soil remediation companies will routinely conduct onsite soil sampling services and subsequent interpretation of the analytical data to determine the best case disposal options given the specifics of each project.

In general, the greater the tonnage of contaminated soil or historic fill at a commercial or industrial property, the higher the likelihood that more than one category of soil classification will be identified. This may necessitate the need for the remediation contractor to target more than one disposal facility option in order to minimize soil transportation & disposal (T&D) costs.

Yes, especially in cases where larger volumes of contaminated soil are present, onsite treatment may be a cost effective alternative to offsite trucking & disposal. The most prevalent onsite treatment categories include, thermal oxidation of solvent contaminated soils, pozzolanic treatment of metals contaminated soils, proprietary reagent treatment of metals contaminated soils, and bioremediation of VOC contaminated soils.

Onsite soil treatment may also be a cost effective option for petroleum contaminated soils, as well as soils containing PCB’s at high concentrations.

The sequence of events for contaminated soil management begins with, 1) sampling and analysis for waste classification to satisfy a set of specific testing requirements; 2) evaluation of the soil waste classification data and other site specific conditions to determine best case disposal facility selection; 3) completion of the profile documents specific to the targeted disposal facility or facilities; 4) obtaining facility approval(s); 5) generating truck manifests for the project; 6) scheduling of the load out; 7) upon completion, the soil remediation companies will forward copies of fully executed truck manifests and weight tickets to the client.

Lead contaminated soil can trigger RCRA hazardous waste rules. TCLP lead results control the outcome.

When lead triggers hazardous waste (D008):
TCLP lead at 5.0 mg/L or higher triggers the D008 waste code.

When soil may remain non-hazardous:
TCLP lead below 5.0 mg/L may qualify as non-hazardous.
Check for other underlying hazardous constituents. Those can change the classification.

See our Contaminated Soil Disposal page for more details.

Solvent contaminated soil can be hazardous under EPA’s RCRA rules. The classification depends on the release history and the lab results.

Listed hazardous (RCRA):
Use a listed hazardous classification when you have a known or documented release. Common sources include a leaking tank, leaking drums, or a confirmed surface spill. Totals (dry weight) testing must detect a listed hazardous compound at any concentration.

Characteristic hazardous (RCRA):
When the release source is unknown, TCLP results can still trigger hazardous classification. If the soil fails TCLP, it meets the criteria for characteristic hazardous waste.

Combination waste codes:
Some soils meet both rules. In that case, the soil can carry two waste codes. One example is F002/D039.

Dry cleaner sites can impact soil with PCE. People also call it perc or tetrachloroethylene.

Listed hazardous (RCRA):
You have a documented PCE release.
Totals (dry weight) testing finds PCE at any level.
When both happen, use the listed hazardous code.

Characteristic hazardous (RCRA):
TCLP (leachate) testing finds PCE at 0.7 mg/L or higher.
When that happens, use the characteristic hazardous code.

Combination waste codes:
Some soil meets both rules.
Then the soil can carry two codes.
One example is F002/D039.

Non-hazardous:
You have no known PCE release or spill.
TCLP-PCE stays below 0.7 mg/L.
When both happen, the soil may qualify as non-hazardous.

Pesticide-contaminated soil can trigger RCRA hazardous classification. The lab results determine the category.

• Listed hazardous: A Totals (dry weight) test finds a listed pesticide at any level. Examples include chlordane, heptachlor, lindane, methoxychlor, and toxaphene.
• Characteristic hazardous: A TCLP test finds a pesticide at or above its RCRA limit.
• Combination waste codes: Some soils meet both rules. In that case, the soil can carry two codes. One example is U036/D039.

Non-hazardous: Soil may qualify as non-hazardous when you have no known release or spill source. Normal pesticide application does not count as a spill. TCLP PCE must also stay below 0.7 mg/L.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that include PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and others. PFAS have been used in many consumer products, including nonstick cookware, food packaging (like pizza boxes), and stain-resistant treatments. Some PFAS can build up in the human body and persist for long periods. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes there is evidence that PFAS exposure may cause adverse health effects.

Regulatory agencies are expected to issue additional guidelines for PFAS-contaminated soil remediation in the near future.