RE: URS Current Field Experience with the Well Boom
This letter is response to our discussion concerning URS Corporation's (URS) experience to date with Well Boom™ and its response in the field. Please note that our field staff have installed a number of these units for both 2-inch and 4-inch monitoring wells with very positive results.
As you will recall, URS first considered using PRP WellBoom to determine if we could devise a sorbent system for use in groundwater wells impacted by floating petroleum products. It was my belief that a sorbent boom filled with PRP® for use in groundwater monitoring wells would be a useful tool in the field since floating petroleum in wells delays periodic sampling events.
One site that URS manages is in an area of karst geology where groundwater levels rise and fall significantly with rainfall. The Well Booms that we have installed at this site float in the well bore and sorb any floating petroleum that may find its way into the well while moving with water elevation. This is far superior to the other materials used previously as passive petroleum sorbent agents. Removal of the floating petroleum is necessary prior to sampling. Well Boom allows us to keep these monitoring areas clear without additional bailing or other treatment. This is true in all of the wells where we have installed these units. URS will continue to use the Well Boom since we believe this innovative use of a spill response tool saves our clients money and time in meeting our groundwater monitoring obligations.
In closing, Well Boom achieves our objectives for its deployment. Our intent is to eventually gather our field findings for publication in an environmental journal. Should there be any questions regarding this letter, please feel free to call me.
Sincerely,
Thomas Merski Senior
Environmental Scientist
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WellBoom produces immediate results
Thank you for the WellBoom unit to try on one of our problem wells. The preliminary data shows a 59% improvement of groundwater quality in a three-month period. The WellBoom is not totally discolored with a large area still white. According to your description, the WellBoom is still active and cold therefore remain in place for a while longer before becoming saturated.
I have two other problem sites, one with four-inch wells, for which I would like to order two Well oil booms. Another site has two-inch diameter wells. Do you have two inch oil booms, of which I would like to order one or provide a second four-inch boom and we will modify the unit to fit in the two inch well.
Sincerely,
Stan H. Sowl, CES
Harris Environmental, Inc.
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WellBoom versus hand bailing monitoring wells
On August 19, 2005 JLT Research, Inc. installed two 1 1/2" diameter "Well Booms" in two monitoring wells that had measurable amounts of free product, specifically gasoline. In compliance with Ohio BUSTR regulations free product recovery must be conducted once a month at a minimum. Hand bailing was chosen since the amount of free product in the wells was not substantial enough to warrant more aggressive recovery techniques, which can be quite costly. Eventually over a period of time more aggressive recovery techniques may be required if free product persists. Prior to the installation of the "Well Booms", hand bailing was conducted once a month for a period of four months. Over that period of time the amount of free product has been reduced to a point that only sheen or less that a 1/16 of an inch of free product was in the wells. Hand bailing produces mostly water with sheen. This water has to be containerized and disposed of off site. Ultimately the free product recovery process should be discontinued since very little product exists but seasonal fluctuations in groundwater levels and/or the discontinued recovery events may result in the re-emergence of measurable amounts of free product. The installation of the " Well Booms" provides a passive technique to deal with the small amount of free product or sheen that persists in the wells. Aside from periodic groundwater sampling, the need to extract fluids from the monitoring wells is eliminated. Free product absorbed in the "Well Booms" is naturally degraded. Initial results in using the "Well Booms" has shown that they are absorbing the free product quite well and starting to turn black which indicates product degradation is occurring. There will be a learning curve initially since the "Well Booms" have been in place for only 39 days as of 9-27-05. There is the hope that "Well Booms" provide a substrate for microorganisms that also degrade dissolved phase contamination. Groundwater sampling will be conducted in any event as required to fulfill BUSTR requests.
Steven J. Gunger
Environmental Scientist
JLT Research, Inc. |
