Estimating air emissions from a remediation of a petroleum sump using direct measurement and modeling

A technical approach was developed for the remediation of a petroleum sump near a residential neighborhood. The approach evolved around sludge handling/in-situ solidification and on-site disposal. As part of the development of the engineering approach, a field investigation and modeling program was conducted to predict air emissions from the proposed remediation. Field measurements using the EPA recommended surface isolation flux chamber were conducted to represent each major activity or air exposure involving waste at the site. Air emissions from freshly disturbed petroleum waste, along with engineering estimates were used to predict emissions from each phase of the engineering approach. This paper presents the remedial approach and the measurement/modeling technologies used to predict air toxic emissions from the remediation. Emphasis will be placed on the measurement approaches used in obtaining the emission rate data and the assumptions used in the modeling to estimate emissions from engineering scenarios