Treatment of Y-12 plant mixed waste contaminated soils utilizing the Westinghouse soil washing process

A soil washing demonstration was successfully conducted for the US Department of Energy to demonstrate a physical segregation and chemical extraction soil washing approach for decontaminating soils from the Oak Ridge Y-12 plant. Uranium and PCBs were removed from an oil land farm material containing high levels of oil and grease. Excessive levels of uranium, mercury, and PCBs were also removed from a sewer sediment material. Physical segregation and chemical extraction techniques reduced the uranium content of both soils making them non-radioactive. In addition, both soils successfully met the PCB requirement and passed the TCLP test, showing the materials to be no longer hazardous. The sewer sediment mercury level was reduced by over 90%, but was still above the desired level. Additional washing may achieve that level. All of the oil landfarm and at least 85% of the sewer sediment are recovered as non-radioactive and non-hazardous materials