Environmental Remediation
Alternative energy sources are being used to treat low level groundwater contamination at Lake City. Solar-powered Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (NAPLs) Sipper Recovery units have been installed in Area 18, which is in the north east section of the plant.
The remediation of subsurface formations contaminated by NAPLs is a major impediment to the restoration of many hazardous waste sites. NAPLs are classified as those lighter than water (LNAPAL) or denser than water (DNAPAL) and can serve as long-term sources of contamination impacting both water and surface water.
The units installed at Lake City are designed for remote applications where electrical power is either not available or not economically feasible to provide. The 64-watt solar panel charges two 12V batteries which power the compressor (pneumatic pump) and control panel. The units use a vacuum/pressure canister pump to recover hydrocarbons through a floating filter. The pump canister is filled under vacuum. Once the fill cycle is finished the system reverses, pressurizes the canister and pushes the recovered fluid to the surface storage tank. The Solar Sippers can be programmed to collect both LNAPLs (floating product) and DNAPL (sinking product). To date the Solar Sippers have removed 150 gallons of NALAs.
