Trihydro
is performing environmental remediation at a former solvent recycling facility
in Central Kentucky to address legacy contamination impacting soil and
groundwater at the site. We are also
assisting with site closure activities, including document preparation and
regulatory negotiations.
Initially,
Trihydro focused on mitigating surface water infiltration through regrading and
restoration efforts. This minimized the potential for rainwater to transport
existing contamination.
Trihydro
also designed, installed, and currently operates remediation systems to control
groundwater discharge and address deeper contamination. These systems utilize
pump-and-treat methods with extraction trenches and high-vacuum technology.
Trihydro managed the entire process, including system design, subcontractor
selection, project oversight, and safety during construction at this active
facility.
Trihydro
is transitioning the site towards more sustainable, long-term solutions. We are
operating and maintaining the current systems while evaluating and implementing
passive technologies like in-situ bioremediation (ISB) and phytoremediation.
Additionally, risk assessments were conducted to guide the overall remedial
strategy.
A
Corrective Measures Study/Corrective Measures Implementation (CMS/CMI) Report
was submitted to the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection (KYDEP) and
USEPA Region IV in 2013. This report detailed the site's remediation
activities, conceptual site model, exposure assessment, risk assessment, and
proposed corrective measures.
Following
CMS/CMI approval, Trihydro's data indicated the remediation systems were
nearing their full effectiveness. This finding was presented to KYDEP, who
agreed to allow a transition towards passive remedies like ISB,
phytoremediation, and monitored natural attenuation (MNA). These technologies
were initially presented in the CMS/CMI and further evaluated after KYDEP's
approval.
ISB
implementation began with a pilot test in 2017, followed by a full-scale
rollout in 2019, 2020, and 2022. ISB, combined with previous remedial processes, has achieved up to 99% reduction of chlorinated compounds in targeted areas. ISB operations are authorized by
USEPA Region IV under an Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit.
The
phytoremediation system involved planting hybrid poplar trees (675 in 2019 and
300 in 2020). Once established, these trees will absorb groundwater at a rate
comparable to the extraction trenches, allowing for their eventual
decommissioning.
Long-term MNA monitoring indicates that natural biodegradation is active at the site. The combined application of
ISB, phytoremediation, and MNA will provide sustainable, long-term
solutions once the current extraction systems are decommissioned.