Responsible disposal of hazardous waste is vital to health and safety. Anything that may contain potentially harmful pollutants could affect the health of people and animals, as well as the environment. If you’re planning to build on land that might be contaminated, it’s important to work with geoscientists who can sample the land to confirm it’s safe for use. Otherwise, remediation will be the necessary next step. Here’s what you should know about the process.

Hazardous Waste Remediation Strategies

1. Testing the Soil

Materials on the site must first be identified as hazardous. Geoscientists establish this by determining that the contaminant in question is a solid waste. 

Then, they’ll use tools to drill into the surface of the soil to extract a sample. The process is simple and straightforward, and can be performed without disturbing the land’s integrity since only a small hole is necessary to extract a sample. 

2. Excavating the Contaminants

The contaminated materials are removed from the soil. At this stage, the soil is either treated or disposed of in a safe manner. As new soil is transferred to the work site to replace the contaminated soil, it is thoroughly tested first before distribution. Then it’s placed on the ground.

3. Treating the Soil

An alternative is to simply leave the soil in place and treat it on site. This may be an alternative if your goal is to save time or don’t want to deal with bringing new topsoil to the work site. 

The contaminants can be flushed out with anything from oxygen to water to chemicals, or may be burned. Another option is to put a protective layer on top of the affected soil, essentially preventing the hazardous waste from circulating any further.

4. Blending the Soil

In some cases, it may be an appropriate measure to blend the affected soil with clean soil. This minimizes the intensity of contamination, yielding safer ground on which to build. Once the two materials are thoroughly blended, testing can occur to verify that the soil meets municipal standards and guidelines for acceptable levels of pollution at a work site.

If you’re interested in working with geoscientists to verify whether your work site is contaminated by hazardous waste, turn to the team at GeoTek Alaska in Anchorage. Serving the community since 2022, they offer soil and groundwater sampling services, as well as well monitoring and ultraviolet optimal screening. Visit the website for more information, or call (907) 569-5900 to speak with a representative.