The gutless coward bureaucrats currently in charge only know how to move the problem (around where it's not wanted, but) somewhere where they can't be held responsible, which doesn't solve ANYTHING.
The problem is air, water, and soil contamination. But soil is the key. Contaminants are volatilizing out of the soil (and the water), into the air.
If you were to use a typical (natural gas fired) asphalt plant aggregate dryer, with contaminated soil as "feedstock", you would likely drive out the vast majority of the contaminants with the water and at dryer drum temps probably incinerate 90% of the contaminants. Bump up the dryer temperature and you might get to 95%. Typically there's a baghouse particulate/dust control device, and you could add a 1200 degree afterburner section after that if necessary. So basically, excavate the soil and run it thru an asphalt plant drum dryer (but don't add the liquid asphalt). You could "treat" hundreds of tons of contaminated soil per hour.
Treat it onsite, and you could use the end product as fill. You could also build an aeration basin, cover it, and suck the air from that and use it as make up air for the dryer, which will burn up those contaminants as well.
Can anybody poke any showstopper sized holes in this??
Steve Bannon's War Room is broadcasting from East Palestine RIGHT NOW. Would be nice to get this in front of them!! I actually called their local congress critter, but it seemed like I woke the staffer from her nap...
I believe you are correct, my cousins boyfriend used to build incinerators for funeral homes, amazing the temperatures they require for cremation.
Yup, some exceed 1600 degrees!
More of a plan than anyone else has bothered to come up with.
Try Ben Bergquam he's in E. Palestine now too.
Thanks for posting this. It's the first thing even remotely hopeful I've seen about this situation.
The dry soil will need to be rehydrated to avoid creating a dust bowl. Baking the topsoil will also kill the bacteria, fungi, and seeds. Don't fight nature, work with her. https://humanurehandbook.com/downloads/H4/Ch_10_Compost_Miracles.pdf But if it was up to me I would allow you to try the asphalt dryer. Maybe dry the soil then mix with wet compost.
The dryer/drum typically HAS an integral dust control system (baghouse, most of the time). Dried material could be mixed with the fines from the baghouse and compost, if you want, to make topsoil. Or could be used as dry fill.