For this large Gulf Coast refinery undergoing a $2.2 billion expansion project, CDM developed a fast-track, integrated remediation and recycling program to reuse of 12 onsite acres through natural resource recovery and conservation, long-term environmental protection, energy efficiency, and significant cost savings.
CDM's integrated regulatory and technical approach removed 8,400 cubic yards (CY) of hazardous waste from a closed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act landfill for offsite disposal. Rather than transporting material for offsite disposal, two onsite soil processing units recycled 280,000 CY of non-hazardous materials into high- quality structural fill.
Materials were processed with a prescribed ratio of Portland cement to produce specific strength characteristics and sufficient load bearing capacity to support the heavy construction. CDM was also able to use the onsite recycling units to effectively manage the large volume of soil from related refinery construction activities, recycling an additional 60,000 CY of hydrocarbon-containing soil at project completion.
Working closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), CDM developed an aggressive regulatory approach that met the refinery and TCEQ's goal of sustainability. State regulators approved the technical approach, recognizing it as a significant sustainable recycling and remediation project. It eliminated a hazardous waste landfill and associated long-term maintenance and monitoring needs, and promoted environmental stewardship by recycling soils and conserving offsite landfill space.
In addition to saving approximately $11 million over the cost of offsite recycling and more than $15 million compared to offsite disposal and the importation of backfill, the project yielded a number of other sustainable environmental and social benefits:
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Avoided the disruption of more than 38,000 truckloads
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Eliminated the impact of 4.13 million road miles of truck transport
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Conserved 830,000 gallons of diesel fuel (and prevented 9,300 tons of CO2 emissions), 340,000 CY of offsite fill soils, and 340,000 CY of non-hazardous landfill space.