NASA Site Uses Advanced In-Situ Chemical Oxidation for Successful Subsurface Soil and Groundwater Remediation

SAN CLEMENTE, CA--(Marketwire - September 23, 2008) - E-Wire -- The National Aeronautics & Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL, has undertaken aggressive groundwater and soil remediation to treat an area of on-site petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Faced with the challenge of removing the contamination while maintaining the integrity of underground utilities, piping, and infrastructure, NASA and its consultant Tetra Tech chose RegenOx™, a proven, non-corrosive, and cost-effective in-situ chemical oxidation technology developed by Regenesis (San Clemente, CA).

The Launch Equipment Shop, part of NASA's famed Vehicle Assembly Building complex, has conducted highly specialized manufacturing, fabrication, and assembly work for the space program since the early 1960s. Leaks from a 4,000-gallon underground fuel oil tank, subsequently decommissioned and removed, led to notable contamination of soil and groundwater, including a layer of light non-aqueous phase liquid up to 15" thick, with total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbon (TRPH) levels as high as 20,000 parts per million (ppm) in soil and 42 ppm in groundwater.

The tank and 178 tons of readily accessible contaminated soil were excavated and properly disposed of early on, but other, harder-to-reach contaminated soils had to be left in place beneath and near building foundations, where essential underground utilities were located. Although Tetra Tech's engineering evaluation identified excavation as the preferred approach for remediating the remaining contamination, the cost of excavating the hard-to-reach soils was prohibitive, at over $1 million. After examining alternative remediation technologies, in-situ chemical oxidation (the application into the subsurface of highly reactive chemicals, which chemically oxidize and destroy contaminants on contact) was chosen as a more cost-effective means of site remediation. Most conventional in-situ chemical oxidation chemistries were ruled out, however, due to their corrosivity and tendency to generate intense heat and/or explosive pressures.

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Contact Information: CONTACT: Pete Salwen 917-620-5371 WEB SITE: http://www.regenesis.com http://www.salwenpr.com/regenox-nasa