Plutovia Hazardous Sites Clean-up Project (case study)

Agi Kiss, World Bank Safeguards Policies Workshop, Chisinau, October 2008

Project Objectives

• Reduce health risks of exposure to hazardous materials among local population

• Protect groundwater from further contamination

• Reclaim land for redevelopment

Location and Site CharacteristicsProject location: a large oil field (5000 ha) on a coastal river delta. Oil field active for 50 years, now in decline

Location and Site Characteristics (cont.)

Most oil wells have ceased to operate but all infrastructure and equipment remain in place (above and below ground).

Pools of water and soil contaminated with hydrocarbons and by-products including Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)

Some areas highly contaminated, some moderate to low level

No natural vegetation or wildife

Location and Site Characteristics (cont)

• Surface water from oil field drains into a collector which goes from nearby industrial area to Seaside Waste Water Treatment Plant (primary treatment)

• SWWT plant was built in 1970, operates at about 30% capacity with regular break-downs

• Effluent from SWWT plant empties into the Great Blue Sea

Location and site characteristics (cont.)

Scattered villages have grown on less contaminated areas over past 20 years (illegal occupants)

Location and Site Characteristics (cont.)Site includes remains of a defunct plant for extracting iodine from oil

production water by passing it through charcoal.

Plant site (3 ha) is partially covered with charcoal heaps containing low-level radiation (Radium-Bearing Long-Lived Low-Level Waste – LLW-LW)* ,heavy metals; mixed with bricks and other debris

Asbestos and polyethelyne water pipes coated with radioactive scale & silt

Remaining plant infrastructure and grounds are also contaminated

* Also characterized as Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM)

An large artificial lake for storage of produced water prior to iodine extraction; numerous pools of oil and radiation-contaminated water scattered across the area.

Location and Site Characteristics (cont.)

Ground water depth = 0.3 – 3 meters. Radioactive charcoal/debris and heavy metals found in soil at groundwater level

Location and Site Characteristics (cont.)

Location and Site Characteristics (cont.)50 squatter families have occupied site for several years, living in

illegally constructed shacks, scavenging building materials and charcoal for heating/cooking

About 200 “Waste Pickers” from surrounding villages obtain extra incomeby collecting and selling charcoal and building materials from the site

Project ComponentsA. Construct dedicated TENORM waste disposal facility

C. Pilot bio-remediation of low-intensity oil-contaminated land (two 50 ha sites to be identified)

D. National level mapping and remediation program for NORM sites

• Identification and characterization of contaminated sites• Remediation of highest priority sites identified ($ 10 mill earmarked)

B. Iodine plant site clean-up and remediation

E. Project Management & Capacity Building

Case study will focus on

A, B and C

Component A Activities (TENORM disposal facility)

• Detailed site investigations & facility design• Excavation and construction of reinforced subsurface

concrete shelter (100,000 m 3 –sufficient for all materials from iodine plant site + spare capacity + options for expansion)

• Cover shelter with soil • Construction of service facilities (toilet, electricity, etc.)• Construction of steel net fence and gate• Construction of road (4 m wide, 700 m long) from

highway to facility entrance • Develop/implement environmental monitoring plan

•New facility will be located adjacent to existing High Level Radioactive Waste disposal facility, built to EU & IAEA standards.

•Existing HLRW facility is operated by Plutovia Radium Corporation, under contract to Ministry of Industry and Energy, under oversight by Ministry of Environment in collaboration with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

•New facility will be operated by same company under same arrangement

Component B Activities (Iodine plant site cleanup)

• Prepare/implement Temporary Safety Plan to minimize further public exposure to hazardous materials (fencing, supervision etc.)

• Detailed site investigations• Construction of containment wall for artificial lake

(prevent future seepage and recontamination of site)• Demolition of buildings and pipelines• Removal and disposal of contaminated debris, soil and

sediment • Washing of oil-contaminated soil (non-radioactive)• Drain surface pools (not the artificial lake), channeling

water to industrial collector • Inspect and certify site for residential/commercial re-

development

Component B: soil-washing subcomponent

Oil-contaminated soil is: – dug out, – mixed with water

to form a slurry– washed using

detergents– left to settle (oily

water siphoned off)

– Returned to original location

Component C activities (Bioremediation of oil-contaminated land)

• Identify two 50 hectare sites with moderate to low level oil contamination, no radioactivity or other hazardous elements

• Treatment 1: application of commercially available (imported) engineered micro-organisms designed to consume petroleum products

• Treatment 2: planting of selected (oil tolerant) native grasses and shrubs; watering and fertilization to encourage rapid growth

Institutional Responsibilities

• Overall Project Implementation: Department of Environment in Ministry of Energy and Industry (DE-MEI)

• Component A Implementation (construction and operation of LLW-LL disposal facility): contracted by MEI to Plutovia Radium Corporation (hazardous waste management specialists; built and operate existing high level radioactive waste disposal facility)

• Component B Implementation (clean-up of iodine plant site and transport of materials to disposal facilities): Contracted by DE-MEI to specialist engineering firm through international competitive bidding

• Environmental monitoring and regulation: Ministry of Environment (MoE)

• Public health monitoring, operational health and safety: Ministry of Health (MoH)

• Land Development: Seaside Municipality

Safeguard Policies Triggered:

OP 4.01 (EIA) – Category A OP 4.12 (Involuntary Resettlement) (why?)OP 7.50 (International Waters) (why?)

Environment Social

Component A (TENORM disposal facility)

Component B (Iodine plant site cleanup)

EIA & EMP RAP

Component C (Pilot bio-remediation of oil-contaminated land)

Component D: (National NORM sites mapping)

Env. Mgmt. Framework RPF

“Due Diligence” Documents

From EIA and EMF: Potential Environmental Impacts of the Project –

Construction/Remediation Stage

• Air pollution from construction vehicles: CO, NOx, SO2, CO2, particulates

• Air pollution/dust from excavation, transport of construction materials to site, transport of waste materials to disposal facility, deposition of waste into disposal facility

• Noise from construction equipment

• Soil/water pollution and fire hazard from vehicle filling, washing, fuel storage

• Accidental spillage of radioactive materials

• Collapse or erosion of excavation walls

• Disposal of overburden (excavated material)

• Worker health and safety (construction accidents, exposure to radiation, other)

• “Escape” and/or mutation of engineered micro-organisms

• Nutrient run-off from excessive fertilizer use

From EIA: Potential Environmental Impacts of the Project – Operational

Stage• TENORM facility

– Leaching of radioactive and other wastes to groundwater– Upward percolation of radioactive and chemical contaminants– Air contamination through inadequate disposal of radioactive material– Incompletely cleaned water channeled to industrial collector/ sea outfall– Explosion from damage to subsurface oil & gas infrastructure– Accidental spills during transport or disposal of hazardous materials– Explosion/fire at disposal facility or offices

• Remediated sites– Residual radioactive, oil or other contamination in soil or water– Soil erosion from wind– Physical hazards and wastes from uncontrolled development

(residential, business)

Group Task: Prepare Environmental Management Plan

• Focus on potential impacts of project activities (not general site hazards)

• For any component or all components

• Mitigation actions should be specific and monitorable

• Get as far as you can (not expected to complete whole EMP)

Environmental Management Plan