In June of 2018, a train carrying a string of oil cars derailed piling up a number of oil tankers. Worse, the accident resulted in 230,000 gallons of crude oil being dumped into the surrounding soil. Cleaning up that soil is a critically important task. If the crude that soaked into the ground is allowed to remain it will represent a toxic environmental hazard for years to come.
Nothing can grow in oil-soaked soil. Also, people and animals that come into contact with it can suffer serious health consequences.
That’s where specialists who work in so-called “dirty dirt removal” become an invaluable resource. Such a company is called an environmental remediation service. In the Iowa case, a remediation service provider in Des Moines was called in to handle a huge volume of soil that had become compromised with oil.
Specialists who work in this field have several options for dealing with contaminated soil. Keep in mind that there are many possible sources of contamination. Substances like herbicides and pesticides may be the source while other areas can be infused with toxic amounts of lead or even radiation. Each situation will be handled accordingly.
In the case of an oil spill, an environmental remediation provider may opt for a chemical solution. This involves applying certain types of polymer powders that will absorb, emulsify and then bind spilled petroleum materials. It renders it into a white powder. This powder then becomes solid, stable and inert, or nontoxic. The process is called “microencapsulation.” It means that molecules of oil are basically surrounded by inert substances that “wall off” contaminated oil from the rest of the environment.
Another option is to hire a demolition company that specializes in the removal of toxic substances. In this case, heavy equipment operators will scoop up the soil and haul it to a landfill site designated for toxic substances.
Contact Iowa Demolition for more information!
