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Title: Estimated Particulate Emissions By Wind Erosion From the Indiana Harbor Confined Disposal Facility

Author
item Hagen, Lawrence
item SCHROEDER, PAUL - US ARMY WATERWAYS EXP STA
item THAI, LE - US ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS

Submitted to: Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2008
Publication Date: 1/3/2009
Citation: Hagen, L.J., Schroeder, P.R., Thai, L. 2009. Estimated Particulate Emissions By Wind Erosion From the Indiana Harbor Confined Disposal Facility. Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management. 13(1):20-28.

Interpretive Summary: A Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) is being designed for contaminated sediments dredged from the Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN. The sediment will be placed in two storage cells enclosed by earthern berms about 30 feet tall and cover about 88 acres. New sediment will be added to each cell in alternate years for several decades before the site is closed and capped. Using small sediment bins, we determined sediment wind erodibility in response to weather over a 22-month period. We then used the Wind Erosion Prediction System simulation model to predict both potential dust emissions and needed control measures at the CDF to keep emissions below those allowed by the facility operating permit.

Technical Abstract: A Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) is being designed for contaminated sediments dredged from the Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN. The sediment will be placed in two cells enclosed by earthern berms about 9 m tall and cover about 36 hectares. The purposes of this study were to a) determine temporal wind erodibility of the sediments, b) estimate potential particulate emissions from wind erosion during CDF operations, and c) simulate emission control measures that allow the CDF to comply with allowable emissions. A composite sample of Indiana Harbor sediment was placed in outdoor sediment bins at Manhattan, KS, and variations in sediment wind erodibility parameters were determined over a 22-month period. Upon initial drying, the surface sediment was stable with large cracks and had only low amounts of mobile particulates. In general, sediment erodibility increased with freeze/thaw cycling, but decreased during the summer. The WEPS model was used to estimate potential suspended particulate emissions from the CDF. Model inputs included both simulated and real weather data from the CDF area, along with sediment erodibility data from the sediment bins. A CDF operational scenario using two storage cells was simulated. Hydraulic placement of the sediments in the cells will result in a sand bed at the north end of the cells that need to be stabilized to prevent abrasion of the downwind area. Even with the sand bed stabilized, the simulation results showed that additional erosion control would likely be needed. Snow fences, short barriers, and stabilized strips were simulated as potential erosion controls. The results showed any of these could provide adequate reductions in emissions to meet the target emission levels.