Dump trailer liners used in decommissioned foundry clean-up project
By Glenn Stokes
Deployment of the form fitted liner is a one or two person job.
A solution was required for an
asbestos contaminated soil
clean-up and transportation
project in Sarnia, Ontario, to
make way for a cloverleaf (on and off
ramps) for Highway 402 which was
scheduled to be constructed through
the former Holmes Foundry site.
The task was to come up with a
containment system for the contaminants
found on site to prevent them
from becoming airborne during transportation
to the landfill. The system
also had to offer a barrier, as the soil
was wetted prior to excavation in order
to minimize dust. Therefore, water
runoff was a concern plus any rain that
the liner might be exposed to up until
the point where it was backfilled and
capped. The lining system would also
remain in the landfill so it was important
that the liner had enough structural
integrity that it would remain intact
as it was deployed off of the back of
the dump trailer.
Holmes Foundry had been in existence
for some 80 years up until 1988.
During that time it saw several different
types of businesses including a
foundry and two different insulation
plants. At some point during the history
of this site it became contaminated,
amongst others, with silica quartz and
asbestos. The concern today is that by
disrupting the soil there is a possibility
of allowing the asbestos to become airborne,
causing a possible health risk.
In order for Dallas Haul Inc. to
comply with the Ontario Ministry of
the Environment regulations in transporting
asbestos from this site to a
local landfill, Dallas was required to
utilize a lining system that was capable
of attaining compliance for a
Certificate of Approval. The lining
solution came from HQN Industrial Fabrics, coincidentally, also located in
Sarnia, Ontario. The liner chosen was a
6 mil reinforced polyethylene material
with a drawstring seamed into the top
hem. The liners supplied were 38 feet
long x 96 inches wide x 144 inches
high. This size configuration fits the
box perfectly at the bottom with the
liner pushed into the corners so that
splits in the seam do not occur during
loading of the contaminated soil into
the box. The side walls are constructed
much higher than the box so that there
is space for the liner to fold over the
top of the box and be securely fastened,
with bungee cords, which keeps
the liner in place during high winds.
The lining material itself is quite
impermeable, particularly with all
seams being double folded and
stitched. It is also a particularly strong
yet inexpensive liner which is ideal for
a one-time usage product. During
deployment, the liner allows the entire
load to come away from the trailer
even during the winter months in a
frozen state. Liners reduce wash-out
costs, freezing, leaking, dust problems
and are quite effective at keeping odors
from penetrating into the steel. This
can be a major problem as odor can
effectively contaminate a box beyond
usage for other applications.
Therefore, liners and caps extend container
life while reducing maintenance
costs.
Using the liner’s integrated drawstring to encapsulate the contaminated waste.
So far during this clean-up, Dallas
Haul has used over 300 liners, with
further excavation still to come. By
using a fleet of trucks, Dallas is able to
have one truck filled while the next
truck in the queue prepares the liner
(one person job, takes 15 – 20 minutes).
Intimate contact with the contaminated
wetted soil was the responsibility
of one person, in full safety gear,
including a full respirator. This person
was charged with the job of cinching
up and tying off the drawstring, thereby
encapsulating the waste. The potential
contaminants were further protected
from the environment by washing
off the truck tires prior to leaving the
job site and a cover was pulled back
over the top of the truck. In the event
of inclement weather, HQN was on
standby with custom manufactured
raincaps and mesh covers.
As there are a wide variety of contaminants
and hazardous wastes along
with various sizes of roll off boxes, rail
cars, luggers, dumpsters and dump
trailer sizes, there are many liner and
raincap materials and sizes to choose
from which makes this system quite
versatile.
