Welcome to Pathways, your quarterly newsletter!
In this edition of our newsletter, a dual-contaminant challenge involving PFAS and hexavalent chromium at a metal plating facility showcases an innovative application of colloidal carbon formulations. We explore the use of shallow draft lift boats in tidal areas and address the technical challenges of accessing and stabilizing work platforms in fluctuating water levels with our ADT team. And finally, we heat things up in 2025 with a six-part thermal remediation webinar series where thermal experts share insider knowledge for successful treatment.
Metal platers have been identified as a known source of PFAS contamination, with projected remediation costs of over $1 billion over the next 10 years (Environmental Business Journal). To mitigate Cr+6 exposure to plating bath operators, PFAS was used in vapor suppression systems. As with many older industrial operations, PFAS and Cr+6 made their way into soils and groundwater.
Cascade was tasked with selecting chemistries and designing an injection approach for pilot testing to treat both CR+6 and PFAS. While we have treated Cr+6 by chemical reduction at numerous sites across the U.S., and have developed a colloidal carbon for PFAS sequestration, we looked at one of our other colloidal carbon formulations for chlorinated solvents. This formulation is a combination of colloidal carbon and caustic activated sodium dithionite. We call it ColloidalChem +ISCRTM and it is patent pending.
Based on these pilot test results, ColloidalChem +ISCR with base activated sodium dithionite, is a viable in situ treatment option for these dual contaminants.
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How do shallow draft lift boats enable safe and efficient underwater drilling operations in tidal areas?
Over water drilling in general presents its own unique challenges, and this is especially true in tidal zones. The rise and fall of water levels at these locations makes these project sites inaccessible without specially designed marine vessels known as shallow draft lift boats. Not only do these specialized vessels offer a stable working platform, but they are capable of operating in areas with water depths as shallow as 3 feet.
Timing is everything when working in tidal zones. To access the drill site, we strategically plan our operations around high tide, “sneaking in” when water levels are at their peak. Once on site, the lift boat deploys stabilizing legs to secure the platform above the fluctuating water, allowing our team to safely carry out boring activities. This method not only ensures the safety of our crew but also prevents any equipment from becoming inappropriately stranded when the tide recedes.
Additionally, working in these environments often involves coordination with local marine regulations and environmental protection protocols to safeguard aquatic ecosystems. Cascade’s experience in navigating these regulations, combined with our use of environmentally sensitive equipment, ensures that our operations have minimal impact on surrounding waters and marine life.
TerraTherm, a subsidiary of Cascade Environmental, stands at the forefront of thermal remediation service professionals, offering in situ thermal remediation (ISTR) options to treat a wide range of organic chemicals, including CVOC DNAPLs, BTEX, SVOCs, PCBs, PAHs, dioxins, coal tar/creosote, and even PFAS. Their thermal treatment technologies include Electric Resistance Heating (ERH), Thermal Conduction Heating (TCH), and Steam Enhanced Extraction (SEE). These versatile options allow TerraTherm to tailor its remediation strategies to the unique characteristics of each site, ensuring safety, optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.
ISTR has gained broad regulatory acceptance over the last 20 years. For example, we are currently working on 21 different thermal projects, 10 of which are at Superfund sites, where often other remedial approaches have been attempted but came up short. Thermal remediation technologies are particularly applicable to sites with high concentration source zones and where short cleanup timeframes are desirable or necessary. They also have the advantage of treating multiple chemical contaminants simultaneously and being less sensitive than other technologies to subsurface heterogeneities. They are also applicable to a wide variety of sites, with various hydrogeologic conditions, including above and below the water table, and sands, silts, clays, and fractured bedrock.
For anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the thermal remediation process, check out our six-part webinar series titled "The Nuts and Bolts of Thermal Remediation." In this 2025 webinar series, thermal remediation experts with decades of experience will share insights into the entire process, from technology selection to implementation and data reporting for project closure. This comprehensive experience provides an excellent opportunity to learn from industry leaders and stay informed about the latest thermal remediation solutions.
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