AT least 261 tons of polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated soil have been treated since the resumption of the PCB treatment site’s operations on Saturday after a three-day temporary halt.
The facility was shut down on Wednesday afternoon due to typhoon Chataan.
Frank Ono, on-island representative of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said this brings to over 15,000 tons of PCB-tainted soil that have been treated since last year.
Due to additional contaminated sites, however, the original 20,000 tons of soil stockpiled continue to increase.
“We are closely monitoring the weather conditions, and we may have to shut down operations again if there’s another typhoon coming,” said Ono.
One of the two big tents at the area had also been set up again on Saturday. The tents were removed due to the strong winds forecast to hit the Marianas last week.
The Army Corps and its contractor, Environmental Chemical Corp., have also decided not to start excavations in the area beside the Tanapag main road, where additional PCB contamination had been found, until the rainwater subside.
But this, according to Ono, does not affect the operations of the indirect thermal desorption unit.
“The water is contained. But if the rains continue, that may impact the operations. However, additional measures are in place to deal with that,” Ono added.
The Army Corps and ECC shipped out of Saipan 60 bags of PCB filter cake and 10 bags of liner wastes in late June.
