Aberdeen Proving Ground has been running a pilot test in the post's Lauderick Creek area to attempt to remove tetrachloroethane from the ground by steaming it out, Rurik Loder, of APG's environmental restoration project, told members of the Bush River Community Council at their meeting in Abingdon Monday.
For the past two weeks, APG has been putting electrodes into the ground, heating up the water, volatilizing the chemical again, extracting it as steam and filtering it through activated carbon before ultimately removing it.
Tetrachloroethane was leached into the water from decontaminating agents, non-corrosive solvents and clothing impregnation/laundering operations that were done at APG, Loder said.
"We're trying to get into the clays to bubble it up," he said, explaining the pilot operation is still trying to heat up the water to the temperature necessary to turn the chemical to steam.
Lauderick Creek is a tributary of Bush River.
Loder said if the project works, it could be used for other contaminated waters of the military installation, but he also warned that could also be prohibitively expensive.
Many people are also concerned about the energy use, he said, but reassured the council the energy costs are probably less in the long term than they are for a water treatment plant.
The project will be using about 1.27 million kilowatt hours, Loder said.
"If your lights dim around here, I might be responsible for it," he joked.
Community council members said they have concerns about the safety of vaporizing a dangerous chemical, wondering if it will be safe to breathe and whether it might be better to leave it in the ground.
Loder replied the chemical is being filtered as it is steamed, and noted the federal Environmental Protection Agency's concern is the creek itself.
"We have no choice," he added.
Loder said APG is hoping to get 65 to 75 percent of the contaminants out of the water with this method.
The remaining 35 percent would remain in the ground for nature to take care of, or until new technology comes along, he said.
The contaminant would be around for about 800 years, while the filtering program might be able to reduce that to 200 or 300 years, he said.
Community council member Larry Carmichael questioned the wisdom of moving a chemical that is dormant.
"You're actually making it more volatile with that procedure," he said. "Not that I'm going to argue with the EPA and win; I understand it's federal bureaucracy."
"Is the cure worse than the disease? Is the goose worth the squeeze?" he wondered. "But there's nothing we can do about it."
Board member Randy Conlon disagreed, saying it does not appear the vaporized chemical is going to make a big impact.
"As far as taking care of the ground, it's got to be done," Conlon said. "If you don't reduce that plume through mediation, eventually all that will seep in and do cumulative damage. You can't fix the environment by continuing to let this toxic waste seep into it."
Canal Creek, J-field updates
Loder also talked about the Canal Creek study area, where APG got a technical waiver from the EPA because it was too impractical to remove the underwater plume of chemicals.
Loder also said the "J-field" area of the Edgewood part of APG has been a test case of sorts in the use of phytoremediation, which uses trees to remove chemicals.
Originally 183 hybrid poplars were planted in 1996, and 900 trees are working at J-field, he said.
In 2010, 32 of the poplars were removed because they were developing a disease called canker, and were replaced with 130 poplars of a non-canker variety, as well as 15 other trees including sycamores, swamp white oaks and bald cypress.
Cindy Smith, also with the environment restoration program, said APG is making announcements about everything on post through a Facebook page.
She also said new members are needed for the restoration advisory board, which meets regularly.
"Sometimes getting input is like pulling teeth because everyone's busy," Smith said, adding the investment made into environment restoration by APG is significant.
"We have spent over $600 million on these programs in the last 35 years," she said.
Legislation
Several pieces of proposed state legislation came up at the meeting as well, including the possibility of a 300 percent increase in boat fees.
While some were questioning the boat fee, one person, Glenn Dudderar, said some kind of fee increase could make sense.
He said more people are killed in boating than in many other activities and the fee partly goes to law enforcement.
"You have to have boots in the water to do the job. These guys don't work for free," he said. "The other part goes toward improving boating facilities, and one of the things we're asking for is a boating facility on the east side of the river."
"The state needs more money to do what most of us feel needs to be done," he said.
Council chairman John Paff also mentioned the room tax for Harford County, which is once again before the General Assembly.
He pointed out that some impoverished families that are staying in motels along Route 40 would also have to pay the tax, so he hopes it will be amended to eliminate motels.
"It's something we should be concerned with because it will affect the people in our area," he said.