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UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK SITE CLOSURE USING ACTIVE INTERVENTION FOR SITE CLEANUP
Citation:
VENOSA, A. D., J. T. WILSON, AND S. G. HULING. UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK SITE CLOSURE USING ACTIVE INTERVENTION FOR SITE CLEANUP. Presented at 18th National Tanks Conference, Memphis, TN, March 20 - 22, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 mandate seasonal or year-round use of oxygenated compounds in gasoline in certain areas of the country. Methyl t-butyl ether (MtBE) has been the most commonly used oxygenate. However, the use of MtBE has created a significant risk to groundwater resources through its release from leaking underground storage tanks (USTs). EPA has indicated that MtBE has carcinogenic and/or tumorigenic potential. Consequently, the treatment of aquifers contaminated with MtBE has become an active research area. Ground water at most underground storage tank spills contains MTBE and benzene, and both contaminants must be effectively treated to close the sites. Many responders accept a conventional wisdom that removing MTBE from contaminated ground water is more difficult than removing benzene. The question is, how well does conventional remedial technology work for MTBE?