Opal Group Inc.
Diesel Fuel Spill Remediation
Western Refining Wholesale, Inc.
Lordsburg, NM
Approximately 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel were released to the easement and soils below the paved shoulder of an active highway due to a trucking accident approximately six miles to the northwest of Lordsburg, New Mexico. The release contaminated soils to depths of up to 20 feet. Opal designed and constructed a system to remove the heavily contaminated soils from below the shoulder pavement using 23, two-foot diameter auger holes. After removing the deepest contaminated soils, each auger hole was filled with reinforced concrete to form a barrier wall enabling contaminated soils to be excavated within the easement while the highway remained active. A soldier beam was installed along the top of the caissons to further support the barrier wall and adjacent truck traffic. A total of 1,156 bank yd3 of contaminated soils were transported 53 miles one-way from the excavation location to an approved disposal facility for landfarming. The excavations were backfilled with clean compacted soils back-hauled from a site adjacent to the landfarm. The state of New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) issued a "No Further Action (NFA) required" letter to Opal's client shortly after the work was completed.
Services/Disciplines/Materials:Diesel Fuel, Landfarm, No Further Action (NFA), Petroleum
