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You can do a lot in 1 week. You could go on a diet and lose a few pounds. You could paint your house. You could maybe even learn to dance. Or you could excavate more than 4,200 cubic yards of contaminated soil from a busy auto-repair and tire store in the middle of St. George, Utah.

That’s what happened in December 2014 when BIO-WEST was contracted to clean up petroleum contamination from historical leaking underground storage tanks. BIO-WEST also oversaw the excavation and disposal of the contaminated soil on a very condensed schedule. Not only were 4,262 cubic yards of contaminated soil removed from the property, but the task was completed in just 1 week. Adjacent businesses remained open, despite excavated parking areas and restaurant drive-throughs. A mobile laboratory was use to provide almost immediate soil- and water-sample results. Specialty chemicals we used to degrade residual hydrocarbons.

The project area included the former “Wild Bill’s Service Station,” which is now a Big O tire store, and two adjoining restaurants and other businesses. While customers and employees of the restaurants and other businesses stopped now and then to observe the massive excavation, the restaurants stayed open during the remediation process and the project was finished quickly to minimize business disruptions.

BIO-WEST first completed a subsurface investigation and a Corrective Action Plan, and then assisted the client with obtaining Petroleum Storage Tank Funds for remediation efforts. BIO-WEST also assisted the client with obtaining a permit to discharge treated water into the city sewer system and operate a landfarm to treat the contaminated soil. BIO-WEST anticipates receiving a “no further action” letter in the near future from the Utah Division of Environmental Response and Remediation, which will mean that this case of petroleum-contaminated soil is closed.

Watch a video of BIO-WEST’s excavation work on this project at night here.