ALICON ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS
The Pier
A Fortune 100 client was involved in the transfer of several parcels
of land located on the Delaware River. The manufacturing facility
had been in operation for about 70 years and had seen many changes,
not only in the products, but in the materials used.
The problem – a pier dating back to the early twentieth century
extended approximately 540 feet into the river. The historical use
of the pier had been as a receiving and storage area for coal, but
the facility boilers had been converted to fuel oil. For decades
the pier was used as a depository for an estimated 40,000 cubic
yards of construction and demolition debris from various projects
throughout the facility. This material was regulated by the state
as a “special” waste. Chemicals had been stored on the
pier and there was a 200,000 gallon fuel oil tank located on the
pier. Access was via narrow, congested city streets. The structural
condition of the wooden pier was unknown. The client was concerned
with the long term liability associated with leaving the pier in
its’ existing condition.
Several options were explored ….. leave everything in place
and fence the pier to restrict access, install a Geomembrane cap
system above the material, erect a roof above the pier, remove all
of the material and dispose in a special waste landfill, remove
the material and ship it to a construction and demolition debris
recycler …… all options presented obstacles.
The client asked Alicon to assist them in evaluating the options.
After researching the availability and cost associated with local
recycling options, disposal facilities and trucking, Alicon explored
alternative approaches. A licensed recycler with extremely favorable
pricing was located in Texas, but transportation costs associated
with trucking the special waste were prohibitive. Transportation
by rail was an option, but there was no rail siding at the facility
and the waste would have to be loaded on trucks, taken to a rail
loading facility and loaded onto railcars. This option offered some
cost savings over trucking the waste to Texas, but actually increased
the perceived liability.
The pier offered an access point for ocean-going barges. Cost/benefit
analyses of all options were performed and the use of barges, loaded
by a floating crane was chosen as the preferred alternative. This
was the first time that ocean-going barges had been used to transport
special waste.
After the waste was removed the pier was evaluated by a structural
engineer and determined to be in good condition. Restoration consisted
of providing clean stone to cover the planking of the pier. The
project was completed ahead of schedule and resulted in an estimated
cost savings of $2,000,000.
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