b'FUELINGSTL 67to make sure they were not leaking any contents during theirA hazardous materials survey of the old operations building removal, Beckmann emphasizes. also was required before demolition. Because it was constructed The location of the old fuel farm also presented severalin the 1950s when building materials with lead paint coatings challenges. It was only 200 yards away from Terminal 1 andor asbestos were sometimes used, various materials required adjacent to the airports main entrance road and Parking Lot A.testing before the operations building was torn down. Several In addition, the 49 tanks were crammed together on only threesamples collected prior to demolition confirmed that there was acres. no asbestos-containing material in the building that required special disposal. However, some sections of the underground Construction vehicles had to use the same main accesspiping did contain asbestos. Those pipes were segregated and road into the airport as passenger vehicles, shuttle vans andtrucked to an off-site landfill for disposal.other traffic. And there was not a convenient staging area for construction equipment.As tanks and pipes were removed, a multifaceted process was used to test the soil surrounding those particular tanks. Kurt Janisch, a project manager withTesting was performed in four separate excavation areas Burns & McDonnells Aviation and Federalbecause the tanks were placed at various depths and distances Group, details the complex process used tofrom each other. Burns & McDonnell personnel also tested the remove the tanks safely: The first step wassoil surrounding the pipes that connected the tanks, to assess disconnecting the pump system from thewhether fuel had leaked in these areas or migrated through hydrant system, to separate each tank. Thethese preferential pathways in the subsurface.operator initially extracted as much usable fuel as possible from each tank, and sent itKURT JANISCH A Burns & McDonnell geologist used a photoionization via the hydrant system transfer lines to thedetector to check for initial indications of volatile organic new storage facility. Once there, the fuel was pumped throughcompounds in the soil as excavations advanced. If readings filters into one of the main storage tanks in the new fuel station.did not fall within a predetermined threshold, an additional field Several inches of fuel, which likely contained the most sediment,screening step was employed.were left on purpose in each of the old tanks. This remaining fuelThe on-site geologist then used field kits to screen for was removed and transported by truck to a recycling company.residual petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil. Soil was added At that plant, it was converted from aviation fuel into diesel fuelwith reagents and water in special jars, and then shaken. or heating oil. The whole process for each tank took a couple If the mixture changed color, indicating levels of petroleum of weeks. hydrocarbons above a certain level, more soil from that area After all of the fuel was removed, another subcontractorhad to be removed. These screening steps were critical to used a very powerful power washer to clean the inside of eachefficiently directing excavation activities in real time, while tank and extract the remaining water/fuel/sediment liquid. Thatreducing potential costly, wasteful or duplicative laboratory material also was trucked off the property for disposal. analyses. Once emptied, the tanks were then pulled out, cut up on-siteIt was particularly important to mark sections where soil and trucked away for recycling. Any other metal material, suchsamples were collected. Once the geologist collected a sample, as piping and pumps, also went to an off-site recycling plant.he recorded GPS coordinates for that location, placed a flag in the ground to mark it, and took photos to further document his Environmental Safeguards observations. A detailed work plan about environmentalMembers of the testing team used a mobile application precautions was sent to the Missouricalled ArcGIS Collector, developed by ESRI, to remotely log Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)samples and photos. If needed, the geologist could access a before any work began. This documentdashboard with symbols that showed where each sample was covered remediation aspects of thetaken, with links to corresponding field and/or laboratory data.proposed construction and decommissioningAfter testing was complete in each section, contaminated soil activities, and also contemplated possiblewas trucked out of the airport to a disposal site. Soil that tested unexpected issues that might develop,BENJAMIN CLEMENT as satisfactory was used as backfill. states Benjamin Clement, associate geologist with Burns & McDonnell. Soil from two borrow sitesone owned by the airportalso were tested. Once soil was deemed clean, it was used as Because the document was prepared during COVID, thebackfill as well.project team held virtual meetings with personnel from STL Fuel, the airport and the state DNR. With all the back-and-forthJanisch notes that recycling and reusing materials reduced between the various stakeholders, and with their revisions, itthe overall project cost by an estimated $500,000. It also probably took us more than a year to draft and finalize this plan,reduced traffic congestion, lowered greenhouse gas emissions Clement relates.and minimized landfill waste. AirportImprovement.comSeptember 2023'