Photo 2. SCAT Turner at Jones Island CDF, 7/98

Technical Note DOER-C5

September 1999

SCAT Turner at Jones Island CDF, 7/98

Photo 2.

At the time this technical note was prepared, minimal monitoring data were available. No PAH

data were available. The data available through mid-August 1998 showed some oxygen utilization.

Oxygen concentrations were down from 20 percent to about 15 percent in the biomounds.

Maintaining moisture in the mounds within the target range has been difficult. Initially, the mounds

were at low moisture (<10 percent) in July 1998. During the second week of the study, water was

pumped onto the mounds to increase moisture content. This was easily accomplished by drawing

water from the open-water area in the CDF. A few days later, a storm dumped several inches of

rain on the CDF. Despite these soakings, the moisture content within the mounds rose only to about

20-30 percent. Moisture may prove to be a critical factor in management of the biomounds because

biodegradation is expected to be considerably reduced below a moisture of 40 percent and turning

operations are hindered when moisture rises above 50 percent.

FUTURE PLANS: The current project has been continued in Fiscal Year (FY) 99 with significant

additions to the demonstration project. Dredged material and wood chips will be mixed with caked

biosolids from a nearby municipal wastewater treatment plant. The benefits of blending other

materials such as lime and flyash to immobilize metals will also be investigated. Greenhouse studies

of plant uptake and equipment for the removal of wood chips and other debris that may be required

to make the material marketable will be evaluated. Partners in the FY99 effort include the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago, IL, the

Port of Milwaukee, and United Water Services (contractor to the City of Milwaukee for operation

of wastewater treatment plants).