Fuel Pipeline Leak Remediation at Intermodal Yard | Atlanta, GA

LEAKING RAILROAD UNDERGROUND FUEL PIPELING PROBLEM

Fuel from a 6" underground pipeline at a intermodal railyard leaked into a stormwater and discharged into a stream through a subdivision. Remtech was contracted to determine the location of the leak; contain, recover, and support leak repair operations; handle stormwater contact water; contain and recover fuel from the subdivision stream, and remediate soil and groundwater.

LEAKING FUEL PIPELING SOLUTION

The location and depth of the 3,500 fuel pipeline was unknown under 22 sets of intermodal track.  Remtech located the pipe using conducting tracing. The point of fuel infiltration in the stormsewer was located by isolating sections with 30” expansion plugs, inspecting manholes, conductive metaltracing, and CCTV camera inspections. The leaking stormsewer was repaired.

A total of four 20 ft deep test pits were excavated to uncover the 6" fuel pipe. The leaking fuel carrier pipe segment was located by installing valves at two test pits and pressure testing each section. An estimated 350 ft of new pipe was replaced and welded by a piping contractor and x-rayed and pressure tested by Remtech.

Contaminated soil was excavated and disposed of at a permitted landfill. Groundwater horizontal leg perforated recovery wells were installed in the test pits and backfilled with gravel and soil. Over 1 million gallons of stormwater and petroleum contact water were pumped from the test pits and disposed of at the railyard’s onsite treatment plant, an offsite pretreatment facility, and stormwater contact water remediated with Remtech's HC-2000. Remtech conducted two-phase vacuum extraction operations and stormsewer remediation operations.

COST/BENEFITS

1. Cost Reduction Actions - Rapid location of the fuel pipeline and stormsewer infiltration leak points allowed he location of test pits to repair leaks to keep the intermodal yard in operation, saving the railroad hundreds of thousands of dollars.

2.  An estimated 250,000 gallons of stormwater fuel contact water was treated with Remtech's HC-2000 bioremediation accelerator.  The reaction basin employed was an abandoned tank farm containment area.  This method of remediation saved an estimated $50,000.

3. Installing perforated horizontal leg total fluids extraction wells during test pit backfilling provided and integrated soil and groundwater remediation program with pipeline repairs that resulted in a completed site remediation.