The Malone Superfund Site is a 150-acre former oil recycler site in Texas City, TX, where the EPA-selected remedy involves the solidification of over a quarter-million cubic yards of oily sludges, followed by their placement and compaction in an on-site constructed 30-acre RCRA cell and cover system.

Verdantas (as Project Navigator, Ltd.) is currently serving as Project Coordinator, Construction Coordinator, Operation and Maintenance Manager and overall technical manager at this large, complex Superfund Site, as part of the PRP group which includes nearly 20+ companies. Our team oversaw the RI/FS for the Site and coordinated NRD evaluation and settlement and negotiated the detailed remedy scope with US EPA during 2010 and 2011. Extensive treatability testing activities were performed to prove the feasibility of solidifying the waste with the final recipe resulting in significant cost savings as compared to the initial studies. 

In 2011, Verdantas managed all aspects of EPC resource selection. We completed negotiations on a SOW and contract for the remedial action phase. During 2012, we started implementation of the Remedial Design/Remedial Action phase, during which, Verdantas expanded its services to include Construction Management. The RD/RA was a design-build project being conducted in 3 Phases. 

After development and EPA approval of General RD/RA Work Plans (as well as 13 supporting plans such as HASP, CQAP, Air Monitoring, etc.) which described the overall project approach, Phase One, Two and Three workplans were submitted and approved 

Phase One work included: 

• Design Investigations 
• AST and Building Demo Solidification 
• Treatability and Pilot Study 

Phase Two began in 2015 and included: 

• Soil remediation (178k cy) 
• Sludge solidification (260k cy) 
• RCRA cell construction and capping (30 acres) 
• Slurry wall installation (3,200 LF) 

Phase Three was completed in 2017 and included: 

• Final grading and vegetation 
• Shoreline Protection 
• O&M 

Design investigations identified water management to be a critical item during the remedy implementation. This was further brought into focus as a result of the strong El Niño observed during construction. Verdantas coordinated several, key investigations into alternatives including; modifications to the solidification methodology to allow in-situ mixing with a revised cost effective solidification spec, the approval of soil excavation limits using existing RI data, the options and expected outcomes of the refurbishment and operation of two on-Site injection wells, on-Site treatment alternatives for various waters, expanding storage capacity for cost-effective water management, use of a temporary, spray-on polymer to reduce contact water volume, and evaluation of the appropriate sized shoreline armoring to protect the remedy. 

Our team assisted the Supervising Engineer in obtaining EPA approval for modifications to Performance Specifications for the solidified waste, modifications to the reagent mix, and other cost and time saving modifications. We also assisted EPA in developing an ESD for the operation of the injection wells during the RA and into O&M.