Environmental Remediation using High-Pressure Waterjets for Emplacement of Treatment Media

The operation of industrial concerns has, in many cases, the unfortunate consequence of spillage of either toxic or otherwise environmentally undesired chemicals into the ground. These chemicals can either be left in place, or migrate from the initial site, under the course of time and natural events, with significant consequences. However, while the impact of the chemicals can be significant, the relatively low concentrations at which they can create a problem, and the large areas over which they can be spread, can create significant costs for any remedial programs. Two alternate methods are suggested that can be used to mitigate the presence of undesirable chemicals, depending upon the depth and mobility with which they are moving through the ground. The first deals with the injection of a remedial treatment where the contaminating chemical is relatively shallowly buried in a soft sediment (such as a river bed or tidal flat) while the second deals with the more difficult issue of groundwater contamination deeper in the ground, where the water is migrating in a plume through much harder rock.