Customer
At its Wittelsheim site, STOCAMINE operated an underground storage facility for industrial waste such as mercury, arsenic, cyanide, chrome, asbestos and refiom. The waste, totalling 44,000 tons, was located 535 m underground in a former potash mine.
Following a fire in the mine, the operation of the site had to be stopped by prefectoral decision. The most exposed mercury and arsenic waste, in damaged packaging, presented a risk of contamination of the underground waters.
A total of 4,800 tons of mercurial or arsenic waste were aimed by a destocking and repackaging operation before being stored in a potash mine in Germany.
CURIUM's mission consisted in:
- The characterization of the hazardous waste to be removed from storage and handled at the bottom of the mine;
- The design of works in a firedamp mine environment and in the potential presence of toxic vapours linked to the storage of waste (mercury, phosphine, arsine, mercury dust and arsenic vapour) involving 4,800 tons of waste with variable chemical nature, packaging (big bags, drums with plaster stoppers, boxes, etc.) and physical state (highly variable granulometry);
- The hazard study taking into account the risks of crumbling and the chemical risks associated with the wastes to be manipulated;
- The definition and drafting of operating procedures, including mine safety measures, tunnel size adjustment, repackaging of waste and decontamination of the drums, equipment and personnel leaving the work area;
- Monitoring of the works, monitoring of Hg and As contamination levels, validation and acceptance of the works.
