December 15, 2004 - EarthFax Completes Work to Put Former Refinery Wastewater Treatment Ponds to Beneficial Use and Enhance Jurisdictional Wetlands

Salt Lake City, Utah –EarthFax Engineering, Inc. ("EarthFax") has completed design and construction inspection work associated with bioremediation of hydrocarbon contamination in two former refinery wastewater treatment ponds and putting the ponds to beneficial use both as emergency firewater reservoirs and as a means to enhance adjacent jurisdictional wetlands.  

Following bench-scale respirometry and treatability testing, contaminated sludges in the ponds were bioremediated by diverting a spring that originates on the property into the ponds and allowing the ponds to be regenerated with fresh water and oxygen.  This effort significantly improved water quality in the ponds, allowing the water to be used by water fowl and as an emergency fire water reservoir.  Additionally, following effluent testing, the pond water was discharged into a 25-acre jurisdictional wetland south of the operational area of the refinery under a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit (Section 404 of the Clean Water Act). 

In order to simultaneously enhance the shore bird habitat of the south wetland and preserve an existing playa, EarthFax designed and supervised construction of a siphon that diverts water out of the south wetland and into an adjacent 300-acre wetland located west of the operational area of the refinery.  As a result of this work, both water fowl and shore bird habitats have increased in the pond, the south wetland, and the west wetland areas.
EarthFax Engineering, Inc. is a consulting engineering firm that was founded in 1982, with offices in Midvale, Utah.  Its personnel have broad professional experience in the areas of civil engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and hydrogeology, geology, land reclamation, and environmental planning.  Additional information regarding EarthFax can be found at www.earthfax.com.