MADISON, WI, Feb. 22, 2010 -- RMT Inc. (RMT), a leading energy and environment company, has developed a new technology to address the ongoing human health and environmental risks from sediment contaminated by manufactured gas plants (MGPs) -- a problem that has been misunderstood and difficult to remedy in scores of water bodies.
Development of remediation technologies for sediments that release non-aqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) is in its infancy. RMT's NAPL Trapping Cap (patent pending) is designed to permanently and predictably control tar migration from sediment by redirecting tar which is released to a controlled accumulation area, where the non-aqueous phase tar is trapped while the gas is vented to the atmosphere.
"Understanding gas bubble migration from biodegrading organic material, typical of many sediments, was key to developing a solution to stop human and environmental exposure to tar," explained Gene McLinn, RMT's Senior Client Executive for MGP Programs. "Our Remediation Process Laboratories allowed us to test treatments under various conditions, diagnose the mechanisms that cause MGP tar buried in sediments to migrate into overlying water, and demonstrate that our technology would work."
RMT's NAPL Trapping Cap eliminates exposure of human and ecological receptors to tar; reduces costs by focusing the remedy on a targeted remediation area; and alleviates short- and long-term risk via permanent and predictable migration control.
RMT designed and built a full-scale application of the NAPL Trapping Cap -- the first of its kind -- on the Penobscot River in Maine, a site that posed extreme engineering challenges. Project construction is wrapping up in February 2010. Given the project's success, this new technique is applicable at hundreds of other sites across the country.
RMT is being honored at Environmental Business Journal's (EBJ) Environment Industry Summit on March 3, 2010, with a Technology Merit Award for Remediation for developing this new technology to manage sediment contaminated by MGPs.
About RMT
RMT creates energy and environmental solutions that balance our clients' business and sustainability goals. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, the company has over 800 employees located in offices throughout the U.S. RMT has provided construction, engineering, design, and development services for over 3,800 MW of renewable energy across the U.S. RMT is a unit of Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE:LNT) , an energy holding company. Visit www.rmtinc.com.
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