Abstract
On September 13, 1974, an electrical transformer fell during loading operations and caused a spill of 265 gallons of PCB into the Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington. The heavier than water material remained on the river bottom in the general vicinity of the spill thus providing the opportunity to conduct a unique removal operation during an eighteen month period. Several removal alternatives were investigated and are discussed. The initial method used SCUBA divers operating hand guided pumps to remove visible pockets of PCB and then pump them, along with bottom muds and water, to a physical/ chemical treatment unit for safe separation of water and sludge. The second stage recovery utilized a special high solids dredge, discharging the pollutant and dredge spoil in large earthen ponds, and treating the effluent before returning to the Duwamish Waterway. Treatment and PCB pollutant recovery data is discussed.
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