I call it a creative slop bin but really it’s an old loading dock. We had to do a storm system repair and needed a place close to the work to hold the vactor slurry temporarily. The catch basin grate has plastic under it.
November 24, 2020
November 23, 2020
Erosion Controls in Olympic National Park
Recently, I stopped to check out erosion controls on the way to the Staircase in Olympic National Park.
November 20, 2020
Bubbling Crude
This “bubbling crude” could be from an episode of ” The Beverly Hillbillies”, but it isn’t. This is oil from a leaking underground storage tank we found on a Superfund cleanup project.
November 19, 2020
A Rare Beast
Here is a rare beast: a vacuum sweeper with working spray nozzles and nothing dripping out of the back.
This has been such a problem that I included the following language in my erosion control specification:
1.) Vacuum sweepers shall have on-board water spray systems operating at all times.
2.) Sweeper systems shall function per manufacturer specifications including, but not limited to, water spray systems, blowers, vacuum nozzles, hoses, debris hopper, hydraulics and electrical.
3.) At no time shall debris hopper seals leak debris and/or liquids
November 18, 2020
The Problem with Hosing Tires
What is the problem with hosing tires? Water-specifically “Process Water”. Water that is used in a process, like hosing tires, is classified as process water and must be dealt with as though it is contaminated; because it is, with oil, grease, and various metals. So, if you are going to hose tires, you must plan to collect and dispose of the water legally. Legal disposal means a special processor for treatment and discharge or sanitary sewer.
November 16, 2020
A Final Inspection
I am conducting a final inspection of erosion controls at a former staging area. Some of the best management practices shown are: silt fence, straw wattles, and hydroseed.
November 2, 2020
Dude, Where’s My Tire?
Dude, where’s my tire? The driver had just left the Superfind site with a load of Subtitle D soil. He should have checked his nuts before he left.
October 30, 2020
One Cold December Night
We were working on a Superfund site one cold December night. It started to snow and things got slippery. We knocked off early.
October 29, 2020
Turbidity Barrier
This is a turbidity barrier, also known as a turbidity curtain. We are using it to contain sediment during a riverbank restoration project.
