Certification of Military Technology to Assist in Base Cleanup Efforts

For Immediate Release (C-29-96)
Contact: Communications Office (916) 324-9670
August 14, 1996

555 Capitol Mall, Suite 525
Sacramento, CA 95814
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SACRAMENTO -- The California Protection Agency's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) presented yesterday the certification of a new technology which will make it easier to assess soil at contaminated sites, including military bases. The U.S. Navy, in cooperation with the Army and Air Force, has developed a Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) technology which can detect subsurface petroleum hydrocarbon contamination both above and below the water table. The applications include everything from the initial screening of a site to the migration of contaminated groundwater plumes.

The certificate was presented by Cal/EPA Deputy Secretary Ann Heywood to Navy Environmental Director Willam Quade at a ceremony in San Francisco on August 13, 1996. "Certification identifies the best technologies for California and this is certainly one of the most advanced and efficient," said Heywood.

While not designed to completely replace the current practice of boring holes for testing soil, the new technology provides test results immediately, saving time and money for initial laboratory testing. The LIF technology is employed using current methods for site characterization and analysis. A 20-ton cone penetrometer penetrates the soil up to 100 meters. The LIF utilizes a laser and fiber optics, along with a special window in the tip of the penetrometer, to provide a reading back to a computer on the surface.

Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination is common at military sites, and includes diesel fuels, gasolines, oils, lubricants, and solvents.

The certification is the 21st in DTSC's Technology Certification Program, designed to encourage the development, use, and acceptance of methods to cleanup or protect the environment.

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