Treatment of Chemical Weapons

Treatment of PCBs, Dioxins and Furans

Treatment of Explosives 

Treatment of Chlorofluorocarbon Refrigerants and Halons

Solvated Electron Chemistry 
A Versatile Alternative for Waste Detoxification 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Patents Held

Mixed waste is a mixture of the most highly toxic hazardous wastes (PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, PAHs, explosives, etc.) in materials that also contain radioactive constituents, One example of mixed waste frequently dealt with is soil contaminated with PCBs or RCRA (Resource Conservation Recovery Act) organics and low level radioactivity. This mixture creates unique handling, storage and disposal issues.

SET™ units can be scaled to any size project. The ability to mobilize a SET™ unit to a project site eliminates the need to package and transport mixed wastes. 

Because SET™ employs solvated solutions at or below room temperature, it can be applied to mixed waste streams without the emissions potential of incineration. In the case of soils contaminated with both low-level radioactive components and halogenated organics, SET™ successfully destroys the organic component without changing the metallic component.

In most cases, the radioactive components remain in the soil for disposal. Using various wash processes, they can be removed from the soil and the volume reduced for cost saving disposal. Commodore's SET™ is a non-thermal technology approved and permitted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for treatment of mixed wastes.

BENEFITS OF SET™ FOR TREATING MIXED WASTES

• Eliminates the need to ship mixed wastes for treatment.

• Hazardous constituents are destroyed, not just removed or concentrated.

• Wastes can be disposed as low-level or TRU radioactive materials.

• Produces no hazardous secondary wastes or off-gases.
  Operates at ambient temperatures.

• Transports and sets up quickly in less than 4000 sq. ft of space.

• Can be scaled to accommodate the size of the project.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Commodore has been successful in treating commercial quantities of mixed waste. For example:

• Treated over 300 tons of PCB-contaminated soils excavated from an oil-spill site at the Pennsylvania Air National Guard base, located at the Harrisburg International Airport, utilizing the full-scale S-10 system to reduce PCB levels to <1ppm.  During the treatment process, Commodore successfully performed an EPA demonstration of the commercial system.

• Currently treating 20,500 lbs. of mixed radioactive and hazardous solvent wastes for a contract with American Ecology Recycle Center, Inc. (AERC), at facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  The SL-2 SET system is treating hazardous residues generated during the cleanup of radioactively contaminated tools, equipment, and other metallic materials.

• Currently working on a contract with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for the destruction of 12,000 lbs. of low-level contaminated sodium.  Commodore's SET process is being used to treat bulk sodium, converting it to inactive sodium chloride (NaCl).  Trace amounts of radioactive material, such as Na22, are also being converted to a salt in the SET process, and the residue can then be land disposed as low-level radioactive waste.

• Treated 10,000 pounds of mixed wastes, everything from sorbent materials to shredded capacitors, at DOE Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project removing RCRA or TSCA* regulated materials leaving low-level radioactive wastes acceptable for on-site disposal.

• For a Fortune 500 company, treated drummed material of PCB and radioactively contaminated hardware, oils, and soils. Removal of the RCRA contaminants allowed the wastes to be disposed as low level radioactive wastes.