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It’s hard to see the silver lining when you get a double dose of bad news. Not only do you have an underground oil tank on your property, but it’s leaked, and now you have a contaminated soil remediation situation on your hands. Regardless of whether you’re in the process of trying to close on a home sale or you’re simply worried about safety, speed is a major concern for most homeowners when it comes to cleaning up the mess.
British Columbia accepts several methods of contaminated soil remediation, including excavation and removal, bioremediation, and chemical oxidation.
The most common way to deal with contaminated soil in Vancouver is to dig up all the affected soil, haul it away, and replace it with fresh soil. This tried-and-true technique ensures that all the contaminated soil is removed from the property, disposed of safely at a designated facility, and minimizes the risk of residual contamination. It’s a straightforward solution that can be implemented quickly, and its results are easily verifiable.
In situations where the contaminated soil must be addressed quickly—like during a home sale, mortgage or insurance renewal, or for extensive contamination—excavation, removal, and soil replacement are the fastest, surest way to restore your property to its original condition. However, there are a few points to consider.
Excavation and soil replacement can be a highly disruptive process depending on the extent of the area that needs remediation and secondary issues like water table saturation. While it remains one of the quickest, safest, and most reliable contaminated soil remediation options, homeowners need to prepare for the process.
There are alternatives to digging up your property to remove contaminated soil, and bioremediation is one of them. This technique involves using natural microorganisms to break down organic contaminants in the soil, essentially allowing bacteria and fungi to “digest” these substances over time.
As far as environmentally conscious soil cleanup goes, bioremediation is one of the most sustainable options available. Unlike excavation, bioremediation doesn’t require heavy machinery or soil removal, making it a far less invasive option. However, the process isn’t quick, and results can vary. Successful bioremediation is sensitive to external conditions—things like temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels can impact the effectiveness of the treatment. Moreover, the process can take weeks, months, or even longer, depending on the level of contamination, and will require frequent retesting to monitor the progress and ensure that contaminants are breaking down as expected.
When timeframe is a concern, chemical oxidation could be a viable option to consider. Like excavation and replacement, the chemicals used in soil oxidation get to work clearing up soil quickly. This method involves injecting or mixing strong oxidizing agents—such as hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate—directly into the contaminated soil. These chemicals react with pollutants, breaking them down into less harmful substances.
One of the biggest advantages of chemical oxidation is its speed. Unlike bioremediation, which relies on microbes to slowly break down contaminants, chemical oxidation works almost immediately upon application. This makes it an appealing choice for situations where soil remediation needs to happen fast. It’s a non-invasive technique, meaning there’s no need to dig up large portions of your property.
But there are drawbacks. Chemical oxidation is expensive, and with multiple treatments often required, the cost of the chemical agents alone can add up quickly. The process is also fairly complex. It requires the handling of noxious chemicals, and not all remediation companies will offer the service. Those that do need specially trained technicians, and the process will require frequent monitoring, adding to labour costs.
If speed is your primary concern while dealing with contaminated soil remediation, both excavation, removal, and soil replacement and chemical oxidation offer compelling solutions.
Where costs are concerned, excavation is generally the more affordable choice, but if money isn’t an issue and your biggest worry is the mess, you may want to consider a chemical alternative.