Design, installation and preliminary testing of a permeable reactive barrier for diesel fuel remediation at Casey Station, Antarctica

Abstract

To minimize the environmental impact of a fuel spill a permeable bio-reactive barrier (PRB) was designed and installed at Australia's Casey Station. The PRB was designed to prevent further migration of a decade-old fuel spill during summer melt periods by intercepting catchment flow down-gradient of the spill. Catchment flow was intercepted using a PRB with a funnel and gate design. This is the first time a full-scale PRB has been designed and installed specifically for polar regions. This paper reports on the selection of a location for a PRB, and the subsequent design, installation and testing of the PRB throughout the first summer of operation at Casey Station, Antarctica.The PRB was desi..