In-Situ Remediation of White Phosphorus in Wetlands

White phosphorus has been found to be the causal agent for massive waterfowl die-offs at the Eagle River Flats impact range on Ft. Richardson, Alaska. Research indicates that in-situ remediation of white phosphorus is possible if the sediments in which the contaminant persists can be desaturated and the temperature rises to where sublimation can occur. Several remediation methods have been studied at the Flats, the most promising of which is the pumped removal of ponded water using an automatic remote pumping system developed by the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). This paper will describe the system, its deployment, and the results of the first year's study.