SCOPE

A 500-foot stretch of track at the railyard was contaminated with soda ash. The affected track surrounded a switch on one of three active and busy lines in that immediate part of the railyard; proper safety procedures and close coordination with the yard traffic managers were essential. The railroad needed a contractor with superior railroad and environmental experience to remove the contaminated soil and replace it with clean fill.

solution

Hulcher responded with excavators, undercutter, dozer, hi-rail dump trucks and wheel loaders. Hulcher’s excavator dug a trench along the contaminated track to provide access for the undercutter. The undercutter then dug out the contaminated soil from beneath the track. The railroad’s environmental consultant tested the soil beneath the track to ensure Hulcher had removed all the contamination. An excavator and wheel loaders collected the contaminated soil and loaded it into dump trucks, which hauled it to another location at the yard for treatment and disposal. The dozer graded and prepared the area for the clean fill dirt and ballast to be brought in.

outcome

The process to remove the contamination and replace it with clean soil and ballast was completed in two days. The site is clean and the clean soil and ballast allows for proper run-off of rainwater. The Hulcher crew’s railroad experience allowed it to work safely and without unnecessary interruption to the active train schedule, completing the job on schedule.

* Analysis, containment, treatment, transport, and disposal of material are each conducted in full compliance with relevant federal and applicable state laws/regulations (licensing, permitting, procedural and operational protocol) which sometimes requires the participation of fellow contractors engaged by the customer and/or Hulcher subcontractors.

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