A New Environmental Project at BorsodChem
Kazincbarcika,June 15, 2006–During the operation of BorsodChem’s legal predecessor Borsodi Vegyi Kombinát, dichloroethane contaminated the ground water in a limited area on the factory site. Dichloroethane is an interim product of PVC manufacturing. Environment protection is a high-priority issue for BorsodChem at all times, therefore, in order to protect the underground waters and drinking water base, BorsodChem is to launch a project encompassing a technology which was developed by its own expert team with a view to reducing contamination below the limit value. The project will be realized with the support of KIOP SA (Structure Fund of Environmental and Infrastructure Operative Programme).
During the operation of BorsodChem’s state-owned legal predecessor BVK, the ground water became contaminated with 1,2-dichloroethane in a limited area of the Kazincbarcika site. The technical solutions of that time did not provide for circulating dichloroethane in a fully closed system and did not prevent it from being released into the atmosphere, which contributed to the contamination as a major cause.
In the second half of the 1990’s BorsodChem analysed and determined the expansion of the contaminated area as well as the distribution of contamination concentration. The contamination has remained within site boundaries, however detailed computerised expansion model calculations warn that it may spread further without any technical intervention. By relying on detailed facts exposed by an independent specialist company, BorsodChem experts found that only a series of technical actions may stop contamination from spreading as well as improve ground water quality to the legally specified standard. As a result, BorsodChem decided to implement a decontamination project.
The project aims to reduce the 1,2-dichloroethane contamination in the ground water exposed on BorsodChem site below 0.5 mg/l or “D” contamination limit value, specified in a decree by the North Hungarian Environmental Inspectorate. In order to facilitate implementation, BorsodChem submitted a tender under the Environmental and Infrastructure Operative Programme (KIOP) and was granted HUF 451 million subsidy.
The technology of the decontamination process looks back on several years of research carried out by BorsodChem experts. BorsodChem will operate the technology and provide both the required operational costs and proper professional personnel.
Contaminated ground water will be removed during the procedure from water wells installed within the framework of the project and stripping equipment will separate dichloroethane from ground water. Thus cleansed ground water will be discharged through BorsodChem’s waste water treatment plant into River Sajó. The dichloroethane recovered from the ground water through stripping will be recycled in the VCM Plant by implementing a closed and environment-friendly technology without releasing any waste. Ground water will be monitored continuously thus the progress of decontamination can be tracked during the expected 10-year implementation. As per the present calculations, BorsodChem expects that the dichloroethane content of the groundwater shall drop below the specified “D” limit value by this time. The properly set rate of groundwater removal will practically stop the contamination from spreading further in the moment the decontamination technology is launched.
With the implementation of the project, BorsodChem actively contributes to reducing the number of contaminated areas included in the National Decontamination Priority List.
For further information please contact
BorsodChem Rt.
Environment Protection Department
István Papp Head of Department
+36 48 511330