Air Sparging and Soil Vapor Extraction System Operation and Maintenance

The Balsam Gap site is located along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Jackson County and operates as the National Park Service fleet maintenance facility.

From the 1950s until 1993, the petroleum used for the refueling of parkway maintenance vehicles was contained in four underground storage tanks (USTs) at the site, as follows: one 2,000-gallon gasoline tank, one 1,500-gallon gasoline tank, one 1,000-gallon gasoline tank, and one 560-gallon diesel tank.  The USTs were removed in January 1993.  Contaminated soil associated with the former UST area was excavated and land applied in 1993 and 1994. 

Following site characterization activities, in May 1994, a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) was prepared.  In accordance with the CAP, an air sparging and soil vapor extraction (AS/SVE) remediation system was installed.  The remediation system includes three soil vapor extraction points, six air sparge points, and a mechanical system enclosed in a building. 

Altamont collects groundwater samples from four of the twelve monitoring wells on-site on a quarterly basis and conducts operation and maintenance of the AS/SVE system on a monthly basis.