Contaminated soil recycling machine

The Hitachi SR200G Soilfixer soil recycler uses a number of methods — including micro-encapsulation and chemical fixation — to reduce the hazard potential of solid wastes by decreasing the leachable concentration of the contaminants.

It processes the contaminated waste that goes in one end and is then mixed with additives specific to the target contaminant before coming out the other end on a conveyor in treated form.

It has already been used at Pasminco’s Cockle Creek site and at the remediation of 120 tonnes of hazardous material — coal tar and fly ash — at the former Bathurst gasworks. The machine will shortly be used as part of the Spotswood remediation project for VicTrack.

The Hitachi unit is suitable for processing smaller quantities — 300 to 5000 tonnes — because it is flexible in use and can be easily moved from job to job on a low loader.