The Lower Fox River in the USA was badly contaminated with heavy metals as well as organic wastes. A search for remedial measures threw up the possibility of vitrification of the contaminated sediments. This paper briefly outlines Minergy's proposal for a multi-phased study to determine the cost effectiveness and the effectiveness of this technology to destroy organic contaminants and immobilize inorganic contaminants. With the assistance of a grant from the US Energy Protection Agency, Minergy conducted the Glass Furnace Technology feasibility study, whose four phases were: Mineralogy and sediment characterisation; Crucible melt and preliminary design engineering; Pilot-scale sediment melt of de-watered dredge material; and, Full-scale facility construction.
