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Projects
Serving the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Yukon
Ascentarix provides environmental engineering consulting services to industrial, mining, and metals clients across Washington, Idaho, and Montana, as well as Yukon, Canada. From remote mine sites to active manufacturing facilities, our team understands the regulatory requirements, site conditions, and operational realities unique to each region. Wherever your project is located, we bring the same practical, hands-on approach to solving your water and compliance challenges.
Owner's Representative - Two Mine Water Treatment Systems
Client: Confidential mining client Location: Northern Canada
2
treatment systems
400 gpm
each system
SCOPE
Ascentarix provides project management and project engineer support as the owner’s representative in executing two new mine water treatment systems.
SOLUTION
Both systems utilize sulfide precipitation and lime addition/hydroxide precipitation for metals removal.
$35M CAD
combined capital
CHALLENGE
The two projects include a 400 gpm, $28M CAD high-density sludge mine water treatment system for removal of metals and a 400 gpm, $7M CAD 6-year tailings water treatment system.
RESULTS
[coming soon]
Mine Water
Owner's Engineer/Advisor
IWTP PCB & Acid Break Alternatives Analysis and Design
Client: Confidential metals processing client Location: Washington
Stat
coming soon
SCOPE
Ascentarix performed an alternatives analysis and then designed an upgrade project for an acid break water treatment process.
SOLUTION
The upgrade uses a DAF, sludge stabilization process, and oil recovery process for oil reclamation. Ascentarix provided bench testing and pilot testing of a DAF and ultrafiltration process.
Stat
coming soon
CHALLENGE
The existing acid break oil emulsion breaking process was no longer meeting performance requirements for synthetic oil breaking.
RESULTS
Compliance assessment under NPDES for several parameters, including metals and oil and grease. [outcome coming soon]
Industrial Wastewater
Owner’s Representative for Capital Projects
Client: Confidential industrial client Location: Washington
Stat
coming soon
SCOPE
Project engineer and process engineer supporting as owner’s representative in executing large capital and environmental projects ranging in approximate cost from $50K to $60M in capital expenditures.
SOLUTION
Optimization of existing water treatment and water management systems, including an RO process, an acid break water treatment process, and a trace oil filtration process for PCB removal.
Stat
coming soon
CHALLENGE
Meet sustainability goals, including stringent requirements for metals and organics for water reuse.
RESULTS
Identified options for overall plant-wide water reduction and reuse strategies.
Water Reuse
Bunker Hill Superfund Site Treatment Plant
Client: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / U.S. EPA
Location: Kellogg, Idaho
8,000 gpm
HDS Treatment Plant
7,500 ft
slurry wall
SCOPE
Design, construction, commissioning, and operation of a mine water and groundwater treatment plant under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. EPA. The project also included a 7,500-foot bentonite grout slurry wall, a groundwater collection system with over 14,000 feet of piping and 9 extraction wells, and a three-cell, 10-acre double-lined sludge impoundment area.
CHALLENGE
The existing plant needed to accommodate 8,000 gallons per minute (gpm) of contaminated mine water from the Bunker Hill Mine and groundwater that flows beneath the existing Central Impoundment Area.
SOLUTION
The plant was upgraded from a low-density sludge plant to a high-density sludge plant. Following treatment, effluent is pumped to the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River for discharge via an in-stream diffuser system.
RESULTS
Water treatment construction was substantially complete in March 2020, and operations, maintenance, and monitoring services consistently met high-quality effluent requirements through October 2021.
Pend Oreille Mine Water Treatment
Client: Teck Washington Incorporated
Location: Metaline Falls, Washington
500M gal
dewatering program
600 gpm
modular RO plant
SCOPE
Design management and process engineering for a $20M tailings impoundment area water management project to facilitate closure of the tailings disposal facility.
CHALLENGE
Dewater approximately 500 million gallons of wastewater and meet low discharge limits for metals, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonia for discharge to groundwater under a State Waste Discharge Permit.
SOLUTION
Permitting strategy with the Washington State Department of Ecology and design of two water treatment systems: a modular temporary 600-gpm plant using reverse osmosis and sludge treatment, and a long-term passive treatment process using biological treatment and ion exchange for metals, sulfate, and ammonia.
RESULTS
[current status of dewatering and closure coming]
Groundwater Treatment
Mine Closure
Pilot Testing
Woodwaste Groundwater Treatment Plant
Client: B&L
Location: Washington
21
extraction wells
6
arsenic absorbents column-tested
SCOPE
Engineering services for implementing the final remedy for a former landfill containing wood waste mixed with slag from a former copper smelter.
CHALLENGE
The slag contained high levels of arsenic that leached to groundwater migrating downgradient toward the Commencement Bay–Nearshore Tidal Flats Superfund Site.
SOLUTION
A slurry wall around the landfill, strategic recovery of groundwater with 21 extraction wells and a level monitoring and control system, and a 60-gpm treatment system (oxidation, pH adjustment, coagulation, flocculation, and filtration) discharging under an NPDES permit. Groundwater extraction and process optimization reduced operating costs and improved performance and reliability under the Washington State Department of Ecology.
RESULTS
Arsenic discharged from the treatment system was consistently below 5 micrograms per liter. Because of very successful strategic pumping, the groundwater extraction system was able to be shut down in 2017.
Wastewater Treatment System Design
Client: Blue Origin Enterprises
Location: King County, Washington
35,000 gallons
average daily flow
SCOPE
Process engineering and design management for the renewal of a King County pretreatment permit for a rocket test facility, and a wastewater treatment system design for a fast-paced construction project.
CHALLENGE
Neutralize low-pH wastewater from a metal passivation process at an average daily flow of 35,000 gallons per day and remove copper and zinc to meet discharge limits.
SOLUTION
Performed treatability testing to assess treatment for pH neutralization and copper and zinc removal, then developed the treatment system design.
RESULTS
[coming soon]
Treatability Testing
Cedar Hills Landfill Lagoon Improvements & Arsenic Treatability
Client: King County Solid Waste Division
Location: King County, Washington
500 gpm
lagoon management capacity
$15M
project value
SCOPE
A $15M project for organic arsenic discharge water treatment and detailed design, including upgrades to two existing 7-million-gallon leachate lagoons. Charles Hand, PE, served as engineer of record, design manager, and project engineer.
CHALLENGE
Manage approximately 500 gpm and treat organic arsenic species for discharge to the POTW under a King County pretreatment permit
SOLUTION
Source control and volume management strategies, biological pretreatment, and biological and physical/chemical treatment processes for organic arsenic, developed for pilot testing.
RESULTS
[coming soon]
Work performed by Ascentarix Environmental Engineering PLLC
Work performed by Ascentarix engineers while employed at previous firms. They show the experience our team brings.
Landfill Leachate
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