Mississippi Phosphates Corporation (MPC) – Pascagoula, MS
KEMRON was awarded a task order for the remediation of the former Mississippi Phosphates Corporation (MPC) located in Pascagoula, MS. The site has been proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL). MPC began operations in the 1950’s manufacturing fertilizer and eventually expanding to encompass over 1000 acres and includes a phosphoric acid plant, a diammonium phosphate plant, a sulfuric acid plant, and associated storage warehouses. The facility also includes a wastewater treatment plant along with a series of support structures. Material storage areas include two phosphogypsum waste piles (gypstacks) covering over 340 acres and wastewater storage ponds containing over 700 million gallons of low pH wastewater. Contaminants include ammonia as nitrogen, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. Requirements under this task order include operation and maintenance of wastewater storage units, operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant, pond management and repair and maintenance of all associated equipment.
Wastewater treatment and collected storm water treatment activities is conducted in two wastewater treatment plants along with discharge monitoring, and water quality sampling associated with plant operations and permit compliance. The two-wastewater treatment plants include a mechanical treatment system comprised of a double lime treatment process and a second unit referred to as the in situ treatment system comprised of a series of canals where chemical addition is used to adjust pH. KEMRON is treating 1 million gallons per day through the mechanical plant; 4 million gallons per day through the in situ system within the existing canals. KEMRON also conducts all inspections, pond level measurements, and refueling activities associated with pump operations.KEMRON manages the two-phosphogypsum waste piles, which require constant maintenance and repair including levee maintenance, pond level control and road maintenance on and around the stack, pump placement, pipe repair, heavy equipment operations and cleanout of the Water Return Ditch and maintenance of wastewater flow to the pump pad. KEMRON operates five 80,000-pound track hoes, bulldozers, articulating dump trucks and side discharge dump truck to facilitate this maintenance program. On-site weather station monitoring.
KEMRON also provides routine maintenance on facility infrastructure. These operations included; pump and motor repair; replaced belt on the lime Slaker; rebuild and replacement of wastewater pumps, rebuild and replacement of the lime slurry pump; installation of hard-piped Inlet River Water Line, acid transfers, and buffering of wastewater pH. Treatment chemical use to date includes over 9800 tons of lime, 2700 tons of sulfuric acid and 740 tons of sodium hydroxide.
KEMRON was recently awarded an additional fixed-price task order for the construction of the Phase 1A cap, which focuses on the closure of the western slope of the East Gypsum Stack (EGS). Closure activities include grading of side slopes, benching, and installation of the downslope channels; and placing geomembrane cover; access road construction (~3200 LF); and temporary storm drainage culvert installation. Since 2017 under a separate task order, KEMRON, with a staff of approximately 35, has operated the wastewater treatment facility treating almost 3 billion gallons of water. KEMRON has also been responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of miles of dikes and levees that are used to contain and treat water at the 1500-acre facility. With this new task order, KEMRON’s on-site staff increased to 60 employees.