STOCAMINE operates an underground waste storage facility at its Wittelsheim factory, which is used to store industrial waste such as mercury, arsenic, cyanide, chromium, asbestos, and incineration fly ash. These wastes amount to 44000 tons, and the storage site used to be a potassium mine located 535 meters underground.

After an unexpected fire broke out in the mine, the county government decided to stop the use of the storage mine. The mercury and arsenic waste are most affected by the fire, and there is a risk of contaminating the groundwater level due to some damaged packaging.

Therefore, it is necessary to urgently remove and re store the 4800 tons of mercury or arsenic waste that has been most severely affected. The new storage location has been selected at a potassium salt mine storage site in Germany.

CURIUM's tasks include:

Qualitative analysis of hazardous waste that needs to be removed and operated from the bottom of the storage mine;

Design construction procedures in a gas mine environment where there may be toxic vapors (mercury, phosphine, arsenic, mercury dust, and arsenic vapor) related to waste storage, taking into account the significant differences in the chemical properties, packaging (large bags, drums with gypsum plugs, boxes, etc.), physical state (significant particle size variations), and quality of the 4800 tons of waste involved;

Hazard study, focusing on the chemical properties of mine collapse and waste stored on site;

Develop a procedure for storing and removing waste, including safe mine structure, adjusting mine size by reducing certain mine walls, repackaging waste, and decontaminating packaging drums, equipment, and personnel leaving the work area;

Construction supervision, monitoring the pollution level of Hg and As, authorizing and accepting construction operations.