Hydraulicdredging

The coal burning power station at Widows Creek in Stevenson, AL uses gypsum "scrubbers" to clean heavy metals and other toxic substances out of the exhaust it returns to the atmosphere. The used/contaminated gypsum is stored in large earthen bermed containment lakes on the property. One such containment lake's berm burst and 20,000 Y3 of contaminated gypsum overflowed into a 12 acre manmade lake that is connected to the Tennessee river. The lake is only 12 inches deep in some places and there was no other high volume portable hydraulic dredge that could access the location and operate. The pumping distance was over a mile with 120 ft of vertical head. Doctor Dredge, LLC was hired to do the clean up. It took almost 90 days due to how remote, large and shallow the lake was. The nearest place to launch the dredge was about 10 miles down the Tennessee river. Even a minor service on the trailer was an all day event. The Alabama Dept. of Environmental Management and the Tennessee Valley Authority were skeptical but when no one else could do it, Doctor Dredge, LLC came through with flying colors!