Intervention efforts for soil and groundwater pollution identified at a fuel service station in Istanbul and sustainable approach in accordance with ISO 18504 standard are summarized below.

Located on the Asian side of Istanbul, the station in question experienced an overflow during the transfer of fuel from tanker to tanks in 2017, resulting in approximately 2000 liters of fuel seeping into the underground.

Within the framework of the Istanbul Governorship’s Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Directorate commission, ecotora experts planned an Emergency Response Operation in response to the pollution. Root cause analysis was performed under emergency response, leading to infrastructure improvements to prevent a recurrence of the incident and to identify the spread of pollution. Non-leaking sumps were installed in the tanks to prevent leaks, and filling and vent lines were renewed.

To prevent the spread of pollutants in the soil in the tank pit, solidification work was carried out through lime injection. Given the presence of pollutants in a large portion of the underground water, a mobile groundwater purification unit was established at the station, considering the risk of transporting pollutants in groundwater and to potential receptors, in line with ISO 18504. This system, established by ecotora, allowed remote access, enabling 24/7 monitoring of the site and minimizing the need for mobilization.

Considering the chemical properties of the diesel, the source of pollution, which tended to evaporate, volatile organic compounds dissolved in the groundwater were captured using an active carbon unit, ensuring that the emissions into the atmosphere were cleansed.

As part of this effort, the following actions were taken in line with sustainable development goals:

• Hazardous waste with high calorific value generated during groundwater improvement was disposed of using the “R1 Use of waste for energy recovery” method.
• The remotely monitored improvement method reduced the need for site visits.
• The chosen improvement method was cost-effective and designed as a portable solution, allowing the possible reuse of the equipment.
• Importantly, it was learned that the polluted site would be completely removed and transformed into a multi-level parking lot in 1-2 years. Accordingly, the contaminated soil would be removed during the demolition of the site. This postponed excavation work and mitigated carbon emissions from both hazardous soil excavation and transportation of fill materials.
• To eliminate the exposure and ignition risks related to volatile organic compounds due to the nature of the pollutant as a flammable derivative of fuel and its rapid vaporization, a gas detector was installed in the underground passage.
• Due to significant traffic congestion in the area, efforts were made to minimize fieldwork and visits to the site to avoid increasing traffic. It was predicted that a multi-level parking lot in the area would significantly reduce the number of parked cars along the streets and consequently alleviate traffic congestion.
• Overall, the process was conducted in accordance with the Regulation on Soil Pollution Control and Point Source Polluted Areas, which is a part of Turkish legislation, under the purview of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change. As the regulation is focused on human health, the process was carried out with consideration for the well-being of the local community.

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