Environmental Remediation System

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for remediation of contamination in aquatic environments. The apparatus comprises: a vessel including an opening, and an uptake line or pump coupled to the vessel and configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel. The opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water. The vessel has been configured to contain and suspend materials inside the vessel. The uptake line or pump housing includes an attachment selected from the group consisting of an impeller, e.g. an air and/or water cannon, a pump, and a sliding collar.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a vessel including an opening,
 wherein the opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water, 
 wherein the vessel has been configured to contain and suspend materials interior the vessel; and 
   an uptake line coupled to the vessel and configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the uptake line includes an attachment selected from the group consisting of an impeller and a sliding collar. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is a water or air impeller. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is selected from the group consisting of an air and/or water cannon, a pump and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is made of metal or plastic. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, aluminum, alloys of steel, copper and aluminum. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, high density polypropylene, polyimide, silicone rubber, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the uptake line is be a metal or plastic tube slidably coupled to a lateral wall of the vessel by a slidable coupling. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the slidable coupling is a compressible collar that exerts a frictional resistance to movement against a surface of the uptake line, and against a surface a wall of the vessel, so the uptake line may be vertically positioned along a longitudinal axis of the uptake line. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is configured with 360° directional underwater propulsion units so that an opening of the apparatus may be geographically located over the bottom of the body of water. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is configured with agitating devices. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the agitating devices are selected from the group consisting of multidirectional rotating air/water jets, whips, chains, drills, cutters, augers, blades, choppers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein a vertical position of the agitating devices along the longitudinal axis of the vessel may be raised or lowered by raising or lowering a pipe within a shaft of the vessel. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the pipe is operably coupled to the agitating devices at a union, so there is free 360° rotation at the union between the pipe and the agitating devices. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is configured with a still, motion or TV camera and lights for underwater viewing. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is supported by a sled that allows travel across or though the bottom of the body of water. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a vessel including an opening,
 wherein the opening is facing a bottom of a body of water, and the vessel is in direct physical contact with the bottom of the body of water, 
 wherein the vessel has been configured to transport the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through at least one discharge pipe; and 
   a slidable collar having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first opening and the second end has a second opening, and
 wherein the first opening encloses and slidably couples at least one discharge pipe and the second opening encloses and slidably couples to a pump housing. 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , comprising a pump within the pump housing for transporting the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through the at least one discharge pipe. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one discharge pipe is slidably coupled to the sliding collar of pump. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the pump comprises an air or water impeller. 
     
     
         21 . A method for transporting contained and suspended materials in water from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel, comprising: providing a vessel that has been equipped with a water or air impeller to transport the contained and suspended materials from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel through at least one discharge pipe;
 suspending the contained and suspended materials in the water from the sediment layer at the bottom of the body of water into the interior of the vessel; and   transporting the contained and suspended materials in the water from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel via the at least one discharge pipe.   
     
     
         22 . A method for transporting contained and suspended materials in water from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel, comprising:
 equipping an uptake line with a water or air impeller for withdrawing the contained and suspended materials in the water from a sediment layer at the bottom of a body of water;   withdrawing the contained and suspended materials in the water from the sediment layer at the bottom of the body of water into the interior of the vessel; and   transporting the contained and suspended materials in the water from the interior of the vessel to the exterior of the vessel via the uptake line.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising:
 providing a lifting bag, in tandem with a mechanical lifting device and a rigging unit;   lowering the vessel into position by operably coupling the vessel to the lifting bag.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein lifting is augmented by a buoy/float device with or without a 360° multi-directional propulsion unit. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising:
 forming a releasable seal between an edge of the vessel and the sediment layer of the bottom of the body of water, wherein the releasable seal isolates the interior of the vessel from the body of water, and/or the bottom of the body of water, that is exterior the vessel.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the releasable seal is a flex seal between the edge of the vessel and the bottom of the body of water. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the flex seal is selected from the group consisting of an apron bladder and an apron bladder bundle.