SELECT PROJECTS
Nelson has executed projects across complex industrial, mining, and contaminated land and water environments. Each project reflects disciplined planning, controlled execution, and verified results.
01
In progress
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Case study reel, NATO PFAS Treatment Technology Test Bed.
Watch NATO STO PFAS test-bed film →
Nelson's high-temperature thermal technology has been selected by NATO for testing in the treatment and elimination of PFAS, so-called "forever chemicals."
Nelson is participating in NATO's international research initiative to evaluate thermal destruction technologies capable of permanently eliminating PFAS from contaminated materials.
The program tests whether Nelson's mobile systems can achieve complete PFAS destruction under controlled conditions, with results validated against international benchmarks.
Key Highlights
International Recognition. Selected by NATO from a global field of remediation technology providers.
PFAS Destruction Focus. Targeting the permanent elimination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Advancing Global Standards. Contributing to the development of validated protocols for PFAS remediation worldwide.
Last updated · March 2026
02
In progress
Capability Applied
Live Updates from the Field
Onsite assembly progress, Vietnam dioxin remediation.
Equipment installation underway at the treatment pad.
Nelson thermal desorption technology is being design-built in Vietnam to treat dioxin-contaminated soil at a former US airbase, addressing a legacy of mid-20th-century military operations. Project is currently in development; on-site assembly is underway.
Nelson is providing engineered thermal treatment systems and project execution to permanently destroy dioxin contamination in soil left from wartime herbicide handling and storage.
On-site civil works are progressing, including reinforced concrete containment structures and the foundational pad for the thermal treatment plant.
Once commissioned, the system will treat contaminated soil to international dioxin destruction criteria, returning the site to safe future use.
Key Highlights
Persistent Dioxin Legacy. Permanent destruction of legacy dioxin contamination at a former US airbase in Vietnam.
International Mobilization. Major thermal treatment equipment shipped and assembled on-site in Southeast Asia.
In Development. Civil works and equipment assembly underway; system commissioning to follow.
Last updated · February 2026
03
A four-month program
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Case study reel, Alberta legacy wellsite drilling waste remediation.
Watch Alberta wellsite drilling waste remediation →
A legacy oil and gas wellsite and associated drilling waste disposal area in Alberta. Nelson treated 19,223 tonnes on site with its RS20 mobile thermal desorption system, with all treated soil confirmed against Alberta Tier 2 criteria before being returned to the site footprint.
The soil contains a mixed hydrocarbon profile consistent with historic upstream oil and gas activity, including Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene (BTEX) and F2/F3 hydrocarbon fractions.
Thermal desorption was selected to allow treatment to proceed during spring breakup, when conventional excavation, hauling, and off-site disposal options can be limited. By treating the material on site, the project reduced transportation requirements, minimized off site handling, and supported a more direct path to regulatory closure. All 19,223 tonnes were tested against Alberta Tier 2 criteria prior to being returned to the footprint.
Treatment was completed with Nelson's RS20 mobile thermal desorption system, permitted under the Alberta Code of Practice for Small Incinerators with notification given to Alberta Environment and Parks. Two waste streams were converted to an asset. The system's burners operated on recycled used oil, converting one waste stream into useful process heat and reducing the need for virgin fuel, while thermal remediation converts the waste stream of contaminated soil from toxic liability to a valuable asset for restoration of sites to highest value use.
Key Highlights
19,223 Tonnes Treated. All treated soil met Alberta Tier 2 criteria and was returned to the original site footprint.
Contaminants. Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene (BTEX) and F2/F3 hydrocarbon fractions associated with legacy drilling waste.
Why Thermal. Enabled treatment during spring breakup, when hauling and off-site disposal are restricted.
System. RS20 mobile thermal desorption, burners fired on recycled used oil.
Last updated · October 2026
04
Two campaigns
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Case study reel, AUA Tank Farm, American Samoa.
Watch American Samoa tank farm remediation →
Two campaigns, one remote Pacific island. Nelson thermally treated 22,400 tons of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil across two projects at the legacy AUA Tank Farm in American Samoa, working as a subcontractor to ERRG of California, the general contractor, serving the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The AUA Fuel Farm was built by the US Navy in 1943 on Tutuila Island to supply its Pacific naval station: twelve 400,000-gallon bolted-steel tanks, thirteen pump houses, and roughly 7,500 feet of 12-inch pipeline. When the facility was dismantled in 1947, an unknown volume of fuel oil was left in the tanks, folded in, and buried. Nelson was brought in decades later to permanently remove that legacy.
On the first campaign, an eight-month deployment, Nelson mobilized a full mobile thermal desorption plant, an RS20 rotary kiln paired with a baghouse and thermal oxidizer, from Acheson, Alberta to Oakland, California and onward to Pago Pago aboard the South Seas vessel Cap Salia. Fifteen equipment loads were staged, break-bulked, and reassembled on Tutuila. The plant treated hydrocarbon-impacted soils excavated from the twelve former tank cells to a 100 ppm gasoline-range criterion in high heat and monsoon humidity, under American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency approval.
The engineering was performed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Engineering/Remediation Resources Group (ERRG) of California held the general contract. Nelson worked as a subcontractor to ERRG, providing the thermal treatment technology, project management, and operations crew.
Performance on the first campaign directly earned a second award: Nelson returned for a six-month campaign to treat an additional volume of contaminated soil at the same site under the same ERRG and USACE structure. Between the two mobilizations, 22,400 tons of soil were thermally treated to criteria without landfill transfer. Portions of the former fuel farm have since been returned to community use.
Serving USACE, one of the most sophisticated environmental clients in the world, twice on the same remote site, is the kind of reference that carries weight globally. It is part of the record that supported Nelson's subsequent selection for the Bien Hoa Airbase dioxin remediation program in Vietnam.
Key Highlights
Two Campaigns, One Site. 22,400 tons treated across two mobilizations. The first project's performance directly earned the second award.
USACE Engineering, ERRG General Contract. Engineering by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Nelson delivered as a subcontractor to Engineering/Remediation Resources Group of California, the general contractor.
Break-Bulk to a Remote Pacific Island. Fifteen equipment loads staged in Oakland and shipped to Pago Pago aboard the South Seas vessel Cap Salia, reassembled and commissioned on Tutuila.
Tropical Operations. Thermal treatment completed in high-heat, high-humidity monsoon conditions on both campaigns.
WWII Legacy Removed. Contaminated soils from twelve 400,000-gallon US Navy tank cells built in 1943 thermally treated to criteria. No landfill transfer.
Reference That Travels. Serving USACE twice on the same remote site is part of the record that supported Nelson's later selection for the Bien Hoa Airbase dioxin program in Vietnam.
Last updated · July 2026
05
A multi-year program
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Case study reel, Tioga, North Dakota pipeline release.
Watch Tioga pipeline spill remediation →
One of the largest cleanups in US history. Nelson Environmental Remediation successfully moved 2.4 million tons of soil following a major pipeline break, of which 1.2 million tons were contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.
No soils were landfilled during the remediation.
By selecting Thermal Desorption, the client preserved local soils, avoided liability associated with landfill disposal, and retained topsoil for reuse in site reclamation.
Key Highlights
Complete In-House Service. No subcontractors required for major subtrades, ensuring quality control and seamless execution.
Advanced Mobile Technology. Mobile desorption units deployed for hydrocarbon removal.
Last updated · September 2025
06
An eleven-month program
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Case study reel, Bear Hills, Louis Bull First Nation land.
Watch Bear Hills soil remediation →
Soil remediation in Alberta at a legacy fuel retail site on Louis Bull First Nation land. Nelson thermally treated 140,000 tonnes of petroleum-contaminated soil to Alberta Tier 1 criteria for BTEX and TPH F1 to F4, then returned the treated soil to the site.
Nelson provided project management, equipment and operations to excavate, screen and thermally remediate hydrocarbon-contaminated soil, then return it to the site.
Treatment ran continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on the RS-45 mobile thermal system at an average of 25 tonnes per hour and peaks of 35 tonnes per hour. Hydrocarbons were volatilized off the soil and destroyed in a high-temperature afterburner.
All 140,000 tonnes were treated to Alberta Tier 1 criteria for BTEX and TPH F1 to F4, under the Alberta Code of Practice for Small Incinerators. Treated soil was returned to the site, which was subsequently developed for casino construction, and the project was recognized among Environment Journal's Top 25 Projects in Canada.
Oil contamination at a former fuel retail site is assessed through the petroleum compounds present, their concentrations and the site's exposure pathways. This oil remediation project addressed BTEX and petroleum hydrocarbon fractions F1 to F4 through excavated-soil thermal treatment and verification before soil return.
Alberta Tier 1 guidelines provide generic soil and groundwater remediation criteria based on land use and exposure pathways. They are not a single universal petroleum limit. Bear Hills used Tier 1 criteria for the stated contaminants; other Alberta projects may require Tier 2 site-specific objectives. The applicable criteria and sampling plan must be established for each site.
Key Highlights
140,000 Tonnes Treated. Large-volume hydrocarbon-contaminated soil permanently remediated to Alberta Tier 1 criteria.
Community Restoration. Treated soil returned to the site, which was then developed for casino construction by the Nation.
24/7 Execution. Continuous operations at 25 tonnes per hour average, 35 tonnes per hour peak, across an eleven-month program.
National Recognition. Recognized among Environment Journal's Top 25 Projects in Canada.
Last updated · October 2026
07
A seven-month program
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Watch Canadian gold mine PCB remediation →
In a Canadian first, Nelson handled 60,000 tonnes of impacted material at a remote Geraldton, Ontario gold mine, including 24,000 tonnes of PCB-contaminated soil destroyed on site.
Nelson provided project management, the RS45 mobile thermal desorption system and operations to treat PCB and hydrocarbon-contaminated soil from legacy operations, working in conjunction with consultants, analytical service providers, and the client.
Across the seven-month program, 60,000 tonnes of impacted material were handled: 24,000 tonnes of PCB-contaminated soil at starting concentrations of 5 to 10 ppm, and 36,000 tonnes of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Post-treatment PCB results came in at 0.3 mg/kg against site-specific criteria, under an Ontario Environmental Compliance Approval for mobile onsite thermal desorption.
PCB destruction at this scale in such a remote Canadian setting had not been accomplished before, establishing a new benchmark for the industry. The treated ground was regraded for natural revegetation.
Key Highlights
Canadian First. First successful mobile thermal PCB destruction at this scale in a remote Canadian mine setting.
60,000 Tonnes Handled. Including 24,000 tonnes of PCB soil and 36,000 tonnes of hydrocarbon soil treated under Ontario ECA.
0.3 mg/kg Post-Treatment. PCBs entering at 5 to 10 ppm were destroyed to 0.3 mg/kg against site-specific criteria.
Seven-Month Execution. Full system deployment and operation at a remote location with significant logistical constraints.
Last updated · September 2026
08
A four-year program
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Watch Mill scale recycling and oil recovery →
Nelson thermally treated 80,000 tonnes of oil-impacted mill scale at a steel production facility in eastern Canada, recovering 3.83 million litres of oil and returning all of the iron-bearing material to production.
Nelson provided project management, material handling, and operation of an Indirect Thermal Desorption (ITD) system to treat oily mill scale against client QA/QC protocol. The feed was a fine-grained ferrous oxide sludge carrying 10 to 20 per cent oil and a similar moisture load.
The four-year program was executed inside an operating steel mill with no interference to the client's production, under three permits from the Quebec environment ministry.
All mill scale was treated to the client criterion of under 1 per cent oil and under 5 per cent water, finishing below 0.1 per cent residual oil. 3,828,163 litres of oil were recovered and marketed to fuel recyclers, and 100 per cent of the ferrous content, more than 80 per cent of total processed weight, was returned to steel production.
Key Highlights
80,000 Tonnes Recycled. Oil-impacted mill scale thermally processed, with 100 per cent of the ferrous content marketed back into steel production.
3.83 Million Litres Recovered. 3,828,163 litres of oil recovered and marketed into the fuel-recycling industry.
Under 1% Residual Oil. Against a client criterion of under 1 per cent oil and under 5 per cent water.
Up to 15 T/hr Production. Processing an oily mill scale sludge with high oil and water content in a fine-grained ferrous oxide matrix, executed entirely separately from mill operations.
Last updated · September 2026
09
In progress
Capability Applied
Municipal Breakthrough · Pilot
Watch Municipal biosolids thermal pilot →
Nelson is delivering a first-of-its-kind 60-tonne thermal trial for a major Canadian municipality, proving permanent PFAS destruction on wastewater biosolids while recovering a stable, high-value carbon residual.
Municipal biosolids represent one of the largest unresolved liabilities in the wastewater sector. Land application, landfill disposal, and incineration all leave residual risk: pathogens, heavy metals, microplastics, and most consequentially, PFAS that simply migrates from the treatment plant to the soil, the watershed, or the air.
Nelson is executing the first thermal trial run of its kind on municipal biosolids for a major Canadian municipality. The 60-tonne pilot uses Nelson's high-temperature oxidative process to destroy PFAS compounds during treatment, eliminate pathogens, and reduce the waste stream to a stable, inert carbon residual with significant volume reduction. Results stay identified as pending until the third-party analytical data is final.
Unlike fly ash work, which serves a different industry and client base with different downstream applications, biosolids processing is built around a single municipal reality: the operator needs the liability to disappear, permanently, with documentation that withstands regulatory and public scrutiny. The pilot is structured to deliver exactly that: pre- and post-treatment sampling, continuous process monitoring, and third-party validated PFAS destruction data.
The residual carbon product is the second half of the value proposition. Rather than producing ash destined for landfill, Nelson's process leaves a stable carbon material with downstream value, converting a long-tail municipal cost centre into a recoverable resource. This is the circular-economy outcome the sector has been chasing for two decades.
If the trial validates as expected, the program scales. No other environmental remediation company in soil washing or biosolids offers a one-pass guarantee on this work. Nelson does.
Key Highlights
60-Tonne Pilot. First thermal trial of its kind on municipal biosolids for a major Canadian municipality. Results pending third-party data.
PFAS Destroyed at Source. High-temperature oxidative treatment permanently eliminates PFAS during processing. Not transferred, not buried, destroyed.
High-Value Carbon Residual. Process leaves a stable, inert carbon product with downstream value, replacing landfill and land-application disposal pathways.
Pathogen & Volume Reduction. Complete pathogen kill and significant volume reduction in a single controlled thermal pass.
Last updated · April 2026
10
An eight-month program
Capability Applied
Case Study Reel
Case study reel, Honolulu, Hawaii brownfield.
Watch Hawaii brownfield remediation →
Nelson remediated 25,000 tons (16,000 m³) of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil from a former tank farm brownfield in Honolulu, Hawaii, as thermal treatment subcontractor to the environmental consultant.
Nelson worked as the thermal remediation subcontractor, supplying the RS20 low-temperature thermal desorption train, crew and operations alongside consultants, analytical providers and the client.
The treatment train ran a weigh-scale soil feed system, rotary drum desorber, baghouse filtration, thermal oxidizer and treated-soil handling under continuous process control and stack monitoring. Operations ran two 12-hour shifts with three operators per shift at roughly 250 m³ per day, on difficult heterogeneous feedstock of sand, coral, ash and debris including material excavated below groundwater.
Contamination was gasoline, jet fuel and diesel hydrocarbons with PAHs and solvents. All 25,000 tons were treated below the Hawaii criteria of 100 mg/kg TPH-gasoline and 500 mg/kg diesel and oil, under State of Hawaii Department of Health Permit No. 0682-01-N, and reused on site as backfill. The cleanup cleared the property transfer and subsequent commercial redevelopment.
Key Highlights
25,000 Tons Treated. 16,000 m³ of fuel-impacted soil treated below Hawaii criteria and reused on site as backfill.
Brownfield Transformation. The cleanup cleared the property transfer and subsequent commercial redevelopment.
250 m³ Per Day. Continuous two-shift operation across an eight-month program on difficult coral, sand and debris feedstock.
Last updated · September 2026
Remediation Strategy Navigator
Every project here began as a diagnostic. The Strategy Navigator runs that same walkthrough for your conditions and shows which of these treatment paths your site points toward.
· A shortlist of treatment paths ranked against your answers
· The reasoning behind every technology that surfaces
· A shareable link that reopens the same strategy
· A downloadable strategy brief at the end
Outputs are indicative. Reach out for site-specific refinements.
Contact
Project inquiries, technical consultation, or emergencies.
We respond to project inquiries within one business day.
Nelson Environmental Remediation
Head Office
30541 - 100 Avenue
Acheson (Edmonton), Alberta
Canada T7X 6L8
Phone
Toll Free: 1.888.960.8222
Fax
1.780.962.6885