Have a site where a wind turbine did the old self-destruct. All of the big debris has been removed but now we need to get all of the smaller bits that impaled themselves in the farmers field. Don't have to remove every little bit, just anything big enough that would damage farm implements etc. Approx. 2 acres and need to clear down to 20"-24". Have seen it done with a dozer & ripper on the back, but wondering if there is a better way? Something closer together than the rippers on a dozer? Maybe some type of farm implement designed to turn out rocks or other debris, preferably something rentable?

Any ideas appreciated

24" deep, dozer rippers sound good. Need to look for one with five blades rather than the typical three. Or maybe a root rake on the front but don't think youll get as deep with them.

Hope the field has that much soil or the repair is going to be worse than the pieces left.... if it starts pulling rocks up.
Anything that plows or turns the dirt over is just going to bury the pieces and if he ( the farmer) plants or plows he will turn those pieces up forever.
I was involved in a clean up of a airplane crash with similar issues. Parts and pieces covered about 1.5 acres. The environmental company pulled all topsoil off 2 ft down with large articulating bucket loaders, poured the dirt through a sifter, then spread it back out.
Very expensive endeavor.
Maybe a few buss loads of all those illegals at the border with shovels and five gallon buckets?

great idea on the root rake - might use it along with the rippers. Right now the plan is to rip it twice (N-S & E-W), could put the root rake down on 2nd pass to sift stuff out...

So normal farm implements would not bring the debris to the surface or otherwise expose it? As a Pampa boy I am almost embarrassed asking about farming implements......

All going to depend on how deep your top soil is and the rock content. You use a dozer with a ripper or root rake and pull up lots of rock or get past the top soil and start pulling the clay layer to the top and that farmer is going to be just as pissed as he would if he's having to fix flats from debris.

Unfortunately, depending on how much debris you're talking about, running the top soil through a sifter of some sort is your best best. Even if you pull up rock along with the debris, you'll still sift most of it out as well.

In any case, I'd be interested in how this turns out once you figure it out? I can't imagine it being a very simple endeavor depending on how clean the farmer wants his field and how remediation is spelled out in the contract.

depending on debris depth, you might also be able to use a rock picker like this one.

https://degelman.com/products/rock-removal/signature-series-rock-picker

You may have to use a breaking plow or switch plow of some sort first to loosen all the soil up and then run it through.

So much for being environmentally friendly......and I don't think a prius will be pulling/pushing any ripper/root rake.

Skid steer with a rock bucket to get the surface and down a few inches with ease. Not sure I'd want to go 2ft down unless targeting individual pieces with any method.

If required to go to 24", then work in small areas ripping it up and sifting with the skid steer.

For farm implements, not much will go 20-24 inches except a V- ripper. At least that I'm familiar with.
A chisel plow or field cultivator should turn up some of the debris after using a ripper pulled by a dozer or tractor.

Since you said 'any ideas', I'll mention hiring in a rock miller/crusher to use on the fiberglass to grind it all up into fine pieces and mix it back into the soil, provided it won't impair what the landowner needs to use the land for (or is beyond what you can pay him to accept).

Here's a link, for example:

In-Place Rock Crushing

Quote:

---

Rock milling is a technique where a machine with specialized rock crushing teeth pulverize and till the rock pieces back into the soil. This technique allows for a mostly rock free, de-compacted soil bed. With this method no material is hauled in or out, saving you thousands of dollars and time.

---

Basically, they use a hydro ax or a track loader with a special mulcher head. I've never needed one or have I ever seen one in operation.

I'll bet it's a noisy SOB when used on rock, however.

Gunny456 said:

---

Hope the field has that much soil or the repair is going to be worse than the pieces left.... if it starts pulling rocks up.
Anything that plows or turns the dirt over is just going to bury the pieces and if he ( the farmer) plants or plows he will turn those pieces up forever.
I was involved in a clean up of a airplane crash with similar issues. Parts and pieces covered about 1.5 acres. The environmental company pulled all topsoil off 2 ft down with large articulating bucket loaders, poured the dirt through a sifter, then spread it back out.
Very expensive endeavor.
Maybe a few buss loads of all those illegals at the border with shovels and five gallon buckets?

---

Acquaintance of mine had a good friend from Post (I think) whose family farm was the location of a bomber crash in the 1950s. The pilot ejected, but for whatever reason didn't survive. He landed not too far from the house, and the grandparents thought the proper thing to do was wrap him in a parachute and move him to the garage until authorities arrived. Apparently the USAF were very unhappy with them for doing that. Anyway, according to my friend they were still finding small shards of aluminum in that field as late as the 1990s.