A method for remediation of contaminated soil which does not require that the soil be removed from its site.

Spills and leaks that have contaminated the soil beneath an abandoned bulk plant, for example, could be treated through use of the vitrification process. The process would begin by inserting pole-like electrodes into the ground at the four corners of the contaminated area. Between the electrodes the operator lays down a “starter path” of flaked graphite. Electric connections are then made to a nearby power source. When the power is turned on, the electric currents coursing through the soil between the electrodes create heat of 3600ºF or more.

This heat, which rids the soil of its contaminants, also renders the soil in into a glass-like solid and permanently encapsulates any residual contaminants.