Sludge containment vessel and method for use in concert with a vacuum truck in spill containment

A container for use with a vacuum truck including a vacuum pump and at least two vacuum hoses, comprising:

• a container body having at least side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, and, further, having frame elements at least partly forming a door opening with a hinge side, a latch side and a bottom side, the container body being of sufficient strength to withstand a one bar pressure differential between interior and ambient;
• a container closure including a door panel sized to fit a door opening the rear frame defines, the door panel having each of a hinge edge, a latch edge and a bottom edge corresponding to similarly named sides of the door opening, the door panel being hingedly attached to the rear frame at the hinge edge, and to the door panel at the hinge edge, the door panel being movable to occupy the door opening in a closing position, the door panel further defining a drain port under a horizontal beam the door panel comprises, the drain port including a stopcock, the stopcock having an open and a closed state, the stopcock being selectably movable from the open to the closed state or from the closed to the open state;
• a compressible sealing gasket carried by at least one of the door panel and the frame elements, the gasket being compressed between the door panel and the frame elements under an operative sealing pressure when the container closure is sealed with the door panel occupying the closing position in the door opening;
• the container body defining at least two ports, each of the two ports being situated above midpoints the frames include and comprising fittings each to engage one of the two vacuum hoses such that when the door is in sealing engagement with the container body, any volume the vacuum truck draws through one of the hoses, the container body draws a corresponding volume through the other of the two ports;
• a closing mechanism for drawing together the door panel and the frame elements in conjunction with compressing the gasket, the closing mechanism being disposed along at least part of the latch side of the door opening, including at least one locking bar extending from the latch side to engage at least one corresponding locking pin situated on the latch edge, the container body being capable of water- and air-tight integrity when the closing mechanism is fully engaged, the door panel occupying the closing position;
• and
• a door-latching mechanism to fix the door against hydrostatic pressure liquid within the container body exerts on the door panel, the door-latching mechanism including a plurality of hooks and a bottom ratchet binder coupled to the plurality of hooks to draw the hooks to engage a plurality of corresponding bosses the door panel includes.

A waste container for use with a vacuum truck and at least two vacuum hoses, comprising:

• a container body defining at least one door opening and two hose ports;
• a door, the door being sized and configured to close off the at least one door opening, the door further defining a drain port under a horizontal beam the door panel comprises, the drain port including a stopcock, the stopcock having an open and a closed state, the stopcock being selectably movable from the open to the closed state or from the closed to the open state;
• a hinge assembly connected between the container body and the door to permit the door to swing between a closed position covering the opening and an open position uncovering the opening, the hinge assembly including at least one hinge;
• a seal connected with one of the container body and the door, the seal being juxtaposed relative to the container body and the door to provide an air- and fluid-tight seal between the container body and the door when the door is in a closed position;
• a closing assembly mechanically connected between the container body and the door to draw the door into the closed position and, further, drawing the door into sealing engagement with the container body;
• a latching assembly mechanically connected between the container body and the door to hold the door in the closed position and in that closed position, including a plurality of hooks and a bottom ratchet binder, the door-latching mechanism operable to latch by drawing the plurality of hooks to engage a plurality of corresponding bosses the door panel includes;
• and,
• each of the hose port having fittings being configured to sealingly engage one of the at least two vacuum hoses the ports being arranged such when the door is in the closed position to provide an air- and fluid-tight seal between the container body and the door, any volume the vacuum truck draws through one of the hoses, the container body draws a corresponding volume through the other of the two ports.